66 pages • 2 hours read
Ayn RandThe Fountainhead
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1943A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Banner
The Banner is Wynand’s flagship tabloid newspaper, and it serves as a motif that initially represents the hostile collectivist society that opposes Roark, as demonstrated in the theme of The Conflict Between Innovative Genius and Society. The Banner is specifically designed to appeal to the worst vices of the masses. Cameron uses it to symbolize the widespread attitudes that led to the ultimate failure of his company and his health. During the Stoddard trial, The Banner spearheads the attack on Roark by guiding and expressing hostile public sentiments toward him.
After the character of Wynand is introduced, The Banner takes on an additional layer of symbolism by exemplifying the inconsistency between Wynand’s personal values and his career. Wynand agrees with Roark’s principles and idolizes him, even as he funnels his own creative power into a tool used by those who seek to destroy the values that he and Roark share. The disconnect between Gail Wynand the man and Mr. Wynand of the Wynand papers proves that The Banner symbolizes the taint of society on Wynand’s life and soul.
In the final part of the novel, Wynand takes control of The Banner to fight for Roark, but he eventually succumbs to public pressure and allows his paper to denounce his dearest friend. Wynand is unable to relinquish his desire to hold power over others, a power that is symbolized by The Banner, and so he sacrifices his ego to keep the paper open. This decision transforms the motif into a symbol of Wynand’s dependence on others. Ironically, Wynand is able to free himself from dependence by closing The Banner only when it is too late for him to retain his integrity and ego.
The Statue of Dominique
Like the Stoddard Temple for which it was commissioned, Mallory’s statue of Dominique is an important motif representing the human spirit, the ego, and humanity’s creative power, as well as Dominique’s own beauty and soul. Each character’s reaction to the piece symbolizes their attitude toward the values that her statue represents. For instance, Toohey can recognize the statue’s value and power, but instead of treating it with reverence or consideration, he publicly denigrates it and uses it to manipulate Wynand to further his own ends. By contrast, Roark facilitates the statue’s creation but is content with simply letting it loose upon the world without fretting about its eventual fate. Wynand recognizes the statue’s value and claims it for himself, just as he claims Dominique through the act of marriage. Finally, the general public fails to appreciate the beauty of the statue or its symbolism, just as Toohey’s destructive ideologies have conditioned them to reject innovative and exceptional creations.
The Wynand Building
All the buildings in The Fountainhead serve a symbolic purpose because they represent the respective values and perspectives of their creators. The Wynand Building is a particularly powerful symbol in this regard, as Wynand originally intended it to represent his own life and accomplishments. However, after his failure to stand by Roark leads to the collapse of his sense of self and the planned destruction of his empire, the character relinquishes his claim on the building. Instead, the Wynand Building comes to symbolize Roark’s spirit, becoming a true temple to humankind and a testament to the human potential to create and achieve greatness. The final scene of the novel ends with a victorious tableau of Dominique and Roark high atop the Wynand Building, towering above the society that once tried to constrain them. This moment renders the Wynand Building a broader symbol of Rand’s certainty in the inevitable victory of objectivist values and of those who model their lives on her teachings.
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By Ayn Rand
