Cruel Thoughts

My favorite love stories has always been “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen and “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand.

In the first novel, the love story is between middle class, intelligent and beautiful, Elizabeth Bennett, and the rich, arrogant, handsome and intelligent, Mark Darcy. The second novel is the love story between the Vice President of Taggart Railroad, Dagny Taggart, and the President of Rearden Metal, Hank Rearden.

I love both stories because both female characters are independent and outspoken. Elizabeth Bennett speaks her mind to her anybody, while Dagny Taggart has her own life and career. In the first story, conflicts of social class arises, in the second story , conflicts with society’s perception appears since Hank Rearden was married, and there was a major age difference between Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden. But before I am accused of exalting “infidelity” , “ mistress-hood” , or advocate a taste for “older men” , let me state that I like their love story for the reason why they fell in love with each other in the first place , and not because with the circumstances they’re in . Both, (Hank and Dagny) appreciated the values that they live for, and only the reader of Atlas Shrugged would understand what that means.

I’m a highly logical person but sometimes I would like to suspend  my logic for a bit of romantic fatalism, and this movie is Wicker Park . This movie shows that when two persons are meant to be in love and together , no matter how deliberately a person keeps them a part destiny will prevail. I especially love the part of the ending , when the two lovers met,  and the song, “Scientist” by Coldplay is in the background.  It is probably one of the most romantic scenes I come to appreciate, the same level of appreciation I had for  the  romantic ending of the teenage 80’s  movie  “Some Kind of Wonderful” , with the Irish version of “ Can’t help falling in Love” playing in the background.