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?
Like many of the characters in the novel,
the Dean has no sense of self or integrity, and consequently cannot
create his own philosophy or beliefs. When he tells Roark that everything
worth building has already been done, the Dean reveals the foolishness
that comes from adhering too strongly to tradition. Instead of creating
innovative designs, the Dean feeds from the thoughts and beliefs
of his predecessors, which he calls “treasure mines”—an image that
evokes wealth and forced labor. Because of men like the Dean, everyone
at the architectural school has looked only to the past for inspiration and
the students have been generating the same designs for years. Roark
labels this sort of weakness “second-handedness.” More generally,
the Dean represents how a cooperative and collectivist spirit can
lead to an individual’s enslavement to the desires of others. When
he tells Roark to think of “the Client,” the Dean shows that he
believes in prioritizing the buyer over the artist, the other over
the self. Whereas Roark does not assign much importance to his clients, the
Dean considers them the most important voice, and in doing so surrenders
his own will and initiative.
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?
By the end of the last section it becomes
clear that we are meant to read Toohey not as a leader of men, but
a power-hungry villain who uses the notion of “selflessness” to
break peoples’ spirits. On the other hand, Toohey can be read as
a model for the behavior that The Fountainhead advocates.
Like Roark, Toohey is only interested in his own advancement. In
his manipulative way, Toohey matches Roark in strength. Although
he flatters people and defers to them, he only does so until he
gets what he wants, and he never actually lets them get the upper
hand. Roark insists on following one’s principles unswervingly;
in a sense, Toohey does just that. His principles involve undermining
people’s creative drive and becoming powerful himself, and he sticks
to these principles unswervingly. Despite their similarities, however,
a critical difference separates the two men: Roark creates and Toohey
destroys. In The Fountainhead, the creation of
something great justifies even the most rampant egoism. Toohey possesses
rampant egoism, but no creativity. He seeks to prevent other peoples’
achievements rather than to create his own achievements. Even though
Toohey displays many of the virtues touted by the novel, he becomes
the villain because he does not act in the name of creativity.
3. How does
Rand justify the use of violence?
Specifically, how does she justify Roark’s bombing of
the Cortlandt Complex?
The Fountainhead idolizes
strength, austerity, and determination above all else, and violence
progresses naturally from these virtues. The novel frowns upon pity
and compassion and advocates the use of violence to advance human
genius. Dominique embodies this viewpoint, constantly battling the
world and welcoming the occasionally physical pain this battle inflicts
on her. When Roark rapes Dominique, the violence of the incident
makes her come alive. Dominique approves of Roark’s destruction
of the Cortlandt Complex, and helps him destroy it. Dominique considers
violent acts both passionate and assertive. Passion and assertiveness
also characterize genius, so violence becomes indicative of genius.
Roark does not share Dominique’s great enthusiasm for violence,
but he has no qualms about using it in defense of his beliefs or
ideas. Roark considers bombing Cortlandt a necessity, an act to
accomplish with workmanlike dispassion. Overall, Rand supports Roark’s
view of violence as a tool like any other: neither good nor bad,
but sometimes necessary.
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?
Become a fan on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
