The fact that, in Bioshock, your character has a chain tattooed on his wrist. In the novel Atlas Shrugged, the industrialist Hank Reardon gives his unsupportive wife, Lillian, a set of chain bracelets made out of the amazing new material that he invented. In the book, this was supposed to be a symbol of devotion that Lillian (being an "ungrateful parasite") hates and never wears despite it standing for everything that Hank embodies.
(MASSIVE SPOILERS FOLLOW)
Now, in Bioshock, Jack has this chain tattooed on his wrist. The Chain stands for everything his father, Andrew Ryan, believes in. The great chain of of industry that pulls Rapture along. A very Randian ideal. But this ideal is perverted by both Ryan (with his despotic ways) and by Jack's very existence. Everything about Jack is a LIE, from his fabricated home life to his memories of a place...other than Rapture. In truth, he never knew anything BUT Rapture and the plane and the words "Would you Kindly?"
Jack is a SLAVE. Chained. It is a delightful inversion of the Randian idea, an amazingly AWESOME tie-in to the book (as you could argue that Lillian is chained by Hank's kind of shitty relationship and the fact that he cheats on her with Dagny. A lot.)
Bioshock is, in its entirety, an epic send up to the entire philosophy of Objectavism. It exists, and will always exist, as an eternal raised middle finger to that hate filled, homophobic, raving lunatic Ayn Rand.
And for that, I salute it!
(MASSIVE SPOILERS FOLLOW)
Now, in Bioshock, Jack has this chain tattooed on his wrist. The Chain stands for everything his father, Andrew Ryan, believes in. The great chain of of industry that pulls Rapture along. A very Randian ideal. But this ideal is perverted by both Ryan (with his despotic ways) and by Jack's very existence. Everything about Jack is a LIE, from his fabricated home life to his memories of a place...other than Rapture. In truth, he never knew anything BUT Rapture and the plane and the words "Would you Kindly?"
Jack is a SLAVE. Chained. It is a delightful inversion of the Randian idea, an amazingly AWESOME tie-in to the book (as you could argue that Lillian is chained by Hank's kind of shitty relationship and the fact that he cheats on her with Dagny. A lot.)
Bioshock is, in its entirety, an epic send up to the entire philosophy of Objectavism. It exists, and will always exist, as an eternal raised middle finger to that hate filled, homophobic, raving lunatic Ayn Rand.
And for that, I salute it!
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