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Explore Atlas Shrugged

Preview

This preview is part of Explore Atlas Shrugged, philosopher Diana Brickell's course on Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. The course includes over 22 hours of podcasts, 1400 study questions, and other resources. It will inspire fresh insights into the complex events, characters, and ideas of this epic novel – whether you've read it just once or a dozen times before.

You can purchase access to the whole of Explore Atlas Shrugged for just $20. The written materials in the course are also available from Amazon in paperback and kindle formats, and purchasers of those editions just pay $10 for access to the podcasts.

Plot Outline

This plot outline summarizes the major events of Atlas Shrugged, broken into parts, chapters, and sections. As always, the page numbers found in parentheses refer to the hardcover, softcover, and kindle editions of Atlas Shrugged, not the small mass market paperback.

Part 1: Non-Contradiction

Chapter 1: The Theme

• Section 1: Eddie Willers walks through the streets of New York City to Taggart Transcontinental. There, he meets with its president Jim Taggart about the poor state of the track on the Rio Norte Line. Eddie speaks with Pop Harper. (3-12)
• Section 2: Dagny Taggart returns to New York City on the Taggart Comet after inspecting the Rio Norte Line. On the way, she hears the brakeman whistling a seemingly new concerto by composer Richard Halley. The train is halted by a faulty switch and then restarted by Dagny's efforts. (12-17)
• Section 3: Dagny Taggart enters the Taggart Terminal in the Comet. (17-18)
• Section 4: Dagny Taggart meets with Jim Taggart, informing him that the rail for the Rio Norte Line will be made of a new alloy: Rearden Metal. Dagny learns that Richard Halley has written no new concertos. Owen Kellogg resigns for inexplicable reasons. (18-26)

Chapter 2: The Chain

• Section 1: At his mills, Hank Rearden pours the first heat of Rearden Metal. He reflects on his life as he walks home. Once at home, he is frustrated and disappointed by the people present: his mother, his brother Philip, his wife Lillian, and his friend Paul Larkin. Hank agrees to Lillian's plan for an anniversary party, and he gives a check to Philip for the "Friends of Global Progress." (27-43)

Chapter 3: The Top and the Bottom

• Section 1: Jim Taggart, Orren Boyle, Paul Larkin, and Wesley Mouch meet to make some kind of deal. Then they discuss the San Sebastián Mines. (44-50)
• Section 2: A flashback reveals Jim Taggart's and Dagny Taggart's history at Taggart Transcontinental, particularly how Dagny rose in the company and then built Jim's San Sebastián Line. Now, Jim confronts Dagny about the poor train service on that line. As she leaves the office, Dagny reflects on the life of Nat Taggart and converses with a newsstand owner. (50-62)
• Section 3: Eddie Willers eats dinner in the Taggart cafeteria with an unknown railroad worker. (62-63)

Chapter 4: Immovable Movers

• Section 1: On his return from an unsatisfying meeting with United Locomotive Works, Eddie Willers informs Dagny Taggart of Dick McNamara's sudden retirement. That evening, Dagny walks through the streets of New York City, seeking greatness but finding only degradation. She returns home to listen to the music of Richard Halley, reflecting on the story of his struggle, success, and disappearance. In the newspaper, she reads that Francisco d'Anconia has returned to the city. (64-69)
• Section 2: Jim Taggart and Betty Pope arise in mutual contempt after a night together. Jim receives a phone call informing him that the Mexican government has nationalized the San Sebastián Mines and Line. (70-72)
• Section 3: Jim Taggart speaks to the board of Taggart Transcontinental, reassuring them about the nationalization of the San Sebastián Line. (72)
• Section 4: Jim Taggart and Orren Boyle meet to discuss the San Sebastián nationalization. (73)
• Section 5: The National Alliance of Railroads passes the "Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule," supposedly to eliminate "destructive competition" among railroads. In fact, however, the rule aims to prevent Dan Conway's excellent Phoenix-Durango from competing with Taggart Transcontinental in Colorado. Afterwards, Jim Taggart meets with Orren Boyle, and he gloats to Dagny. (73-77)
• Section 6: Dagny Taggart urges Dan Conway to fight the Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule, but he refuses to do so. (77-80)
• Section 7: Ellis Wyatt comes to Dagny Taggart's office to deliver his ultimatum: Taggart Transcontinental absolutely must provide the service that Wyatt Oil requires. (81-82)
• Section 8: Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart negotiate terms for the sale of rails made of Rearden Metal for the Rio Norte Line. They discuss the meaning of their work. (82-88)

Chapter 5: The Climax of the d'Anconias

• Section 1: Eddie Willers tells Dagny Taggart that the recently nationalized San Sebastián Mines are worthless. (89-90)
• Section 2: Dagny Taggart recollects her remarkable childhood with Francisco d'Anconia as she walks to the hotel to meet him. Then she speaks with him about his San Sebastián Mines. (90-126)

Part 1: Chapter 6: The Non-Commercial

Section 1

Section 2

Part 1: Chapter 7: The Exploiters and the Exploited

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Section 8

Section 9

Part 1: Chapter 8: The John Galt Line

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Part 1: Chapter 9: The Sacred and the Profane

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Part 1: Chapter 10: Wyatt's Torch

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Section 8

Section 9

Part 2: Either-Or

Part 2: Chapter 1: The Man Who Belonged on Earth

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Part 2: Chapter 2: The Aristocracy of Pull

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Part 2: Chapter 3: White Blackmail

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Part 2: Chapter 4: The Sanction of the Victim

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Part 2: Chapter 5: Account Overdrawn

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Part 2: Chapter 6: Miracle Metal

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Part 2: Chapter 7: Moratorium on Brains

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Part 2: Chapter 8: By Our Love

Section 1

Section 2

Part 2: Chapter 9: The Face Without Pain or Fear or Guilt

Section 1

Section 2

Part 2: Chapter 10: The Sign of the Dollar

Section 1

Section 2

Part 3: A is A

Part 3: Chapter 1: Atlantis

Section 1

Section 2

Part 3: Chapter 2: The Utopia of Greed

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Part 3: Chapter 3: Anti-Greed

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Part 3: Chapter 4: Anti-Life

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Part 3: Chapter 5: Their Brothers' Keepers

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Part 3: Chapter 6: The Concerto of Deliverance

Section 1

Part 3: Chapter 7: This Is John Galt Speaking

Section 1

Speech

Part 3: Chapter 8: The Egoist

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Part 3: Chapter 9: The Generator

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Part 3: Chapter 10: In the Name of the Best Within Us

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

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