Among the issues most commonly discussed are individuality, the rights of the individual, the limits of legitimate government, morality, history, economics, government policy, science, business, education, health care, energy, and man-made global warming evaluations. My posts are aimed at intelligent and rational individuals, whose comments are very welcome.

"No matter how vast your knowledge or how modest, it is your own mind that has to acquire it." Ayn Rand

"Observe that the 'haves' are those who have freedom, and that it is freedom that the 'have-nots' have not." Ayn Rand

"The virtue involved in helping those one loves is not 'selflessness' or 'sacrifice', but integrity." Ayn Rand

For "a human being, the question 'to be or not to be,' is the question 'to think or not to think.'" Ayn Rand

02 September 2010

September 2 is Atlas Shrugged Day!

On September 2, 1946, Ayn Rand began writing Atlas Shrugged and she finished her great novel in time for publication in 1957.  Throughout the novel, September 2 is the date of a number of events:
  • In the opening scene of the novel, a bum asking Eddie Willers for a handout, asks "Who is John Galt?"  This and the way it was asked bother Eddie.  As he walks through NYC he is also bothered by the gigantic calendar hanging from a public tower and announcing the date as September 2.    
  • On that date, Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart decide to take a vacation together.  On that vacation they discover an abandoned motor that should have revolutionized the use of energy in the world.
  • Francisco D'Anconia makes his speech on money on September 2.  He proclaims money to be the tool of free trade and the result of noble effort, not the root of evil.  Those who call money evil choose to replace its use with the force of the gun.
  • D'Anconia Copper is nationalized on 2 September, but the date on the calendar is replaced by "Brother, you asked for it!"
So, on this day of 2 September 2010, let us give thanks to Ayn Rand for her incredibly dedicated effort in writing this path-breaking novel we are finding so important in our lives 53 years after its publication date and 64 years after she started it on 2 September 1946.  This should be a day celebrated much as Thanksgiving Day is celebrated, but without any religious overtones, as a day to respect the creativity and productivity of all the heroic men and women that Ayn Rand's heroic novel commemorates.  At the top of our list of respected heroes and heroines, we should recognize Ayn Rand herself.

10 comments:

Jeffery Small said...

Charles:

A very nice tribute and an excellent suggestion to turn this into an annual day of celebration and awareness of human greatness.

Charles R. Anderson, Ph.D. said...

Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment Jeffery. It is good to hear from like-minded people and to realize that while our community is small, it has some very fine people in it.

Of course, it is also good to engage those in debate who are not yet of a like mind as well.

Anonymous said...

Happy Altas Shrugged Day :) Great idea!!! We're waiting on the French version here in Europe, coming this month, very exciting to share Atlas Shrugged with more people who don't understand English :)

Tori Novembre Vicari said...

Happy Atlas Shrugged Day! Best book ever written.

Charles R. Anderson, Ph.D. said...

Heloise and Tori: I hope you both had a great Atlas Shrugged day. We sure have seen considerable evidence that many businessmen are on a slowdown strike in this last year. It now appears that we can count on this continuing in the U.S. until the private sector bloodsucking Vampire-in-Chief is sent packing in the 2012 election.

Anonymous said...

Happy 'Atlas Shrugged' Day 2016!

Unknown said...

John Galt’s Revolution falls in the same month as Guy Fawkes Day? Irony out our festivals, are we?

Unknown said...

Thanks, Ayn.

Anonymous said...

I first discovered Atlas in 1966 & have been a lifetime student of her work ever since.

Since September 2 is my date of birth (four years prior the beginning of Ayn's writing on Atlas) I've been curious regarding the significance of that date in her novel … but not 'til today, did I ever get around to searching & finding this page.

Many thanks for the info!

--bob

david said...

Best wishes on John Galt Day!