Atlas Shrugged Character Analysis

Throughout the lives followed in Atlas Shrugged, each character is portrayed with their own belief system. There is James Taggart who denies reality at all costs by refusing to accept responsibility for anything. There are the “Washington men" ()who poke and prod in political games to obtain outcomes they find favorable. There is Eddie Willers, who does the best he can to make a positive impact. There is Dagny Taggart who invests her soul into the success of her businesses without any consideration for what others would say. There is John Galt who sees the downfall of mankind before it happens and creates a reality in which it never does. Then, there is Ragnar Danneskjöld, who knows the impact each of these individuals has had on society and …show more content…
To the strong minded men, he is a wild and creative adventurer seeking justice. His mission is to pay back the men who have bettered the world in a way he knows they will appreciate. His method is to take from the average men what does not belong to them and return it to whom it does. With this, the men who have made little contribution to society suffer from his actions. This has earned him the label of an outlaw. His motivation, however, stems from the most mature and evolved frame of mind. To, Danneskjold, the “re-payment” process is not about money. It is about giving recognition to those who deserve it. Upon his first encounter with Hank Rearden, he says “I know that you do not need this gold at present. What you need is the justice which it represents and the knowledge that there are men who care for justice” (529). Danneskjold holds these beliefs because he loves human ability. Namely, he adores man's ability to sustain, create, and thrive. He appreciates hard work and the results of conscious effort. This means he also has a hatred for laziness and incompetence. He believes a mans fate lies in his own hands and that those who let it slip through their fingers into the hands of another do not deserve to be supported. Danneskjöld's attitude towards man's ability and who should reap the benefits of that ability is entirely justified. If society allows the weak to feed off the accomplishments of the strong, than it is breeding more weak. The idea of “survival of the fittest” can be applied in this situation. The weak minded men will continue to live comfortable lives as long as the strong minded men allow them to. Do lions allow deer to eat their food, drink their water, or live in their homes? No, the lions ensure that the deer population never becomes a threat to their own kind by killing the deer when necessary. Danneskjöld is not suggesting a slaughter of men who do not