Author: AynRand
My comment: Read the book to find how imperfect we all are...
A lot has already been written about this book. This one book has changed millions of people around the world. People studying literature have done thesis on the characters, theme and philosophy of this book. And I, quiet naturally, feel humbled writing about such a great novel.
What makes a book or a story or in a broader sense – literature – ‘great’? What are those elements that imprint the words upon reader’s mind? What makes the reader feel connected with the literature he reads?
It’s the characters.
Howard Roark, the hero, the human who believes in the ‘I’ and not the ‘We’ of collectivism is the identity of a true man fighting and braving the world to stand by his principles.
Peter Keating, the exact opposite is what every person desires to be but in the end cannot be – ambitious, successful, admired.
Dominique Francon, a lady who knows the true worth of a man and is ready to sacrifice herself to save the other.
Gail Wynand, a multi millionaire, power hungry, appreciates art but has the habit of collecting it just for him and for no other.
Ellsworth Toohey – perhaps the most dubious character in the book who shows how there is no white and no black - only a grey, which is perhaps the dangerous of all.
These characters are what we actually are. They are not larger than life. They are not out of the world images of God, Goddesses or Demons but humans who actually exist within us and around us. How simply these characters have been written on a piece of paper, impresses upon the reader the mastery of the writer.
The story revolves around architecture and sky-scrapers. It is the story of Howard Roark, the architect who finds himself fighting the society, the rich, the poor, the common man and even his love. Only because he is the egotist not ready to give up on his principles and ideals he holds so dear. He represents the ideal man - a man as he should be.
“Look at the man standing infront of the skyscraper. The man seems dwarfed by the building. But remember – it was built by him”
There are various philosophies associated with the book which later take form of Ayn Rand’s own philosophy of Objectivism. But the true essence of ‘The Fountainhead’ is to value an individual as a whole, to place oneself above the rest for only then we will be able to feel no remorse, no sadness and no jealousy. The book explains why selflessness is the biggest fraud of virtue man implied upon himself because there is nothing of ‘self’ left in selflessness.
This book isn’t a story of men. It is a fight for men. It represents everything we stand for but never have the courage to fight for. And after you have read it you will be left asking – can I be like him? Can I be perfect? Can I be like Howard Roark? Read this book and find how imperfect you are.
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