John Galt

John Galt is the most important character in Atlas Shrugged, and drives the action of the story. He organized and carried out the strike that is the defining event of the novel. Despite this importance, Galt remains a mystery until two-thirds of the way into the book, which makes him an almost mythical character. He is created as an ideal man. He is attractive, highly intelligent, and very accomplished. He is very rational, dealing only with the facts he faces. In Galt, emotion and reason are completely integrated, which means he is able to express his emotions as easily as he expresses reason. Rand uses Galt to reject the split between reason and emotion that is so often seen in society.

Galt is the manifestation of the idea that a person's mind is only the means by which he or she achieves prosperity. The mind is what...