Atlas Shrugged chapter one: Difference between revisions

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*'''Plot summary:'''
*'''Plot summary:'''
**Eddie Willers, walking through downtown Manhattan, wonders why the world seems to be slowly falling apart.  He returns to the Taggart Transcontinental Building in order to tell James Taggart the bad news about an unfulfilled steel order and another train wreck, and to make Taggart see the seriousness of the situation the business is in because it can't get steel to replace its aging railroad tracks.
**[[Eddie Willers]], walking through downtown Manhattan, wonders why the world seems to be slowly falling apart.  He returns to the [[Taggart Transcontinental Building]] in order to tell [[James Taggart]] the bad news about an unfulfilled steel order and another train wreck, and to make Taggart see the seriousness of the situation the business is in because it can't get steel to replace its aging railroad tracks.


*'''The following Places in Atlas Shrugged are used as settings in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Places in Atlas Shrugged]] are used as settings in this section:'''
**Downtown New York
**Downtown New York
**The Taggart Transcontinental Building
**The Taggart Transcontinental Building


*'''The following [http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characters_in_Atlas_Shrugged Characters in Atlas Shrugged] appear in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged]] appear in this section:'''
**Bum Number 1 - first and only appearance
**Bum Number 1 - first and only appearance
**Eddie Willers
**[[Eddie Willers]]
**Ellis Wyatt - mentioned
**[[Ellis Wyatt]] - mentioned
**James Taggart
**[[James Taggart]]
**Orren Boyle - mentioned
**[[Orren Boyle]] - mentioned
**Pop Harper - first and only appearance
**Pop Harper - first and only appearance


*'''Mysteries:'''
*'''Mysteries:'''
**The question "Who is John Galt?" opens the book and is repeated over and over.  Who is John Galt?  Where did the phrase come from?  What does it mean?  Where did this question orginate from?
**The question "[[Who is John Galt?]]" opens the book and is repeated over and over.  Who is John Galt?  Where did the phrase come from?  What does it mean?  Where did this question orginate from?
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*'''Plot summary:'''
*'''Plot summary:'''
**Dagny Taggart is riding the [[Things in Atlas_Shrugged|Taggart Comet]] back to New York after inspecting the [[Things in Atlas_Shrugged|Rio Norte Line]].  She hears a Brakeman whistling an unpublished piece from her favorite composer, Richard Halley, but the brakeman refuses to acknowledge this or say where he heard it.  After falling asleep and waking up, Dagny discovers the train has come to a stop at a siding.  She finds the train crew passively awaiting instructions, and gives them orders on how to proceed.  Faced with this incompetence, she decides to promote Owen Kellogg to superintendent of the Ohio Division.
**[[Dagny Taggart]] is riding the [[Taggart Comet]] back to New York after inspecting the [[Rio Norte Line]].  She hears a Brakeman whistling an unpublished piece from her favorite composer, Richard Halley, but the brakeman refuses to acknowledge this or say where he heard it.  After falling asleep and waking up, Dagny discovers the train has come to a stop at a siding.  She finds the train crew passively awaiting instructions, and gives them orders on how to proceed.  Faced with this incompetence, she decides to promote [[Owen Kellogg]] to superintendent of the Ohio Division.


*'''The following [[Places in Atlas Shrugged]] are used as settings in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Places in Atlas Shrugged]] are used as settings in this section:'''
** [[Things in Atlas_Shrugged|Taggart Comet]], stalled between Cleveland and New York.
** [[Taggart Comet]], stalled between Cleveland and New York.


*'''The following [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged]] appear in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged]] appear in this section:'''
**Young Brakeman
**[[Young Brakeman]]
**Conductor - first and only appearance
**Conductor - first and only appearance
**Engineer - first and only appearance
**Engineer - first and only appearance
**Dagny Taggart
**[[Dagny Taggart]]
**Owen Kellogg - mentioned
**[[Owen Kellogg]] - mentioned
**Passenger Number 1 - first and only appearance
**Passenger Number 1 - first and only appearance
**Passenger Number 2 - first and only appearance
**Passenger Number 2 - first and only appearance
**Richard Halley - mentioned
**[[Richard Halley]] - mentioned


*'''Mysteries:'''
*'''Mysteries:'''
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*'''Plot summary:'''
*'''Plot summary:'''
**Dagny Taggart and the [[Things in Atlas_Shrugged|Comet]] arrive at the Taggart Terminal.  She gets off the train inadvertently whistling the theme from [[Things in Atlas_Shrugged|Halley's Fifth Concerto]].  The Brakeman watches her tensely.
**Dagny Taggart and the [[Taggart Comet]] arrive at the [[Taggart Terminal]].  She gets off the train inadvertently whistling the theme from [[Richard Halley|Halley's Fifth Concerto]].  The Brakeman watches her tensely.


