Dagny Taggart at First Glance - A Woman in a Man’s World

Demetria Diggs
Ph.D. Student in Educational Leadership
College of Education
Prairie View A&M University
Dean of Instruction
Paul Revere Middle School
Houston Independent School District
Houston, Texas

William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.

Professor and Faculty Mentor
Ph. D. Program in Educational Leadership
Prairie View A&M University
Member of the Texas A&M University System
Visiting Lecturer (2005)
Oxford Round Table
University of Oxford, Oxford England
Distinguished Alumnus (2004)
Central Washington University
College of Education and Professional Studies

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ABSTRACT
The plight of a woman in the workplace has long tilted its head of existence in our

society. In Alas Shrugged, Dagny Taggart is depicted as a woman with an unwavering

character who persevered in an epoch marked by male chauvinism, self-centeredness,

and greed beyond repair. Her continued fervor for the progression of her family’s

railroad business, and her longing for self eminence acted as her cornerstone when

facing barriers which many would not have hesitated to shy away from.

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 Introduction

Does an ambitious woman truly fit in this world? If so, what level of attainment

has been deemed appropriate for a woman with the will, determination and ego of a

man? For many years, it has been assumed that a woman’s place is in the home

attending to the familial needs of those connected to her. This being especially true in

the years in which railroad operations proved to be one of the most common and

reliable forms of transportation. Women were admired as caretakers, while men were

admired for their significant monetary contributions to the home. One woman, Dagny

Taggart, did not desire to lead the normative lifestyle of every woman in her time. We

should never feel obligated to live our lives in the complete image of what society

dictates. “No society can be of value to man’s life if the price is the surrender of his

right to life” (Rand, 1961, p.36). It is our charge to respect the laws of the land.

Through this respect, woman should feel free to embark on the desires of their heart

regardless of society’s gender expectations.

The Purpose of This Article

The purpose of this article is to reveal how one woman’s laudable efforts to go

against society’s status quo for females. She took this stance in order to reveal her

personal belief in destiny, the metaphysic of those cognizant of a before, here, and

hear-after; which was deeply rooted in a family business that had proven successful for

generations. This article will uncover how the ethics of her time, “the study of what is
good and morally right and the reasoning to explain our moral conduct” (Kritsonis, 2002

p. 99), did not hold a blueprint for Dagny Taggart as a women in a time when men

dominated the workforce.

Destiny’s’ Proclaim

Destiny is an innate agency. It is something that we cannot embed in our own

existence, nor can we alter the final terminus of its predestined course. It stirs and

develops in our existence, as a moth in a cocoon waiting to reveal a unique butterfly. It

is the charge that we have yet assumed in society while we were still in our mother’s

womb. Destiny drops fragments or hints of her character while one is yet in bloom. It

begins with the end in mind. It is common to find others with a plan for our future. In

spite of their words or efforts, we must continue to press foward as we encountered

Dagny Taggart while still in a developing stage, engaging in a childhood conversation

with Eddie Willers in an effort to predispose their future. While Eddie is insisting that the

two not just go into business when they become adults, but embark on other

adventurous tasks not common to the norm of their location. Dagny holds silent in the

end with her eyes affixed on the one inevitable object of her destiny, the railroad.

The one precious companion of his childhood told him what they would do

when they grew up. The words were harsh and glowing, like the sunlight.

he listened in admiration and in wonder. When he was asked what he

would do, he answered at once, “Whatever is right,” and added, “You

ought to do something great … I mean the two of us together.” “What?”

 she asked. He said, “I don’t know. That’s what we ought to find out. Not

just what you said. Not just business and earning a living. Things like

winning battles, or saving people out of fires, or climbing mountains.”

“What for?” she asked. He said, “The minister said last Sunday that we

must always reach for the best within us. What do you suppose is the

best within us”? “I don’t know.” “We’ll have to find out.” She did not

answer; she was looking away, up the railroad track. (Rand, 1957, p.6)

In our lives, though we may not be at the pinnacle of destination, destiny was

spoken into existence as it did when Dagny confidently touted she and Eddie’s

commission to work on the railroad as a child. “Through the years of her childhood,

Dagny lived in the future-in the world she expect to find, where she would not have to

feel contempt or boredom” (Rand, 1957, p.91). The significance of many words and

deeds in our past, often come to fruition in our future. As a second kiss, destiny will

continue to lure one to his or her correct path as did when this same youth, employed

herself at Taggart Transcontinental by night at age sixteen as a night operator at a

small country station. It should never be one’s will to accept the bottom, when there’s

room at the top. One should always have an idea where he or she is headed. Dagny

not one to settle for mediocrity, and knowing where her end was positioned, worked

diligently and assumed the role as one of the company’s top executives. “Dagny’s rise

among the men who operated Taggart Transcontinental was swift and uncontested”

(Rand 1957, p. 51). Her future success as an executive of Taggart Transcontinental,

allowed her to branch off in daunting economic times, made her childhood companion

Eddie Willers experience a vague feeling of nostalgia as they embarked on her premier

excursion on the John Galt Line. His remembrance ignited in his mind as he was told

by a young companion two years his elder “But what he was seeing was the sun in a

clearing of the woods and a twelve-year-old girl telling him that he would help her run

the railroad some day” (Rand 1957, p. 237).

