It is an adaptation of the novel called fountainhead, written by ayn rand, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. Howard roark is the novels embodiment of the perfect man. It chronicles the struggles of the innovative architect howard roark in his effort to achieve success on his own terms. But the book addresses a number of universal themes. A feminist critical reading of the fountainhead english literature essay. It lays out the basic position of all of ayn rands writing. It was made into a 1949 film starring gary cooper and patricia neal, with rand herself writing the screenplay. The fountainhead, which became one of the most influential and widely read philosophical novels of the twentieth century, made ayn rand famous. Fountainhead essay examples download free or order. In her novel, the fountainhead, ayn rand explores the struggle between the individual and society.
The fountainhead is an american black and white drama film which was released in 1949. The revolutionary literary vision that sowed the seeds of objectivism, ayn rands groundbreaking philosophy, and brought her immediate worldwide acclaim. That is great because we can observe a new perspective and whether we decide to agree. I did not expect such generosity, especially given that my project is large, hard, and urgent. Having been previously warned of this somewhat insane, entirely selfish philosophy, i entered the book with an indisputable bias. The free the fountainhead notes include comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. Easiest to specify is the books political and ideological significance. The nonconformist characters of the novel are fictional examples of historical. Selling ones soul near the end of the fountainhead, the downandout peter keating, unable to complete a functional design for the cortlandt project, approaches roark in the dead of the night with the offer to sell his soul. Howard roark, the hero of the story, is an architect whose style tends toward being modernistic. The fountainhead was rejected 12 times by publishers for being too intellectual before finally getting accepted by the bobbsmerrill group. Essay on ayn rands the fountainhead 700 words bartleby. With characters that are gripping, settings that are par excellence, and dialogue that displays incredible depth, the book is a well rounded synthesis about the nature of individualism and what it means.
The fountainhead has been described in many ways, but at its core it is about the individual vs. The fountainhead is about the struggle between the individual and society. Dominiques marriage to peter keating is one of deliberate selftorture. Howard roark, peter keating, ellsworth toohey, and gail wynand, all brought jointly to play different functions in the architecture market. A feminist critical reading of the fountainhead english.
The fountainhead has become an enduring piece of literature, more popular now than when published in 1943. Journalism is a key component of the books philosophical ideas, the books theme of communication, and the books view of america and american corruption. The beliefs of the egotist are one who is selfish, and arrogant. On the surface, it is a story of one man, howard roark, and his struggles as an architect in the face of a successful rival, peter keating, and a newspaper columnist, ellsworth toohey. Roark, for example, stands for inspirational strength, and follows his convictions without. An impassioned proponent of reason, rational selfinterest, individualism, and laissezfaire capitalism, she. Influence and integration of symbols symbolism is used throughout the fountainhead to represent characters, and the transformations that they endure. Written by harvard students for students, since its. The fountainhead is definitely a novel about the ideals of four character types. These free notes consist of about 105 pages 31,227 words and contain the following sections. However, when reading the first chapter of the book, i began to feel a connection with the characters.
The fountainhead was a surprise popular success that catapulted ayn pronounced to rhyme with mine rand to fame. This onepage guide aa plot summary and brief analysis of the fountainhead by ayn rand. As the story opens, twentyoneyearold roark is expelled from the stanton institute of technology for insubordination. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Fountainhead and ayn rands ideology are, as rightly pointed out by many, pretty polarizing.
The literary achievement of the fountainhead the atlas society. Assume that to gain power, one has to tap this resevoir of immense proportions and relish upon the rich harvest to their hearts desires. Ayn rands novel the fountainhead contains themes that resonated so significantly with readers that it triggered a political movement, and assisted in forming the libertarian party. Does this representation of these characters change the meaning of the novel. Even to classify the fountainhead as a novel seems slightly beside the point. This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent battle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a. At the end of part one, rand has introduced the five major characters of the book howard roark, dominique francon, gail wynand, peter keating, and ellsworth toohey although most of the characters have not yet met one another.
The fountainhead originally provided, and continues to provide, a powerful inspiration to the individualist movement in america and throughout the world. The fountainhead serves as an excellent introduction to both ayn rands writing and her. Before calling it the fountainhead, ayn rands working title was secondhand lives. Summary as the novel opens, the hero, howard roark, has just been expelled for. In the fountainhead, why does dominique francon marry peter keating. The fountainhead is one of those great books that everyone should read. This lesson will introduce characters, provide a summary. In spite of gail wynands individualism and creative spirit in the fountainhead, he compromises these values in his work and succumbs to the power of the people, believing this double identity to be his only option in achieving the power he seeks. Much like howard roark had a hard time finding a client for his innovative architectural designs, ayn rand had a hard time finding a publisher for the fountainhead. Moreover, at our academic service, we have our own plagiarismdetection software which is designed to find similarities between the fountainhead essay examples completed papers and online sources. Peikoff used many quotes and examples from the fountainhead in his 1991 book on rands philosophy, objectivism.