*'''The following [[Places in Atlas Shrugged]] are used as settings in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Places in Atlas Shrugged]] are used as settings in this section:'''
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*'''The following [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged]] appear in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged]] appear in this section:'''
**Dagny Taggart
**[[Dagny Taggart]]
**Brakeman
**[[Young Brakeman]]
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*'''Plot summary:'''
*'''Plot summary:'''
**Dagny Taggart meets with James Taggart and Eddie Willers.  She informs them that she has ordered steel rail from [[Companies in Atlas_Shrugged|Rearden Steel]] to be used to replace the tracks of the [[Things in Atlas_Shrugged|Rio Norte Line]].  Later she calls Mr. Ayers to determine if Richard Halley ever published a Fifth Concerto.  Mr. Ayers says he has not.  Dagny meets with Owen Kellogg who tells her he is quitting for personal reasons, nothing can make him stay - not even the promotion Dagny had decided to give him.
**[[Dagny Taggart]] meets with [[James Taggart]] and [[Eddie Willers]].  She informs them that she has ordered steel rail from [[Rearden Steel]] to be used to replace the tracks of the [[Rio Norte Line]].  Later she calls [[Mr. Ayers]] to determine if [[Richard Halley]] ever published a Fifth Concerto.  Mr. Ayers says he has not.  Dagny meets with [[Owen Kellogg]] who tells her he is quitting for personal reasons, nothing can make him stay - not even the promotion Dagny had decided to give him.


*'''The following [[Places in Atlas Shrugged]] are used as settings in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Places in Atlas Shrugged]] are used as settings in this section:'''
**The offices of [[Companies in Atlas_Shrugged|Taggart Transcontinental]].
**The offices of [[Taggart Transcontinental]].


*'''The following [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged]] appear in this section:'''
*'''The following [[Characters in Atlas Shrugged]] appear in this section:'''
** Board of Directors - mentioned
** Board of Directors - mentioned
** Dagny Taggart
** [[Dagny Taggart]]
** Eddie Willers
** [[Eddie Willers]]
** Ellis Wyatt - mentioned
** [[Ellis Wyatt]] - mentioned
** Hank Rearden - mentioned
** [[Hank Rearden]] - mentioned
** James Taggart
** [[James Taggart]]
** Mr. Ayers - first and only appearance
** [[Mr. Ayers]] - first and only appearance
** Orren Boyle - mentioned
** [[Orren Boyle]] - mentioned
** Owen Kellogg
** [[Owen Kellogg]]


*'''Quotations:'''
*'''Quotations:'''

Revision as of 19:49, 16 May 2006

Section 111: Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 1

  • Plot summary:
    • Eddie Willers, walking through downtown Manhattan, wonders why the world seems to be slowly falling apart. He returns to the Taggart Transcontinental Building in order to tell James Taggart the bad news about an unfulfilled steel order and another train wreck, and to make Taggart see the seriousness of the situation the business is in because it can't get steel to replace its aging railroad tracks.
  • The following Places in Atlas Shrugged are used as settings in this section:
    • Downtown New York
    • The Taggart Transcontinental Building
  • Mysteries:
    • The question "Who is John Galt?" opens the book and is repeated over and over. Who is John Galt? Where did the phrase come from? What does it mean? Where did this question orginate from?

Section 112: Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 2

  • Plot summary:
    • Dagny Taggart is riding the Taggart Comet back to New York after inspecting the Rio Norte Line. She hears a Brakeman whistling an unpublished piece from her favorite composer, Richard Halley, but the brakeman refuses to acknowledge this or say where he heard it. After falling asleep and waking up, Dagny discovers the train has come to a stop at a siding. She finds the train crew passively awaiting instructions, and gives them orders on how to proceed. Faced with this incompetence, she decides to promote Owen Kellogg to superintendent of the Ohio Division.
  • Mysteries:
    • What was the Brakeman whistling?
    • Did Halley write a Fifth Concerto?

Section 113: Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 3


Section 114: Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 4

  • Quotations:
    • "I'm not interested in helping anybody. I want to make money." (29) - Dagny Taggart
  • Mysteries:
    • What is it that makes Owen Kellogg quit a job he admits he loves?