I think Ayn Rand made Rearden’s life too easy by making his wife, Lilian such a bitch. If she were loving, understanding person and sharing his ideas would he be able to drop her so easily for sake of Dagny?
No, but she wasn’t.
If she was a loving understanding person who shared his ideals he wouldn’t have wanted to leave her.
And what about Dagny? Do you mean he fell in love with her by default, just because Lilian was such a bad person? I don’t think so.
And what about Dagny? Do you mean he fell in love with her by default, just because Lilian was such a bad person? I don’t think so.
On the other hand, are you saying that rational people will not have committed relationships, but will hook up with any better partner that comes along and is open to a relationship?
yes, Rearden would still have fallen in love with Dagny, she would have been his one true love, no matter who his wife was. But had his wife been a loving, understanding woman, sharing his ideas, he would not have kept his love for Dagny a secret. He would have told his wife openly, because she didnt deserve to be cheated on. He would have amicably separated from his wife before courting Dagny.
Perhaps his feeling of guilt would be magnified, but that would not have stopped him from being honest with his wife. His wife, unlike Lilian, would leave him, and understand his love for Dagny the same way Rearden understood Dagny’s love for Galt. The same way Rearden felt no pain when DAgny fell for Galt, because he knew Dagny was completely happy with Galt, perhaps the same way even Reareden’s wife would feel no pain (although this is difficult to ascertain).
That is true and that would be made the whole affair much more difficult for him and much more interesting for the readers.
… much more interesting for the readers.
It would have been redundant though, since we already have Dagny leaving Rearden for Galt. And we’d have had one less villain in Lillian, a loss.
That is true and that would be made the whole affair much more difficult for him and much more interesting for the readers.
You’re more than welcome to write a better novel than Atlas Shrugged.
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