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.
Themes
Individualism and the Importance of Independence
Individualism denotes the belief in an individual’s inherent moral worth. This concept has been a key American value since the nation’s founding in the late 18th century, with the incorporation of social Darwinism (or the survival of the fittest in a social context) in the 19th century resulting in a widespread cultural enshrinement of egotism and individual economic productivity. In her philosophy of objectivism, Rand adopted and extended this individualism to its extreme, casting it as a deliberate antithesis to the collectivist and socialist precepts of communism. Radical individualism is therefore a key tenet of the objectivist philosophy that underpins The Fountainhead’s message and themes.
The character of Howard Roark is a living embodiment of individualism and independence, for he holds himself apart from society and lives authentically according to his own convictions, regardless of the external pressures and public opinions that seek to destroy him. He is described as “immortal” and “innocent” because he is uniquely untouched by society’s taint or influence and acts as a magnet to others of similar principles. He is the novel’s protagonist and hero, and the ultimately victorious conclusion of his narrative journey functions as an argument in favor of individualism.
During Roark’s speech in his own defense at the Cordtland Homes trial, he functions as Rand’s mouthpiece and presents her own views on the importance of individualism. His argument is logical and clear, and as such, it is designed to persuade both his fictional audience and Rand’s readers. The hard, honest tone of his prose is also meant to contrast with Toohey’s florid and clearly self-contradictory monologues promoting altruism and selflessness. The narrative reward of Roark’s acquittal likewise validates and justifies the arguments he makes, indirectly vindicating Rand’s point of view to strong persuasive effect. As a further example of Rand’s uncompromising stance, even the more sympathetic characters who fail to live up to the values on individualism and independence are punished by the narrative, and Keating, Catherine, and Wynand all come to tragic ends and function as cautionary tales to reinforce the author’s underlying message.
Architecture as a Mirror for Society and the Individual
Architecture features heavily as a backdrop for the drama of The Fountainhead, as it is Roark’s passion and vocation. Rand was deliberate in choosing architecture as her protagonist’s profession, and she even worked without pay in an architect’s office while drafting The Fountainhead in order to be able to paint an accurate picture of the work. Throughout the novel, architecture itself functions as a microcosm for society and a reflection of the individuals involved in each building’s creation.
Unlike many other fields, architecture brings together a wide range of disciplines, including material science, mathematics, history, and visual arts, and requires many different types of input. The discipline also relies on the supply chain that provides physical materials, as evidenced through Roark’s work in a quarry. Additionally, it relies upon working-class manual laborers like Mike to complete the construction and highly educated architects, designers, and draftsmen to produce the designs and plans for new buildings. Other elements of society are also associated with the field, including investors, upper-class clientele, government officials, and professional critics, as well as the news media and courts of justice. Architects themselves are at once businessmen, engineers, artists, and socialites. Consequently, Rand’s choice to focus on the field of architecture provides her with the ideal means to access broader and more ambitious critiques of society’s many complexities.
Rand also uses architecture as a means of exploring elements of individual characters’ personalities and functions within the narrative. For example, Roark’s buildings are indicative of his character; like him, they have integrity, represent incredible feats of innovation, and serve their functions without succumbing to the influences of collectivist society. Likewise, those characters who are capable of rational thought and who live in accordance with the principles of objectivism are able to appreciate Roark’s designs even as wider society rejects his innovations.
Keating’s buildings, on the other hand, represent his character’s dependence on others. None of his buildings are original, and they are all a graceless amalgamation of copied and distorted styles pilfered from those who came before him. He only employs styles that are dictated by the whims of fashion, and even his best designs are based on elements contributed by Roark. Nothing he creates has integrity because he has long since sacrificed his own integrity in his quest for external validation.
Rand’s work also uses architecture to make comments on society and criticize the ideologies of collectivism and altruism that she believed to threaten the values of her contemporary America. Thus, Roark creates and builds for his own satisfaction, serving his ego in accord with his function as a hero of individualism. When he stands trial for destroying the Cordtland Homes project, he presents an extended argument in defense of his actions, articulating Rand’s own philosophical convictions. By destroying his own creation, he asserts the right of the individual, and he wins the legal and ideological battle in one fell swoop. Roark’s final victorious creation, the Wynand Building, is therefore meant to be a symbol of hope for a future in which the values of individualism, egotism, and independence allow humanity to reach new heights.
The Conflict Between Innovative Genius and Society
The plot of the novel follows Roark’s journey to establish himself as an architect, with the main conflict of the narrative stemming from society’s opposition to his individualism and spirit of innovation. From the beginning of Roark’s career, Cameron frames the protagonist’s upcoming struggles as a battle, and Rand repeatedly uses the language of war to describe Wynand’s efforts in Roark’s defense.
Roark is therefore presented as an innovative genius who is capable of designing and creating in a way that Keating and his ilk are simply incapable of matching. All the characters who are capable of rational, independent thought recognize Roark’s talent and value, and the success of his buildings represents the material proof of his genius. Because his ingenuity far outshines the insipid values and tastes of the masses, Roark faces immense opposition from many sources, all of which are meant to represent the very worst of collectivist society. From characters who represent the architectural establishment, like Francon and Keating, to those who champion the vulgar tastes of the public, like Ellsworth Toohey, multiple social forces array themselves against Roark’s personal and professional success.
Roark is not the only avatar of this central conflict, as several other examples of innovative genius are targeted through the course of the narrative; for example, Cameron is driven to alcohol addiction and an untimely death, while Mallory suffers unbearable terror and anguish. Similarly, disillusionment drives both Dominique and Wynand to reject any hope that genius or integrity might survive untainted by the world. By contrast, Toohey stands as the self-proclaimed leader to those who oppose the realization of genius, and he therefore personifies the willful malice that Rand attributed to contemporary collectivist, communist, and charitable leaders. Toohey leads the charge against innovation and against the egotists who are uniquely capable of acts of creation, while the majority of society blindly follows his orders out of cowardice, ineptitude, and weakness.
Throughout the novel, Roark’s primary and most effective defense is also his weapon: indifference. His independence and unshakable integrity make him impervious to most of society’s pressures. Roark’s speech at the Cordtland Homes trial is therefore the decisive blow in the conflict between genius and society, and the verdict of not guilty marks his victory. The final image of Roark and Dominique standing atop the Wynand Building represents the thesis of the novel: Rand’s assertion that innovative genius will ultimately prove triumphant in its battle with a hostile society.
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