A few observations:
RE the oak tree of Eddie's memory - “He felt safe in the oak tree's presence; it was a thing that nothing could change or threaten; it was his greatest symbol of strength.” When lightning struck the tree and he found that the trunk was only an empty shell, he felt deeply shocked and betrayed.
Right after this passage, he arrives at the Taggart Transcontinental building. He smiles at the sight of it and thinks about how it will always be there. Entering the building gives him a sense of relief and security. Could Taggart Transcontinental be his rotted tree? He knows that the rest of the world is falling apart - businesses are closing, things are going wrong and no one seems to care. But he does still have faith in the railroad.
The scene with the train crew (”I don't intend to stick my neck out.”) reminds me of the attitude I see more and more in my own dealings with people. No one wants to take initiative, no one wants to take a risk, no one wants to be held responsible if something goes wrong. I think our increasing concerns about liability and the threat of lawsuits has had a profound effect on how we live our lives. Everyone, from doctors to thrift shop owners, has to worry about covering his butt these days.
The psychological terms “learned helplessness” and “external locus of control” also come to mind. Learned helplessness is when an individual comes to believe through experience that no matter what he does, it will be wrong, or punished, or ineffective - so he gives up and does nothing. When incompetence is rewarded and success is punished, the feeling of “Why bother?” becomes more and more pervasive.
In Atlas Shrugged, as in life, it seems that the producers (and the conservatives) show an internal locus of control - they perceive themselves to be in control of what happens to them and they take responsibility for their own lives and choices. The liberals show an external locus of control - they believe their environment, unseen forces, or other people control their decisions and their lives. The conversation between Dagny and Jim is an excellent example - Jim blames everyone else for his problems, letting his metaphoric canoe drift where the current takes it, while Dagny takes charge and paddles her canoe where she wants it to go.
Why do we seem to be turning into a country of “externals?” Could it be that our educational system discourages risk taking and entrepreneur-ism, while it teaches helplessness? John Taylor Gatto (author of Dumbing Us Down) would say yes. But even in my own homeschool, I struggle with this. My 10 year old came to me this week with an idea to make and sell a product for kids online. All I could think of was the new CPSC bill and lead testing and product liability insurance and it just didn't seem worth the effort and the risk. It made me so sad to have to explain this to my young son, who still sees the world as a place of unlimited possibilities. I want to encourage them to reach for their dreams, but I'm becoming jaded by the direction the country has taken.
This occurs with large corporations in major industry enduring layoff-after-layoff over several years. So many of the best employees are RIF'ed that those left sink into a malaise, partly because of survivor guilt and partly due to foreboding that they may be the next to go.
Interesting thought. I had thought of the tree as a metaphor for the entire society, but your answer makes me think harder. When you look at the people who work at Taggart Trans, only Dagny, Eddie and Kellogg have any pride in their work and an overriding competence. The rest of the employees have caught the virus, no doubt from Jim.
Thank you for an amazing post!