by Sassy Jones

Created on: September 01, 2009

"Who is John Galt?" This question permeates Atlas Shrugged. Though many in the novel ask the question, the reader discovers John Galt as Dagny Taggart discovers him.

In Part One of the novel, John Galt is an idea, a cry of despair and hopelessness. It is uttered as an answer to seemingly unsolvable problems or unanswerable questions. Each time Dagny encounters the phrase "Who is John Galt?" she recoils from it. Dagny is not one to be cowed by apparent impossibilities. She relies on herself to find solutions to problems that arise and takes responsibility for those actions. As Vice President of Operations for Taggart Transcontinental, Dagny handles the day to day operations of the railroad while her brother, James, has the title of President yet has as little to do with the railroad as possible. When one of James' friends in Washington needs a favor, James says 'yes' then runs to Dagny to make it happen. He relies on her to his life easier, without needing forethought or heeding consequences. And she does, but not to gain his favor, but because she wants to hold her head up and not owe anyone anything, just do justice to the memory of her grandfather who built Taggart Transcontinental with his own hands, ability, and perseverance. Dagny's entire life and being is dedicated to rejecting the lament of helplessness inherent in the phrase "Who is John Galt." If it needs to happen, she will get it done.

Part Two focuses on Dagny's efforts to make the impossible reality. Dagny realizes that Taggart Transcontinental needs a railroad line through Colorado to capitalize on the amazing growth happening there as well as to prop up other lines not doing as well financially. She also realizes that the resources coming from Colorado will help the country and her railroad in the future, so she needs to begin building the line right away. Only because of James' machinations and favors in Washington, Dagny has to quit her job to build the line herself. As an act of defiance against the ennui that made it necessary for Dagny to quit her job to build the line, Dagny names it the John Galt Line. Almost as soon as she's completed the line, though, something strange starts happening to the men who share her same credo of personal responsibility and overcoming difficulties to achieve the necessary results: they begin to disappear, one by one. They all just abandoned their businesses, that which they had strove for and poured their entire lives into. They all just walked away and could

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