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" (Kavanaugh). Rand, through hypnotic, amazing writing, created a character to personify her system. That character is Howard Roark. She also created his friend and archrival, Peter Keating. The novel begins with the two characters, at the end of their college careers at Stanton University. Howard had just been expelled, because he refused to design a building for the final project. The assignment called for him to draw a building with specific guidelines. Roark, despite his vast knowledge of architecture, untouchable skill and strong passion for designing, only wanted to design his own buildings. Peter Keating, seeking approval of others, finished the project, as instructed, and graduated. Keating believes that one can and should do anything to achieve his goals, even if it means going against your own belief system--the opposite of Objectivism. Throughout the story, Ayn Rand uses a non-Objectivist character, Peter Keating, to glorify her own philosophy of Objectivism.
To understand Peter Keating's character, we must first examine the foundation of Objectivism. Nathaniel Branden, once a close associate to Ayn Rand, in a personal statement entitled, "The Benefits and Hazards of the Philosophy of Ayn Rand, listed some...
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...answer; Peter knows that it is not for love. So, Rand has Peter abandon all desires, and Catherine, and accept the marriage with the person he loves least. Thus, he replaces his own true desires with job security, money, and acceptance from friends, family and the public. One would not desire to be in a situation like Keating's, so Rand imposes her theory of objectivism. Dominique does perform well enough, as a wife, to please Keating. After twenty months of marriage, Keating notices "her voice had never carried any personal relation to him" (436). She always agrees with him and tells him what he wants to hear. This is the first, of many, doses of Keating's own medicine that Rand prescribes to Peter. Also, Rand hints to Keating that he is not in control of his life. Unlike Keating, an objectivist places great importance on the control of all life aspects.
Ayn Rand, in Anthem, illustrates a futuristic, socialist society. In the novel, Rand destroys any sense of individuality and describes the social setbacks endured after living ‘only for the brotherhood’. The individual person fails to exist and is but a ‘we’ and recognized by a word and a series of numbers rather than a name. Additionally, she describes the horrors encountered within this different system of life: from reproduction methods to punishments. Through the life of Equality 7-2521, Rand demonstrates a person’s journey from obedience to exile in this socialist society. Throughout the entire novel, Rand criticizes Marxist theory as she demonstrates socialism’s failure to suppress revolution, thwart material dialectic, and its detriment to humanity.
In Ayn Rand’s famous, or in some circles, infamous, story Anthem, the differing ideologies of objectivism and collectivism are pit against each other. With objectivism being so tight knit and different from the society in the book, it seems that it would be almost impossible to truly follow in its entirety. However, Anthem, as a whole, doesn’t violate the ideals of Rand’s philosophy of objectivism.
Berliner, Michael S., ed. Letters of Ayn Rand. By Ayn Rand. New York: Dutton, 1995.
Rand’s expressed the basic values of Objectivism in this magnum opus. Objectivism is a philosophical system created by Ayn Rand and later popularized by her successors. It was first developed in essays and lectures. Rand thinks of Objectivism as “a philosophy for living on earth”. She states in the Atlas Shrugged: “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Ayn Rand divides Objectivism in four parts: Ethics, Metaphysics, Epistemology and Politics.
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 organization, Ayn Rand takes a stand through a fictional character to promote the idea that an individual should be able to live freely without society or the government scrutinizing him.
Ayn Rand’s, The Fountainhead is spearheaded by the struggle between individualism and collectivism in society. This struggle is personified by the individualist Howard Roark and the collectivist Ellsworth Toohey. Toohey’s true nature and objectives do not come immediately apparent, however his goals are fundamentally simple; to acquire as much power as possible.Unlike Wyand, Toohey does not have a prize that he aims to acquire, rather he aimlessly acquires power for its own sake, further setting up the idea that he is truly selfless and a man that could never of been.
The Fountainhead provided and continues to provide a powerful inspiration to the individualist movement in America, and throughout the world. More than any other single work, The Fountainhead revived popular enthusiasm for a way of thinking, and a way of life, that in 1943 was regarded by virtually every sector of intellectual opinion as outmoded. Ayn Rand's courageous challenge to accepted ideas was rendered still more courageous by her willingness to state her individualist premises in the clearest terms and to defend the most radical implications that could be drawn from them.
