Atlas Shrugged

Hank Rearden fulfils the role of both deuteragonist and love interest; his journey toward induction into the society of Galt’s Gulch runs parallel to Dagny’s. He stands alongside Dagny through the main conflicts of the novel and undergoes some of the most significant character development. Under Dagny and Francisco’s guidance, he shucks the restrictive moral conventions of society in favor of objectivist philosophy and comes to terms with his own sexuality and egotism. In the early parts of the novel, he is deeply unhappy in his personal life—the target of his family’s scorn and his own recriminations. Only when he is able to liberate himself from the family who used The Weaponization of Victimhood to control him does he achieve the satisfaction and freedom that objectivism demands he pursue.

One of Rearden’s most defining characteristics is his capacity for strong emotion. He experiences the depths of suffering at the hands of the looters and extreme anguish when those he cares for are harmed. Equally, he feels the full joy and exhilaration of his successes and deep affection for his loved ones. Rearden’s character functions as a rebuttal to an anticipated accusation of objectivism as an “antisocial” philosophy supporting selfishness over human connection. He forms extremely strong bonds with the people who prove themselves worthy of his respect and affection: Ken Danagger, who declares him “the only man [he] ever loved” (2, 3, 446); Tony, who dies to deliver him a warning; and Francisco and Dagny, with both of whom Rearden shares a deep love.

Rearden has much in common with Dagny’s two other lovers, Francisco and Galt, and with the other young men of Galt’s Gulch. He is an innovative genius, as evidenced by his achievement in creating the revolutionary Rearden Metal alloy. Physically, he is described much the same way as the others: “tall,” “slim,” and “strong,” with expressive eyes and an attractive face. He is also similarly motivated by objectivist values such as self-satisfaction and a desire for profit, with the same firm sense of fair play and a hard work ethic that makes him a heroic figure from The Objectivist Perspective of Morality.

The men of Galt’s Gulch refers collectively to all of the secondary characters who abide by the objectivist principles espoused by Rand and who come to participate in Galt’s strike through the course of the novel. These are characters held aloft as superior according to Radical Individualism and Idolization of the Lone Genius Archetype. Examples include Wyatt, Francisco, Mulligan, and Hadley; all are exceptional individuals (within objectivist parameters) who stand out in their various fields due to their innate ability, hard work, and virtue under The Objectivist Perspective of Morality. John Galt is the eponymous archetype of this category of man and the perfect example of an objectivist hero: intelligent, nonviolent, principled, and without any discernable weaknesses or vulnerabilities.

Although there are a handful of women belonging to this group, including the novel’s protagonist, Dagny, they are far outnumbered by the men in this category. One major reason for this is that objectivism values productivity measured through the accumulation of wealth as a key virtue. However, many jobs that are considered women’s work under modern patriarchal standards—for instance, domestic tasks, care of children and the elderly, reproduction—are often done for little or no profit, devaluing the labor of women. The subjugation of women in the context of 1950s America kept many women out of workforce, and this is reflected in the fact that few female characters earn admittance to the utopia of Galt’s Gulch.

All of these men are very alike in their physical characteristics and are strong, healthy, and active. The lack of diversity in this supposed superior population has led many critics to liken the narrow category of man idolized by Rand to a “Nietzschean Superman” or Übermensch (Powell, Robert. “Embracing Power Roles Naturally: Rand’s Nietzschean Heroes and Villains.” The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, 2009, pp. 371-398). The novel portrays strength and morality through a white, able-bodied prism.