Eric Martin

Manuel A. Perez Tejada

English 1101

September 7, 2008

The Anchor

            The digital media often frightens me. When I arrive at my dorm, I turn on my computer and squander my time on the Internet. I check my e-mail, talk with friends on Facebook, search for songs on iTunes, and watch random videos on YouTube in an endless limbo while my schoolwork grows in the background. This cultural outlet steals hours from my day and enervates the determination that defines who I am. It is naïve for me to harshly criticize a resource I depend on for information, but every time I read a webpage, I feel as if my ability to concentrate disappears. Fortunately, I discovered an anchor to hold me to my true passions. It is something made of ink and paper, not of wires. It is the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. By closely examining how the heroes relate to my own character and the novel’s intrinsic quality, I discovered a treasure that enables me to focus on my schoolwork in a world that attempts to distract.

In Atlas Shrugged, the heroes are the men and women who devote themselves to their jobs and passions. They are people who shun society and its distractions in order to pursue their aspirations.  For instance, the protagonist Hank Rearden invests ten years of his life at the cost of alienating his family in order to develop a new metal that is stronger, lighter, and cheaper than steel. He does not mind the fact that people consider him to be callous and greedy; his invention gives him a sense of self-worth that no one can steal. I identify myself with this character because I too ignore friends in order to pursue my passions for mathematics and physics. For example, I turn down parties in order to prove theorems for homework, and I shut myself away in my room on regular occasions in order to study mechanics. When I see Hank Rearden, I do not see a meaningless name on a piece of paper, I see my potential as a human being. Furthermore, the way the heroes of the novel act and think often compels me to push myself to my absolute mental limits. For instance, when I read about the long nights Dangy Taggart spent working at a railroad outpost while attending college, I feel an immediate urge to follow in her footsteps by reading a physics textbook into the late hours of the night. My similarities with the heroes of Atlas Shrugged convince me that I too am one of the novel’s heroes, and this conviction strengthens my determination to study.  

            The novel Atlas Shrugged is more than just piece of literature; it is a symbol and product of one person’s focus and determination. Every page embodies one woman’s efforts and years spent writing, revising, and editing. Each and every word is carefully chosen and correctly spelled. Each idea builds flawlessly on the next absorbing the reader into a singular drama and philosophy for endless hours. Reading her novel always reminds me that I am capable of more than I could imagine. I often doubt my abilities as a human being during the middle of the school year. For example, I might believe that I am not smart enough to pass a test or focused enough to complete a project. I start to fear my inadequacies, and this fear prompts me to run away by wasting time on Youtube or Facebook. To actually hold and be enthralled by someone else’s masterpiece, however, inspires me to cast my fears away and put forth the effort no matter the cost or the result.

It is hard to commit oneself to their work. Writing essays for English, proving theorems for math, and understanding theories of science are feats that demand time and effort. The largest threat I face is a fear of failure. This fear leaves me vulnerable to the distractions of the digital media. Atlas Shrugged, however, reminds me of who I am and what it takes to be me.