Communicatively Bold, yet Beautiful

There is an old, and all too common adage that insists that a woman should be

seen, but not heard. How can a woman such as Dagny Taggart or others of her

persuasion rise to the occasion against countless ruffians, in order to be respected in a

workforce totally brimming with men. Would they listen to a female who is disposed to

being silent or not to speak freely? Many believe that reticence is a characteristic

reserved for a woman of the home, or an employed woman when she arrivess home. In

the case of a Dagny Taggart, her position bids that she see herself as a man’s equal,

take charge and do what is right on her business’ behalf. We see Dagny telling her

brother James Taggart against his wishes, “I’ve ordered the rail from Rearden Steel”

(Rand 1957, p. 237). Although her brother held a higher position in the company, his

decisions were not always up to par; which placing huge restraints on the future of

Taggart Transcontinental. If a female cannot exert herself when needed although from

an axiological perspective despised during her time, she’ll may find herself
succumbing to the unnecessary controls of the brute’s in the workplace. “Dagny, why

don’t you sit in the chair as one is supposed to?” he said at last; his voice was petulant.

“Nobody holds business conferences this way.” “I do” (Rand, p.18). It is rewarding to

see a female indulge in those things common to her gender as well. The important

thought to remember is that there is a time and place for everything. It is a time to

speak up, and a time to be silent. Even an ambitious woman should not completely

disengaged herself from the realm of femininity as thought by Lillian Rearden regarding

Dagny.

I know that Taggart woman is perfectly sexless and doesn’t give a damn about

you-and, darling, I know that if you ever had the courage for anything of the sort, which

you haven’t, you wouldn’t go for an adding machine in tailored suits, you’d go for

some blond, feminine chorus girl who-oh, but Henry, I’m only joking! (Rand, 1957, p.

230)

Many men find it intriguing when a woman ventures away from societal expectation to

do something extraordinary. Women should not be afraid to realize their dreams and

lead through distaff. “Looking at her, as she raised her head, many of them thought-in

astonishment and for the first time that the face of their Operating Vice-President was

the face of a woman and that it was beautiful” (Rand 1957, p. 232).

Perseverance

If anything is worth earning, it is worth working for. Challenges present themselves

daily, and we must have the stamina to solve problems effectively. Think of Dagny
Taggart, and her passion for solving problems since youth. “She felt the same emotion

in school, in classes of mathematics, the only lessons she liked. She felt the excitement

of solving problems, the insolent delight of taking up a challenge and disposing of it

without effort, the eagerness to meet another, harder test” (Rand, 1957, p. 51). We

must take the passions of our youth, as Dagny and make them become a reality.

Victory Bittersweet

“All that Dagny wanted of life was contained in the desire to hold her head as he

did” (Rand, 1957, p. 60). She merely want to follow in the footsteps on her late relative

Dan Taggart. Due to her level of perseverance woman all over the world can look upon

Dagny Taggart and muster the courage to achieve at levels previously deemed

unreachable to women. When one’s destiny evolves to its most mature state, the

victory of one’s life is replete. Replete with the thought of hope, patience, and

perseverance joining for a celebration of a bittersweet victory. “This was not to be a

solemn venture upon which their future depended, but simply their day of enjoyment.

Their work was done. For the moment, there was no future. They had earned the

present” (Rand 1957, p.60). As Dagny Taggart celebrated the first day of running her

self-made John Galt Line, women around the world can celebrate and experience the

same level of achievement in their endeavors.

Concluding Remarks
 Life does not end with the hand you are dealt. Life ends or begins with what you

do with that hand. Even though many felt that there was not much logic in Dagny

Taggart’s decision to work as a railroad executive, “She never tried to explain why she

liked the railroad. Whatever it was the others felt, she knew that this was one emotion

for which they had no equivalent and no response” (Rand, 1957, p. 51) or to step out

with faith and discernment to use Rearden Metal as the supplier of their railing due to

the unknown forecasts of its ability to provide safety, and endure over time, she

ventured on with her decision proving successful.

References
Rand, A. (1957). Atlas shrugged. New York: Penguin Putnam, Incorporated.
Rand, A. (1961). The virtue of selfishness. New York: Penguin Putnam,
Incorporated.
Kritsonis, W. (2007. William Kritsonis, PhD on schooling. Mansfield, OH:
BookMasters, Incorporated.