Greg Salmieri and Ben Bayer discuss the following questions for Part III, Chapter 8, of Atlas Shrugged: “The Egoist.”

  • Question 1: How do various characters react (or fail to react) to Galt’s speech, both following it and over the course of the chapter? Do any of these reactions illustrate any of the points Galt makes in his speech?
  • Question 2: In what ways are the things Galt says and does when Dagny visits his apartment both unusual and characteristic of him?
  • Question 3: We learn a lot in this chapter about Mr. Thompson’s perspective on the other characters. What is this perspective, and what does it reveal about him, about them, and about the state of the nation?
  • Question 4: Galt has conversations with several characters in the Wayne-Falkland Hotel in this chapter. How are these interactions similar to and different from one another? What do these interactions reveal about Galt and about these characters?
  • Question 5: How and why does Dagny’s understanding of the looters develop over the course of the chapter? How does this understanding relate to her motivation for remaining at her job?
  • Question 6: What other questions or observations do you have about Part III, Chapter 8?

 

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