The Fountainhead

Ayn Rand

Get this SparkNote to go!

Study Questions & Essay Topics

Study Questions

1. What purpose does the encounter between Roark and the Dean serve? What concepts and beliefs does the Dean represent?


2. Why does the novel sanction Roark’s egoism but not Toohey’s? Since the novel encourages the single-minded realization of one’s goals, why does Rand disapprove of Toohey’s quest for domination?


3. How does Rand justify the use of violence? Specifically, how does she justify Roark’s bombing of the Cortlandt Complex?


Suggested Essay Topics

1. Does Peter Keating genuinely love Dominique Francon? Why or why not?

2. What similarities do Keating and Roark share? Why does Rand make them somewhat similar?

3. Why does Gail Wynand take so much comfort in the knowledge that both he and Roark “came from nothing”?

4. Dominique admits that she and Wynand are very similar people. How is this true? How are they different?

5. The Fountainhead was written during the rise of totalitarian states in Europe and Russia. How might the events of this period have affected Rand’s novel?

6. How does The Fountainhead portray women? How do Dominique and Catherine measure up to the male characters?

Readers' Notes allow users to add their own analysis and insights to our SparkNotes—and to discuss those ideas with one another. Have a novel take or think we left something out? Add a Readers' Note!

More Help

Buy the print The Fountainhead SparkNote on BN.com

The SparkNote you can hold in your hand.

Buy the ebook of this SparkNote on BN.com

Easy to view on your iPod, phone, or ereader.

EVEN MORE HELP! ↓

Take a Study Break

SparkLife

Star Trek gets SEXY

Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana heat up the red carpet!

SparkLife

Are you afraid of relationships?

Auntie SparkNotes can help!

SparkLife

Wanna get JLaw's gorgeous glow?

Click here for simple, sexy makeup tricks!

SparkLife

Sexy starlet style

See every single look from the Met Gala!

SparkLife

Who'd be on your zombie-apocalypse crew?

We already dib'sed Genghis Khan.

Geek out!

The MindHut

Geeky Actresses: Then and Now

Before the fame!

The MindHut

9 Scientific Inaccuracies in Iron Man 3

Click to see what they got wrong.

The MindHut

Top 10 Predictions Sci-Fi Got WRONG

So wrong, they're WRONG.

The MindHut

The 15 Most Awesome Robots, Ever

These Robots Rock!

The MindHut

If You Like Game of Thrones...

...Then you'll LOVE these books!

The Book

Cover image

Order The Fountainhead at BN.com

All the words, printed on paper. Classic!

Cover image

Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like

Get Our FREE NOOK Reading Apps