Did Rand Copy the Plot of Atlas Shrugged?

Posted by starlisa 10 years, 8 months ago to Books
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Near as I can tell, the Hasidic story of the "Master of Prayer" is the exact opposite of Atlas Shrugged. A mirror image. It's hard to believe Rand created such a perfect opposite by accident. Is it possible she heard the Master of Prayer story as a child? Perhaps her rejection of it was the thing that got her started on the road that led to Objectivism.

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  • Posted by preimert1 10 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table--Robin Hood and his Merry Men--Jesus and His Deciples...
    even Rev. Jim Jones and Guiana. Many cases of men drawn to causes by a charismatic leader. Nothing new there.
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  • Posted by starlisa 10 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I just skimmed through the full story. The main characters are the Master of Prayer, the Treasurer, and the Mighty Warrior. They map to Galt, Francisco, and Ragnar. And there's the Wise Man they all seem to know, who maps to Hugh Akston. I'd be very surprised if Rand hadn't consciously riffed on this story.
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  • Posted by Zenphamy 10 years, 8 months ago
    Was Marx influenced by this story? There's a strong correlation of the time line here.
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  • Posted by Hiraghm 10 years, 8 months ago
    The story of the "Master of Prayer" has the usual disconnect between having wealth and producing wealth. If all wealth is earned in a society, then wealth *should* be a measure of the quality of a man.

    Just my opinion.
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  • Posted by LionelHutz 10 years, 8 months ago
    There absolutely are similarities in the stories. The idea of the hero gathering other heroes into his quest was something that far predated Rand, but the whole of society being the problem and the escapism that goes along with the recruitment makes for pretty interesting comparisons.
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