Muse

Character Role Analysis

Dagny Taggart

Aside from being our protagonist, Dagny is doing double duty as a muse for many of the men in the novel, including John Galt, Hank, Francisco, and Eddie. All of these men view Dagny as an ideal and as an embodiment of their values. As a muse Dagny also inspires a lot of these men to take certain actions, such as Francisco's decision to join Galt's strike for Dagny's sake. It is also fitting that Dagny is sometimes likened to a work of art, most explicitly by Hank, who compares her to a painting, and John, who likens her to a statue.