Unexpected literary kinship
Because it's very timely at the moment due to its influence on U.S. politics lately, I've been reading some recaps and analyses of Atlas Shrugged. And I finally noticed something very... well. Take a look at this list of story elements and tell me what it sounds like to you:
YA dystopian novel or Atlas Shrugged? Why, it's both! It's just that AS has about 800 more pages of philosophical speechifying and is considered serious and appropriate for manly men to read, unlike those silly girly books. Well, and the YA protagonists sometimes doubt themselves or make mistakes (which mostly the narrative justifies as not really their fault, but still), which Randian protagonists are never allowed to do.
I'm not sure where to take this comparison, other than noting that certain plot elements seem to appeal to a broader demographic than is generally reported and that double standards still exist (I know, shocker). But... interesting.
- The protagonist is female, attractive, and super-competent, but under-appreciated and surrounded by lazy, incompetent, and pettily evil people
- She's one of a small group of special people who can save her society, which is crucial because...
- ...the world either has suffered or is sliding towards a major collapse or apocalypse
- The government is evil and up to no good
- There's a hidden secret group or society which the protagonist will eventually stumble into so secrets can be revealed, crucial plot things can happen, her specialness can be appreciated, etc.
- The worldbuilding behind society's collapse/destruction, the government's plots, and the secret society's secret activities is pretty shaky and might collapse if you look at it too hard
- Multiple hot guys all want the protagonist, and which one she loves most is just as important as millions of people starving and dying in industrial accidents and getting smashed up by superweapons designed to crush discontented populations
- These guys sometimes stalk or threaten her, which supposedly shows the depths of their love
YA dystopian novel or Atlas Shrugged? Why, it's both! It's just that AS has about 800 more pages of philosophical speechifying and is considered serious and appropriate for manly men to read, unlike those silly girly books. Well, and the YA protagonists sometimes doubt themselves or make mistakes (which mostly the narrative justifies as not really their fault, but still), which Randian protagonists are never allowed to do.
I'm not sure where to take this comparison, other than noting that certain plot elements seem to appeal to a broader demographic than is generally reported and that double standards still exist (I know, shocker). But... interesting.