full title · The Fountainhead
author · Ayn Rand
type of work · Novel
genre · Allegory; Objectivist fiction; novel of ideas
language · English
time and place written · New York, 1938–1942
date of first publication · May, 1943
publisher · Bobbs-Merrill, New York.
narrator · The omniscient narrator provides psychological analyses of the characters and exhibits a heavy bias toward the novel’s hero, Howard Roark
point of view · Third person
tone · Formal; moralizing; didactic
tense · Present, with occasional forays into past tense when explaining the background of some characters
setting (time) · 1922–1939
setting (place) · New York City, Connecticut, Monadnock Valley, Massachusets, Ohio
protagonist · Howard Roark
major conflict · Howard Roark’s genius and striking architectural vision clashes with the mediocre society around him, represented by Ellsworth Toohey
rising action · Keating succeeds financially while Roark struggles; Roark and Dominique meet and fall in love; Roark agrees to design a government housing complex on Keating’s behalf; in Roark’s absence, Keating makes changes to get the commission
climax · Roark bombs the housing complex to prevent the corruption of his designs
falling action · Roark successfully defends himself at trial for the bombing; Roark and Dominique marry
themes · The primacy of the individual; the importance of reason; the cold ferocity of love
motifs · Technical progress; journalism; labor
symbols · Granite; ice; the Banner
foreshadowing · When Roark finishes the Stoddard Temple, Roark must defend himself in a lawsuit.
