Research Paper on:
Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
concerning the condition of mankind. It is a story that clearly approaches ideas of Objectivism, and also a story that simply offers the reader a close look at the political  and social and economic world in which we live. In Rands story we are not given a man who is named Atlas, but we are given a very powerfully  symbolic image of him throughout the entire novel. This image can be seen from many perspectives, one perhaps being that Rand suggests the less intelligent individuals who carry much of  the burden of the society, should merely put their burden down. Another could perhaps be that the intelligent people of the society, those who keep the society economically and politically  stable, should cease to be the structure that keeps everything supported. These are the two perspectives examined in the following paper as they relate to the titles character, Atlas. The  paper examines what the significance of Atlas in the title may well be. Atlas It is perhaps important to note that, first and foremost, Atlas was a mythological  individual who was not incredibly intelligent, though he possessed great strength. He was a loyal individual who fought with the Titans. He lost, along with the Titans, and he was  specifically chosen to hold the heavens on his shoulders for eternity perhaps. He was later turned to stone. Some legends, however, claim that he was only instructed to hold the  mountains upon his shoulders. The point, however, is that Atlas was a man who did not possess a great deal of intelligence, yet was one who maintained a position, through  force, that kept the heavens balanced at the time. It is perhaps incredibly important to note that Atlas was not that intelligent. In Rands book those who were considered