These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the fountainhead. The book promotes the themes of objectivism people should make individual, objective decisions and humanism the idea that humans, not supernatural beings, hold power and importance. All of the major intellectual themes that inform rands fiction and her. Howard roark, the protagonist of the fountainhead, is a talented young architect and a selfsufficient individualist. The fountainhead study guide from litcharts the creators. Theyre todays most popular study guideswith everything you need to succeed in school. In his speech to the jury in ayn rands the fountainhead, howard roark uses epideicticnot forensicrhetoric. An analysis of the book the fountainhead by howard roark 1180 words, 2 pages howard roark from, the fountainhead, was the physical representation of ayn rands philosophy, objectivism, and various other main characters represented other philosophies which were rejected by objectivism. The fountainhead often referred to as a novel of ideas, brings some illuminating claims surrounding selfishness and selflessness to surface. The fountainhead essay examples download free or order. When the fountainhead was first published, ayn rands daringly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy, objectivism, won immediate worldwide interest and acclaim. Randmuch like roark when his architectural designs are rejecteddidnt give up on her vision for the book, even firing her agent when he asked her to make changes to the draft.
The fountainhead study guide from litcharts the creators of. The fountainhead characters from litcharts the creators. Besides the fountainhead, there was albert jay nocks memoirs of a superfluous man, rose wilder lanes the discovery of freedom, and isabel patersons the god of the machine. His speech, designed and delivered as a presentation of values instead of a deliberate defense, nonetheless awards him with a verdict of innocence. Similarly, the universe of the fountainhead is populated with such characters. The fountainhead is a novel by ayn rand that was first published in 1943. This idea of living a secondhand or conventional life crops up near the end of the book in a scene with roark, the protagonist, and his frenemy gail wynand. For example, robert mundy, a selfmade man who grew up in poverty in georgia, is one such person. The story would have been faster paced, the characters more sharply limned, had whole episodes, repetitive and tautological, been eliminated.
It falls short, as do so many modern novels, in the apparent inability of the author or editor to be a ruthless surgeon. My english literature research paper was due in 5 days. When she was writing the book that was to become the fountainhead, rand used a different title. Standing alone against the world in ayn rands the fountainhead conformity is a basic human characteristic that man spends a life time either fighting or accepting, but few can escape. In spite of this excess of verbiage, the novel is a. Part one cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Her first book, we the living was written in 1933 and it was published by macmillan publishers in the united states of america in 1936.
In his work, he breaks away from traditional ideas of architecture and design, and in the way he lives read full character analysis. Her idea for the book was to contrast the firsthanded independence of her hero, howard roark, with other characters who are variations on the theme of secondhandedness. This lesson will introduce characters, provide a summary, and give an analysis of the book. Literary analysis with primary sourcemla emma kallstrom dr. See a complete list of the characters in the fountainhead and indepth analyses of howard roark, ellsworth toohey, dominique francon, gail wynand, and peter keating. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The book itself is a masterpiece of stark writing and strong characterizations, but the message is both deadly and evil particularly when taken to the extreme to. The fountainhead free essay, term paper and book report. One of those rare polarized treasures that play on your mind for a long long time. Written in 1943, the fountainhead introduced new views on rands philosophy, objectivism. Charles wolfe english 1020 april 2010 they knew how to live with nature and get along with nature.
Rand was not the only author who attempted an individualist reimagining of america. The fountainhead ayn rand the fountainhead literature essays are academic essays for citation. Numerous individuals reject roarks ideas solely because his thinking clashes with the beliefs of those around them. Polarizing, because they offer a new set of ideas to look at things. You can be sure that our customwritten papers are the fountainhead essay examples original and properly the fountainhead essay examples cited. The fountainhead by ayn rand january 20, 2004 at 14. What philosophy does the book the fountainhead preach. The best study guide to the fountainhead on the planet, from the creators of sparknotes. Editions of the fountainhead by ayn rand goodreads. Rand wants us to admire his talent and courage, and his struggle to resist societys sway and remain. I the fountainhead essay examples was sure i the fountainhead essay examples was in trouble and would fail my class.
As the conflict develops, the meeting of the characters occurs in subsequent chapters. The fountainhead takes place in the united states, mostly in new york city, during the 1920s and 1930s. More than any other work, the fountainhead reawakened popular enthusiasm for a way of thinking, and a way of life, that in 1943 was regarded by virtually every sector. The martian secret to a successful civilization twentiethcentury americans witnessed stunning scientific discoveries, such as the atomic bomb and the space age, frightening. Buy a cheap copy of the fountainhead sparknotes literature. The fountainhead study guide contains a biography of ayn rand, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
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