Ask a Question
or
Create a Poll
  1. Home /
  2. Questions /
  3. Arts
  4. / Books And Writing
  5. / Authors

by davidschmid10 on January 22nd, 2007

davidschmid10

Question

Help answer this question below.

What did Ayn Rand mean by what happened to Eddie Willers in the end of Atlas Shrugged?

Share:
Other

Answers. 1 helpful answer below.

  • by FineBalance . on January 22nd, 2007

    FineBalance .

    Eddie Willers -- He is Dagny's executive assistant and childhood friend.

    What happens to Eddie Willers at the end of the novel?

    The last scene to include Eddie Willers shows him stranded in the desert. At the end of the book, Eddie isn't dead, nor necessarily even abandoned, but he isn't shown as having been saved, either. He might be rescued, or he might die in the desert. We just don't know, because Rand doesn't reveal what he does or what happens to him after he is stranded. This suspense is intentional: Eddie is supposed to represent the "common man," people who aren't inventive geniuses and leaders. His fate is left unresolved at the end of the book to reflect Rand's belief that the fate of ordinary people depends in many ways on the actions of people like Galt, Dagny, etc.

    Rand described Eddie's situation in a letter to a fan:

    Eddie Willers is not necessarily destined to die; in a free society, he will live happily and productively; in a collectivist society he will be the first to perish. He does not have the ability to create a new society of his own, but he is much too able and too honest ever to adjust himself to collectivism.

    http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/books/rand/atlas/faq.html

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

Want to attach an image to your answer? Click here.

Did this answer your question? If not, then ask a new question or create a poll.

More Questions. Additional questions in this category.

You're reading What did Ayn Rand mean by what happened to Eddie Willers in the end of Atlas Shrugged?

Follow us on Facebook!

Related Ads

Related Questions

Professionally Researched

ANSWERBAG BUZZ

What happened to eddie willers
Eddie willers
What does atlas shrugged mean
What happened to eddie willers
How did ayn rand die

Answerbag

a Demand Media company