His objectivism was largely confused to be selfishness (he did care but up to a certain point). If he looked at you, you’d feel like he is looking right through you. To him the streets were empty, the offices were empty. People saw Howard Roark but Howard Roark saw no one. He wouldn’t build for his clients, he would build so that he could bring the buildings to life.

His designs were more of a practical and less aesthetic nature, modernistic as they called it. Roark will not work with any client unless they agree to build on his terms, and his terms are that the building must be built as he designed it with absolutely no change. Howard Roark was a very close visualization of Ayn Rand’s philosophy but in human form. Ayn Rand opposed the theory of religion and faith and believed that her moral guidelines were based on reason and humanity as opposed to faith and emotions. An objectivist is a person who achieves true happiness from his works, attitudes and behaviours. Objectivism is a philosophical ideal that was created by Rand herself. Howard Roark, Architect is an Objectivist. Will Howard survive the war or will be forced to accept the system?īook Review: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand It is a journey of a single person against an entire tradition and system to break free.

Through much of the book the author has expressed her strong personal views against collectivism through the protagonist. Dominique Francon, the heroine of the story is shown to emerge as a strong, independent woman as the story develops. Peter Keating, Howard’s arch rival has beliefs that are the opposite of Howard.’s There are also others that stand in Howard’s way.

The Fountainhead is his journey against tradition and his fight against the system. Mediocrity in art may get rampant if interference by committees and councils is allowed. It is his firm belief than only an individual’s vision can be effective in producing genuine art. Howard Roark, the protagonist of the story is an architect and a firm opposer of collectivism. Emotionīook Summary: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand Conformity, Religion and Morality, Rationality vs. Theme: Objectivism and Individualism, Integrity vs. Setting Place: The East Coast, primarily New York, in the 1920s and 1930s Major Characters: Howard Roark, Dominique Francon, Ellsworth M Toohey, Peter Keating, Steven Mallory, Gail Wynand, Gus Webb

The fountain head book