Individualism Vs. Conformism In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead

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The protagonist of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Howard Roark, drives his actions on the force of individuality and the desire to persevere for his principles as a modernist architect. Along his career, Roark encounters Ellsworth Toohey, antagonist of the novel who uses the weaknesses of people to satisfy his own purposes. After defeating Roark by exposing him as an unethical architect; Ellsworth Toohey confronts him, yet Roark’s response “But I don’t think of you.” demonstrates the lack of importance those words can infringe on his ideals. This exchange of sentences relates to the theme of the novel by means of Roark’s principles of individualism versus the conformism of ordinary people, which portrayed by Roark’s eyes, are of no importance nor can inflict on his tenacity to remain true to his soul. From the beginning of the novel, Howard Roark is showcased as an unorthodox by the ordinary minds. There is no building that cannot be created by the new society without …show more content…

Since childhood Toohey was described as a child who was weak and “poor in spirit”(299). Yet as he made intellectual progress, he recognized the only form to obtain strength was to acquire his own deficiency of freedom from the fragile minds that would agree devotedly to his commands to be part of something greater. However, the fault on Toohey’s ideals “It is not what you can get out of society, it is what you can give”(302) rely on the fact that oneself cannot exist without relying on others. His ideals depend on collectivism for the purpose to create a society where “one” has not influence but “unite and rule”(640) do. Toohey could be acclaimed as the most humble man, protector of the workers and the needed. Yet, his existence depends on what others contemplate of

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