The Fountainhead is a novel about the ideals of four characters: Howard Roark, Peter Keating, Ellsworth Toohey, and Gail Wynand, all brought together to play different roles in the architecture industry. Ayn Rand introduces confusing concepts in her novel The Fountainhead; her characters do not fit the status quo and therefore they do things that the reader does not understand. They are caught up in the world of architecture and deciding between acts of selfishness and selflessness. Howard Roark
The courtroom verdict at the Courtlandt trial had an immense impact on the lives of each main character in The Fountainhead. The revolutionary Roark is acquitted of the felony of destroying a public building. This verdict shakes the world of the evil Toohey, ultimately destroying him. It means the psychological destruction of Gail Wynand, a hard working businessman and friend of Roark's. It also brings on the collapse of the spineless Peter Keating, and it is the last event that lets Dominique fully
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
In spite of Gail Wynand’s individualism and creative spirit in The Fountainhead, he compromises these values in his work and succumbs to the power of the people, believing this double identity to be his only option in achieving the power he seeks. A simple credo governs Gail Wynand’s life: I Do run things around here. Originally a statement affirming his drive to rise above, this assertion quickly becomes a measure of Wynand’s self-worth—a self-worth based entirely upon his power over others. His
Objectivism in The Fountainhead Philosophy demands literature that can abet the understanding of social views. Without reflective literature, man cannot begin to comprehend the essential messages behind philosophy. One such philosophy, objectivism, is represented exceptionally by the novel, The Fountainhead. Through the use of compelling dialogue, Ayn Rand reveals her own feelings towards objectivism, and her thoughts towards conformity and independence. The interpretations and the implications
Individualism in The Fountainhead Individualism, the doctrine of free thought and action of the individual, forms the basis of Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead. The major theme of her fiction is the primacy of the individual, the unique and precious individual life. That which sustains and enriches life is good, that which negates and impoverishes the individual's pursuit of happiness is evil. The Fountainhead is Rand's fullest explication of the primacy of the individual. As she worked
discovery, innovation, and prosperity that powers the world” a quote by John Stossel a television personality, author, and libertarian pundit. While being selfish has been given an abominable reputation, it is the key in forging new creations. In The Fountainhead Howard Roark is a marvelous architect off the beaten path, but, his repugnance to accommodate the demands of others puts him at a disadvantage. However, even as he is criticized he never falters in his own confidence of his designs. Roark represents
In The Fountainhead, the topic of isolation is brought up in regard to characters like Howard Roark and Dominique Francon. Howard Roark received much criticism for his originality compared to the basic styles every other architect used. Even though this affected his search for jobs and source of income, he refused to be a second-hander so that he could be the creator for the future to come. As a result, he isolated himself from all the second-handers of the architectural world. Dominque also isolated
The Fountainhead, written by Ayn Rand, is a novel about the ideals of four characters, all brought together to play different roles in the architecture industry. Ayn Rand, originally from Russia, moved to America in 1925, only one year after graduating from college (Ayn Rand Intitute). She came to America to escape the fighting brought on by Communism (ARI). Witnessing first-hand the evils of communism influenced Ayn Rand to develop her own, now widely accepted, "philosophical system, called Objectivism"
The FountainHead J.B Bae 4/25/14 Period. 2 “When you see a man casting pearls without getting even a pork chop in return-it is not against the swine that you feel indignation. It is against the man who valued his pearls so little that he was willing to fling them into the muck…”. This is a quote from Dominique Francon who loves a guy yet tries to destroy him because of her love. In the book "The Fountainhead", the main character named Howard Roark is a brilliant architect who is very independent
Reason is the opportune quintessence of logic. Ayn Rand’s “Fountainhead” explores the assets and disadvantages of employing reason as a weapon of persuasion. The protagonist of the novel, Howard Roark, is reason. He symbolizes, epitomizes, and embodies living logic. Assuming individualism, he achieves complex thought processes, simultaneously exploring the theme of the novel—society’s manipulation of individualism. As reason, Roark is faced with constant opposition—every semblance of his person is
A Psychological Reading of The Fountainhead Real independence is a trait of mind. It is a commitment to one's own perception of reality as an absolute standard of thought and action. Why was this so hard for Peter Keating to distinguish between "Self" (what I am) and "Ideal Self" (what I wish I were)? It is evident that Peter Keating's incongruent self-concept is the result of Keatings' beliefs that conditional love from others could only be obtained by distorting his experiences in order to
People can spend the entire duration of their lives searching for the one thing they most strongly desire...love. But, some people choose to avoid it, why? The Fountainhead, a novel written by Ayn Rand, introduces a character, who becomes familiarly known as Dominique Francon. She, unlike most people, is one of the few who avoids love. 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
It would seem ironic that the notion of love would negate the novel’s extolment of logic, which, unlike love, is not contingent upon emotionalism and sentimentalism- two qualities eschewed in The Fountainhead. Howard Roark, the novel’s protagonist said: Hence, love proves to be essential to the fountainhead of humanity- absolute egoism. Love is perhaps the most selfish virtue of all, but it can also be the most destructive force. The destructive nature of love is demonstrated through the unfathomable
Howard Roark’s speech in Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead displays the author's personal philosophy of objectivism. Objectivism is an idea that Ayn Rand had developed and promoted in her works of literature. Objectivism advocated for the rights of individual freedoms such as someone being able to do whatever that person desires with their own creations. In this case, Ayn Rand’s character Howard Roark; who had dynamited his own building . Through Rand’s persuading diction, immense detail, and powerful
Reason, as depicted by Ayn Rand in The Fountainhead and embodied by the protagonist, Howard Roark, is the lifeblood of human progress. The theme of Rand’s novel—the notion that the self-sufficient ego is the fountainhead of human progress—is inextricably linked to a single philosophic idea: that man’s strength is the product of his reasoning mind. By portraying Howard Roark as the fulfillment of human potential, celebrating his ego-affirming independence, and emphasizing his reliance on reason, Rand
Heroism in The Fountainhead The Fountainhead is a story about heroism. The novel is a triumphant cry of protest against all those who insist that life is about mediocrity. That man is destined to suffer. The greatness of The Fountainhead lies in its ability to inspire hope and confidence in its readers, to show how much is possible. For more than fifty years now, people all over the world have been looking towards this great book for support and sanction, for encouragement and hope, for ideas
Power of the Moral Ideal in The Fountainhead The Fountainhead is a novel of gigantic proportions. It deals with great talent and great mediocrity, with great love and great hatred, with great ambition and equally great complacence. It unpretentiously chooses to steer clear of the much hyped common man, with his commonplace dreams and aspirations. The theme of The Fountainhead can be summarized in the famous line by the author-"man's ego is the fountainhead of human progress". The novel
fundamental idea of human society. To achieve mutual goals, to end conflict, to pursue peace, compromise has been utilized to agree on terms that equally benefit both parties. Ayn Rand, creator of Objectivism and author of the philosophical novel, The Fountainhead, views compromise differently than it’s face value definition. Society says that compromise is generally a settlement of a dispute by both sides making concessions; Rand reaffirms this ideal, though only in situations with “ regard to concretes
Man Defined in The Fountainhead Ayn Rand has based her novel, The Fountainhead on the projection of an ideal man. It is the portrayal of a moral ideal as an end in itself. She has placed 'man-worship' above all and has brought out the significance of the heroic in man. Man-worshippers are those who see man's highest potential and strive to actualize it. They are dedicated to the exaltation of man's self esteem and the sacredness of his happiness on earth. The Fountainhead has brought out