Atlas Shrugged is a book written by Ayn Rand, published in 1957. The book was written during the post World War II and Cold War era, in which the trends of modern intellectual culture played a major role in Rand’s writing. The overlying theme woven through the book is that without the independent mind, our society would collapse into a chaotic society. In sum, Atlas Shrugged is a defense on the freedom of a mind’s mind. Rand uses key character’s in Atlas Shrugged such as John Galt, Hank Rearden, and Dagny Taggart. The rebellion against the government started with John Galt. He believed that men should have the freedom to use their minds independently without the control of the government. John Galt created a strike, gathering “the thinkers”