Not to get too far ahead in the story, but I often wonder why Eddie Willers was not invited to Atlantis? He was not a looter, he was dedicated to his work and a life long friend of Both Francisco and Dagny. But he was left in the world, last seen chasing rabbits around the dead engine of a dead locomotive.
Maybe he symbolized the innocent, “civilian casualty” of the war with liberals.
When we get to the last chapter, I’ll have an essay exploring that issue.
The part that I found interesting was Eddies decision to cut the ribbon only once not the three times that the press asked for. Had this decision been for his own values, he would have shown that he understood the action. I believe, however, he chose to because Dagny would have wanted it that way. Perhaps this is Rands demonstration of the subtleties of altruism. His action was decisive but for the wrong reason.
Maybe he symbolized the innocent, “civilian casualty” of the war with liberals.
Eddie is an 'in between'. He seems to live by someone elses convictions, never taking a stand for his own beliefs.
I wondered about that part, too. I guess we’ll discuss it more later.