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 had an unusual definition of selfishness opposed to the reader; he believed selfishness is was staying true to ones ideals and goals no matter what people might say. As for Peter Keating his definition of selfishness is doing everything for oneself and not worrying about who they are hurting or using.
The infamous author Ayn Rand dedicated her life wholly to the study and furthering of her political dogma, Objectivism, the uniting theme throughout all of her published literary works. One of the most obtrusive examples is her novella Anthem, which is set in a futuristic yet inept dystopia that is entirely founded on principles of collectivism. Page by page Rand’s sentiments become glaringly obvious, subsequently causing the reader to question her motivation behind this story, their own agreement with her egocentric philosophy, how Christianity aligns with every aspect of it, and if, overall, it was adeptly written.
The ultimate motive of both the altruist and egoist is personal gain. Separating the two ideologies is the method by which this is accomplished. For the altruist, addressing the needs of humanity is purportedly the sole purpose of existence. Egoists, on the other hand, refuse to act if an action does not directly benefit themselves. In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand addresses the function of altruists and egoists within society through character development. There are four characters in particular who distinctly exhibit the attributes of altruistic and egoistic individuals: Catherine Halsey, Peter Keating, and Ellsworth Toohey possess altruistic qualities; whereas, Howard Roark is explicitly egoistic.
Jonathan Chait in his book review “Ayn Rand and the Invincible Cult of Selfishness on the American Right” describes Rand’s philosophy objectivism as, “…premised on absolute centrality of logic to all human endeavors.” (Chait) Chait also draws parallels between parts of Rand’s philosophy and Marxism, “The bifurcated class analysis did not end the similarities between Rand’s worldview and Marxism. Rand’s Russian youth imprinted upon her a belief in the polemical influence of fiction. She once wrote to a friend that "it’s time we realize--as the Reds do--that spreading our ideas in the form of fiction is a great weapon, because it arouses the public to an emotional, as well as intellectual response to our cause." (Chait) Now considering the time that Rand lived in it comes as no surprise that any views that even remotely resemble Marxism would be rejected with prejudice. Ironically even with these similarities Rand was definitely not a communist and even wrote The Screen Guide for Americans in 1950 in which she delineated how the motion picture industry could avoid subtle communist influences in their films. Chait writes concerning this, “The directives, which neatly summarize Rand’s worldview, included such cate...
...rotective of her. She, also through the marriage, arranges the rising of her family’s financial state and has power over Mr. B through her passivity. Though many readers see the marriage as a horrible triumphant of Mr. B, that he is able to torment her and gain her love, Pamela is willing within the marriage for personal and financial gain.
One being the fact that this book is a collection of her essay and speeches. But the main one is how this book discusses her own Philosophy. She first explains the importance of philosophy and how it used in the real world unknowingly today, but she then says the philosophy most people follow today, Altruism, as irrational. “Altruism is the rationalization for the mass slaughter in Soviet Russia – for the legalized looting in the welfare state – for the power-lust of politicians seeking to serve the common good” (Rand 27) Altruism is basically the thought of having selfless actions and to serve others. This completely contradicts Ayn Rand’s philosophy of living, Objectivism. This is where the book becomes different form other books and even the entire world. Many people and religions are taught to help others. This follows Altruism in the fact that we are serving others and being selfless. Objectivism has many different layers to it but one of the most important parts to it is the concept that man should be self-serving. That we should be selfish and live for ourselves only under the condition that it doesn’t harm others. This is extremely different from everything we are taught since we were
...ociety expected of her. She makes the decision to forsake her duties towards her children and her husband to go fulfill her duties to herself to find a identity. Women even today in many cultures go through the same situations as Nora and Georgiana sacrificing they identities and desires.
Being selfish can lead to unthinkable consequences. In “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, four elderly friends gathered at the home of Dr. Heidegger, who wanted to try an experiment on them. They drank water from the fountain of youth, and in turn become young and greedy again. Their age came back, and they wished for more and more water. Although they wanted to be young and live their life again, they were destined to grow old. Situations that are meant to happen cannot be avoided.