Atlas Shrugged

This was Rand's last work of fiction, published in 1957. In this work, Rand applies her theory of Objectivism and creates a world that illustrates what she believed should be the role of a person's mind in society. Her notion of the ideal man is depicted in the novel's heroic protagonist, John Galt. The novel is set in America during a period where the industrialists rebel against the collective resentment toward them by going on strike and retreating to a hideaway in the mountains. As a result, American society and economy begins to collapse, and the government perpetuates this collapse by increasing its controls over industry and the people. The plot is simply a means for Rand to convey her political and philosophical ideas. She illustrates how a collectivist society destroys the individual by stifling his progression, forcing him to live for the benefit of a group...