Howard Roark, the hero of the novel, is the embodiment of objective principles. He lives in his 'pinnacle of loneliness' with his own happiness as his only motivation. Neither does he sacrifice himself for others, nor does he sacrifice others to himself, but works for his rational self-interest. Roark reveres his ego, and refuses to be broken down by those who want him to compromise on his integrity. He believes that the motivation to think comes from the ego, as the mind is an attribute to the individual -- there can be no 'collective thought'.
However, when she encounters a man by the name of Howard Roark, she finds herself struggling to destroy him because of the very thing she has chosen to avoid. The reasons for her craved destruction of Roark are not black and white, but they lie somewhere within her neuroses and Roark’s psychol. Dominique embodies a masochistic personality. Her personal gratification depends on physical pain and suffering and she finds pleasure in submissiveness and self-denial. She also refuses to allow herself to love anyone or anything.
First, I would like to give greater detail to... ... middle of paper ... ...y is the first to identify the relationship between life and moral values” (Peikoff 5). Ayn Rand is the true rebel of her novel, and Howard Roark speaks her rhetoric. He symbolizes her cause and dictates living for oneself. Don’t be a second-hander. “A truly selfish man cannot be affected by the approval of others.
Dominique’s love for Howard isn’t enough to quell her fear that society will force Howard to conform to their misguided beliefs. Society perpetually praises mediocrity while disregarding real talent and creativity. Howard and Dominique share a myriad of qualities exhibited throughout the novel however, Roark has a quality that Dominique herself lacks. Howard doesn’t allow society to dictate his actions, rather than accepting the society around him, Roark endeavors to alter the mind and the view of the collectivist world. Building after building, Roark strives to transform the ideology of t... ... middle of paper ... ...ce on your own terms” (375) This shows that to fight successfully on Roarks behalf would mean resorting to the tactics she despises and Dominique cannot allow herself to do so.
The use of pain and pressure to announce the truth signifies the ignorance and dehumanization behind the empire. The magistrate is blind to his own self and believes bringing the girl back to civilization is noble and humane when the girl sees the magistrate clearly as the guilty representative of a power driven empire that embodies injustice and dehumanizes all inhabitants. This ties in with the whole “ignorance is bliss” idea. The magistrate is doing exactly what the phrase defines. He is oblivious to what the empire creates and does to manipulate others, therefore he does not worry or care about it.
As for Peter Keating his definition of selfishness is doing everything for oneself and not worrying about who they are hurting or using. The novel is a constant war between altruism and egotism. Howard Roark is a true egoist, he has no desire to be involved in others business, he just wants to live up to his ideals and morals for architecture. On the other hand there is Toohey, who is what we would describe as a second-hander. He uses altruism to make men believe they need to live for others and put others before themselves.
Tommy is the only character who seems apathetic toward the expectations of his peers. He is the only person in the novel who makes a considerable effort to avoid the donations, taking up art again, despite his general distaste for the subject, in order to prepare for his and Kathy’s meeting with Madame. Yet, his efforts are in vain. Ishiguro uses Tommy to make a statement about the futility of the clones’ situation. The main idea is not to argue the problems that come from art as a “governing ideological force”, but to argue the inherent selfishness of man (793).
In keeping with this ideal it appears sickening that any person would lower their talents to the level of standard society, even if they do it for the sake of survival. A creator must never compromise, especially to the whims of lemmin... ... middle of paper ... ...; Roark exists untainted by the disease that is conformity, and is all the better for it. The sad truth that parasites, such as Keating and Toohey, strive to control man, which leads both men to misery and eventual ruin. Keating living in his worse nightmare, alone, and exposed as a fraud. Toohey, on the other hand, continues to appear happy to the general public, but silently fights the knowledge that he will never be a creator.
McCandless was not the 'sit down and take it in stride' kind of person. If he saw something wrong, something he did not agree with, he would try to fix it, or help in any way that he could. He was inherently compassionate, a man of his principles; owned by the rules that he governed himself with. It is apparent that he had always been an idealistic dreamer, and had always believed himself capable of much, because as his friend shared: “He'd say 'Come on,... ... middle of paper ... ...wn by the fact that in one of the books found with his corpse a he had written: “Happiness only real when shared (186).” One could interpret this as remorse, as him realizing—unfortunately too late—that he had made a tremendous mistake. At least he was man enough to face up to it, rather than to allow himself to die in denial; this merely vouches for his noble ways, because no arrogant imbecile would be able to admit a fault, even to themselves.
In the world today, altruism is associated with the “common good” of man while egotism is associated with evil and non-consideration of the fellow man. In contrast to the world’s view, Ayn Rand provides and proves a new definition for egotism through her book, The Fountainhead. She defines egotism in the context of ethics. She states: “Man-every man-is an end in himself, not a means to the ends of others; he must live for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself; he must work for his rational self-interest, with the achievement of his own happiness as the highest moral purpose of his life.” Howard Roark, the protagonist in the book is a selfish and egoistical man whose actions reflect his own conviction. On the other hand is Elsworth M. Toohey, a humanitarian, whose goal is to see others suffer so that in providing help, he might be seen as virtuous (680).