I reviewed the posts in this thread (for my own organization / prioritization).
I think the most important topic to discuss atm is:
and the next most important things are:
- the heroes topic more broadly
- the Dagny as a feminist icon branch (everything in anon43s post)
raw notes:
Review/planning
morning review
Ongoing
- look for when Dagny is harsh or not and about what
- check descriptions of Galt later – does sunlight illuminate him, or is he the sunlight?
- What were each characters flaws? Did I make a mistake with any of them? If I did, that might change things.
- does Dagny (et al) make judgements quickly? Always? In those times that it isn’t quick (if any), what things does she consider? Why does she make the judgement that she does?
Qs I skipped
The bum is weary and resigned, but is (or was) intelligent. In what kind of world does an intelligent person end up as a beggar? And how does that world compare to our own world?
It’s important that goods be made for men. That’s a pro-human attitude, wanting men to produce things for their own use in order to improve their lives. There are other attitudes possible, like creating objects to sacrifice to the Gods, some of which are illustrated in Atlas Shrugged.
I could write about this – e.g., project x, what was that made for?
Honesty Quotes
- Wynand quote
- Kent Lansing quote
FH aside: I read a bit of The Fountainhead (film) - Wikipedia. There are some interesting things under “Production” (Rand writing the script, modifications by her or others, Rand visiting the set). If I looked into this more I’d go to the sources and/or search for new ones.
Heroes
note on FH comment
What about Wynand? Kent Lansing? Dominique? Enright?
DT/JG as heroes
- Defn - Hero Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
-
the principal character in a literary or dramatic work
-
the central figure in an event, period, or movement
- Both defns: Dagny is the hero of AS (the novel)
- Latter defn: Galt is the hero of the strike (in the world of the novel)
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Does seeing Galt as the hero reflect some desire of people to live in the world of AS? like that they want to literally go through that?
- replies to posts
“idol” as synonym for “hero”
under linked hero defn:
an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol
I search FH for idol (3 instances) and AS (10). How is “idol” used compared to “heroic” and similar words in the novels? Who uses the word in dialog?
(In FH, “idol” is only ever used around Toohey, the last instance being in the afterword by Peikoff)
Dagny as Feminist Icon (and related)
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Read a few more times, figure out crux
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Note: seems reasonably important, mb 2nd to “Both of these views […] are very anti-Beginning of Infinity and anti-Popperian. They are anti-personal growth and change.”
Most important thing atm?
other
- Review Dagny & the cabin
- “Critics of Objectivism often claim that it’s about “selfishness” and doesn’t consider other people” branch