Monday, June 04, 2007

Atlas Blogged: Page 122.

I just had this fantastic idea about creating a blog about reading Atlas Shrugged and calling it Atlas Blogged (OMG LOLZ!), but then I remembered that I have too many blogs already. So instead, I'll just update you guys on here, because I know you all care so much.

So, I'm on page 122, which is just a little more than a tenth of the way through the novel. So far this is what I've gotten out of it: the railroad industry is not as exciting as architecture, and I like The Fountainhead better. But the nice thing about this book is there are a lot more soap opera-worthy characters. There are two aristocratic families mentioned so far: the Taggarts, who own Taggart Transcontinental, and the d'Anconia, who own a bunch of copper mines. Let me pause for a moment: the family name d'Anconia. That is some Dynasty shit. And to prove it, the heir of the d'Anconia riches is named Fransisco. Fransisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastian d'Anconia. I swear to God. You learn about this amazing name in the following line, which I want all of you to take in because it's how Rand introduces the adult version of the character into the narrative: "Fransisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastian d'Anconia sat on the floor, playing marbles." SRSLY, Ayn?

Fransisco D. C. A. S. d'Anconia, or "Frisco" for short, is despised by Dagny Taggart, the sister of the incompetent owner of Taggart Transcontinental. She's a powerful lady, so of course she's the only one who knows how to do anything with the business. But hold on, feminists! Dagny likes to get raped. Yes, you know when you have a strong Rand character when she likes it real rough and forced. She's so strong, she needs to feel weak! And while "Frisco" seems like a worthless playboy, we know he's actually a good guy because he rapes Dagny a few times in the twenty-page flashback where we learn about their childhood together. Again, quoting Ms. Rand: "[Dagny] knew that fear was useless, that he would do what he wished, that the decision was his, that he left nothing possible to her except the thing she wanted most - to submit."

If you're one of the irrational people who think this kind of sexual experience is wrong, well, that's only because you think sex is evil. And you probably desire monogamy! Ha, you fools!

1 comment:

Katie said...

I read Atlas Shrugged awhile back (because I liked the Fountainhead and wanted to see what else Rand had to say). There is a speech somewhere in that book that is something like 50-75 pages long (or maybe I exaggerate it - it sure seemed that way). I ended up not reading all of those pages because it was just SO boring. So, warning! Big speech ahead.