The Fountainhead

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Howard Roark, the protagonist in the classical novel “The Fountainhead”, embodies the perfect man which the author Ayn Rand deemed the world lacked. Howard Roark is a self generated, independently thinking man who under no circumstances genuflected to the demands of society. Dominique Francon believes the world to be based upon collectivization, where the altruistic minds are praised to be the most appealing trait, which often leaves the self satisfying independent people such as Roark unsalaried. Francon has faith that Roark is a creator in the purest sense, never has he let the demands of society and the pressures of the speculators influence his beliefs. Dominique’s love for Howard, but hatred for the world is what drives her to destroy him. Dominique believes that the type of power that she and Howard possess is vital to society and by withholding it she is depriving the world what it needs to survive. Dominique Francon struggles not only to destroy Roark, but also to rid the world of all that is beautiful and unique. Francon believes that society will corrupt and eradicate all that the individualistic minds- such as Roark labor to produce. 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. Howard is not deterred by the voices of the people tearing him down or demanding him to conform to the environment around him. To Roark, architecture isn’t a way to get money, glory or fame; architecture was a way for him to express himself, a soul burning with self-discovery and independence. Dominique sees his artistic freedom as his downfall and because of that, she aims to destroy him and all his creations before society euthanize him first. Dominique loves Roark, but she cannot find it in herself to give into her feelings of desire, she knows that to enjoy anything in life is to surrender a part of herself to the evil and the corrupted people who control the minds of the general public.

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