Ellsworth Toohey Strive For Power Essay

Within the limits of comprehension the bases of power that an individual strives for is derived from predetermined events in one’s own childhood. In the case of Ellsworth Toohey and Gail Wynand it isn’t much different. The drive for power that each individual strives for comes from the circumstances they were raised in. The anguished for power that each of them desire is fueled by the actions of the public.

Therefore, Ellsworth Toohey ultimately critics everyone that is more unique and talented then he is. Ultimately, the power he has from putting people down and making them feel bad about themselves is what makes up for Toohey’s lack of talent. Toohey’s methodology makes him a manipulative and devilishly evil person whose only power lies

entirely in his ability to control weaker minds and souls. By making people feel small and guilty, Toohey shakes their faith in their own abilities and then assumes control of their lives. Thus, Toohey’s main object is to create a world without individualism, where everyone is similar in almost all ways from the mid to talent. He states further in the book that "The world of the future. That's what I want. A world of obedience of and unity. A world where the thought of each man will not be his own, but an attempt to guess the thought of the brain of his neighbor who'll have no thought of his own [....]" (4.12.93) Ellsworth’s ideals come from the fact that he himself is not unique in any way and ultimately doesn’t have a skill that sets him apart from his neighbors. Furthermore, his lack of talent makes him a power hunger evil person who wants nothing more than others being normal and the only way to do that is by breaking their sprits so they let go of what makes then fundamentally who they are.
On the other hand, Gail Wynand derives his need for power though the newspapers he controls. He influences what the press says and creates a form of Yellow Journalism whenever he so wishes. Wynand did not always have the power he did, he slowly acquired it through dedication and hard work. As a child he grew up in a bad neighborhood with only one way out, gaining power. Unfortunately, in Gail’s road to gaining more power led him astray from the right path. In the book it states that “Gail Wynand delivered his paper, body and soul, to the mob.” Even though his tragic life as a child might have influenced his decisions, but opted to embrace a bad system to ultimately give him more power. Although the influence he has on the people through the press also can back fire on him when it comes to public pressure. For instance when Wynand decided to help Roark by stating in the newspaper that Roark is not a bad person. Unfortunately, the pressure of the public breathing down his neck forcefully made take back what he said about Roark and say that he was the bad person everyone thought him to be.
Although, Ellsworth Toohey strive for power due to his unfortunate childhood making him the complete opposite of Roark, Gail Wynand is different in the sense that he was very similar to Roark when he was younger and is trying to go back to his old ways.

As when he and Roark become good friends, the resultant of that made Wynand try and stick up for his friendship with the powers that he had at the time. Even though Wynand succumbed to the pressure of the public and his friends he still tried to change the fact that the power he controlled could be used to tell the truth and not lies. Ultimately, Wynand doesn't have the brass to stand alone against society. He's weak in comparison to Roark, and his weakness helps Rand drive home her Objectivist viewpoint that caring about society in any way, shape or form, is symptomatic of spinelessness. Unlike Gail, Toohey is not even the slightest degree similar to Roark. Howard is a free spirit that cannot be tamed and tends to do thing that are unique as well as unpredictable. Howard believes in individualism and most people credit him with having a boatload of artistic talent, but when it comes to liking or respecting him it's a whole different story. Toohey’s philosophy is the polar opposite of individualism. He's all about collectivism; he believes in the unity. Unlike Roark, who is all about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Toohey rants about sacrifice, denial, the virtues of being miserable, and the unimportant nature

of the individual and the strength of a community.
In conclusion, the aspirations for power that Ellsworth Toohey and Gail Wynand were different in the fact that their experiences in life defined who they are today. Edward was utterly different from the two due to the fact that his aspirations were not about power and greed, but ultimately the constructions of his design. Neither Ellsworth’s nor Gail’s drive for power will measure up to the compassion and ambition that Edward has in his drawings.