Ayn Rand Roark Selfish Quotes

The Progression of Roark as a Character

Selfishness is not a trait most people long to acquire. When someone tends to put themselves before others in order to please themselves. They believe that the happiness of themselves is more important than other people being happy. This trait is not something that people like to see in others because they assume they are different than society and do not want to get involved with someone who thinks too highly of themselves. Roark is able to aspire in the career of his choice because of the selfishness and ipseity he emulates while portraying Ayn Rand.

Roark creates his ideas by Ayn Rand. She portrayed her life ideas through Roark. This is seen through the countless times that Roark speaks of something

Rand believed in. One the main ideas Rand had was the thought of Objectivism. In the words of Rand, “What Rand advocates is an approach to life that’s unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. Selfishness, in her philosophy, means: Follow reason, not whims or faith, Work hard to achieve a life of purpose and productiveness, Earn genuine self-esteem, Pursue your own happiness as your highest moral aim, and Prosper by treating others as individuals, trading value for value” (Rand). This is what Rand believed is selfishness and can be seen through Roark numerous times in the novel.
Roark expresses selfishness by putting his own happiness before others.

In order for him to feel happy, he must pay no mind to other people in his life. Roark demonstrates that the most important thing in life is to find happiness. The happiness Roark finds is at work, being an architect. “Don't stare at me like that! Can't you look at something else? Why did you decide to be an architect?’ ‘I didn't know it then. But it's because I've never believed in God.’ ‘Come on, talk sense.’ ‘Because I love this earth. That's all I love. I don't like the shape of things on this earth. I want to change them.’ ‘For whom?’ ‘For myself" (Rand 49). Despite that fact that the initial comment from Roark is about changing the earth and making the area a different shape, the reason for his job is mentioned and it is for himself. This is not the immediate signs of selfishness but Roark decided to become an architect for himself, because he decided that that was what he wanted to do. This shows the selfishness Roark has, how the decisions he makes are only based on him and the views he has. Roark expresses his self selfishness by not only thinking about himself but never caring about how others feel. “In a moment, he had forgotten her presence. She sat in a corner and watched his hands. She saw them molding walls. She saw them smash a part of the structure, and begin again, slowly, patiently, with a strange certainty even in his hesitation” (Rand 324). The fact that Rand decides to use the words

‘forgotten her presence’ shows how much Roark cares for other people. Roark shows how his only concern is for himself and how he could easily forget someone was there. By Rand writing how he forgot about her but then saying that she, Dominique, watched his hands, shows how selfish Roark is being. The fact that Roark forgets the presence of others shows the selfishness he attributes.
Roark is also developed as a character by having a sense of individualism.

He shows how he is not like anyone else by always worrying about himself before others. He never identifies himself with groups of people, he is just Howard Roark. By having a sense of independence, he is thought of as different and many people do not like his style. The way he builds or even lives is portrayed as a threat to people. They use the local papers to pull him apart. "This is a test case. What we think of it will determine what we are. In the person of Howard Roark, we must crush the forces of selfishness and antisocial individualism--the curse of our modern world--here shown to us in ultimate consequences. As mentioned at the beginning of this column, the district attorney now has in his possession a piece of evidence--we cannot disclose its nature at this moment--which proves conclusively that Roark is guilty. We, the people, shall now demand justice" (Rand 640). Roark is seen as an outcast or someone who is not necessarily the same as the rest of the town which is an example of his individualism everyone is so afraid of. They speak about him as though he is another person unlike themselves by saying things such as ‘antisocial individualism--the curse of our modern world--’ which proves how they think of him as an outcast when is reality he is just his own type of person, not a clone of everyone around

him.
Roark develops into a character through the thoughts of Ayn Rand, selfishness, and ipseity. Roark is shown as an independent man who feels his own happiness is more important than others. He portrays character traits that are not morally correct but seem to help him live the life he has planned. The idea of selfishness in the eyes of Rand is putting yourself before others in order to receive your own happiness. While this would be considering selfish to most, Rand believed it should be normal. Roark was developed as a character based off of these ideas. The idea that selfishness and ipseity allowed him to be the person he wanted to be. The fact that getting what you want should be praised no matter the way of doing so.