Explore Atlas Shrugged, Session 10

These discussion questions and podcast were prepared by Diana Hsieh for ExploreAtlasShrugged.com for people interested in creating their own Atlas Shrugged Reading Groups, as well as for anyone wishing to study the novel in more depth. They may be freely used for the study and discussion of Atlas Shrugged, provided that this paragraph remains intact in any reproduction.

Readings

Atlas Shrugged, Part 2, Chapters 7-8

• Part 2: Chapter 7: Moratorium on Brains
  
• Part 2: Chapter 8: By Our Love

Or:

• Pages 567-632 in the larger Hardcover or Softcover
  
• Pages 531-591 in the smaller Mass Market Paperback

Podcast

Listen Now

67:38 minutes

Download This Episode

• Enhanced M4A File (31.9 MB)
  
• Standard MP3 File (31.0 MB)

Learn More

• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, also available in hardcover
  
• Essays on Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, edited by Robert Mayhew
  
• Atlas Shrugged Reading Groups of Front Range Objectivism
  
• AtlasShrugged.com, produced by by the Ayn Rand Institute

Discussion Questions

(Note: The listed page numbers are for the larger edition, softcover or hardback.)

Part 2: Chapter 7: Moratorium on Brains

Section 1 (567-571)

• Who is Clifton Locey?  What kind of person is he?  (568-9)
  
• What is happening at Taggart Transcontinental while Dagny is at the cabin?  What is Eddie Willers' state of mind? (567-71)

Section 2 (571-584)

• What is Hank Rearden's state of mind after signing the Gift Certificate?  What is his attitude toward Lillian and toward his work? (571-2)
  
• What is Rearden's view of Ragnar Danneskjold?  Why does he feel conflicted about him?  How does he express that in action?  (573-84)
  
• By what principles does Ragnar operate as a pirate?  What is his purpose?  Is he immoral?  Is he foolish?  What are the major effects of his piracy?  (575-81)

Section 3 (584-607)

• Step by step, how and why does the tunnel disaster happen? How does each person's thinking and actions contribute to it? Who could have stopped it? Why didn't they stop it? (584-607)
  
• What responsibility to the train passengers bear for the tunnel disaster?  How do their ideas lead to the crash?  Do they deserve to die?  (605-7)

Whole Chapter

• What is the significance of the title of this chapter?

Part 2: Chapter 8: By Our Love

Section 1 (608-622)

• What is Dagny's state of mind at the cabin?  What orders does she give herself? How and why does she struggle with them? (608-12)
  
• In her conversation with Francisco, what does Dagny think are her basic alternatives?  What has she yet to learn?  What are the basic points that Francisco attempts to explain to Dagny?  (618-20)
  
• How does Dagny react to the news of the tunnel disaster?  Why does that event drive her to return to the world?  (620-2)

Section 2 (622-632)

• What is Jim Taggart's response to the tunnel disaster?  What does that say about his character and state of mind?  (622-7)
  
• How and why does Eddie Willers stand up to Jim in refusing to tell him where Dagny is?  Why is he so distraught when Dagny returns?  (624-6)
  
• What does Dagny say to Hank about her return?  What does she mean?  (631-2)

Whole Chapter

• What is the significance of the title of this chapter?