Session Eleven: The Epic II - Ayn Rand: The Fountainhead

The Fountainhead is the story of an architect, Howard Roark, who battled against the standards of society, the collectiveness, who believes modern architecture is greater to the style of traditional Greek elements. He wants to break away from the old and create something new. He is an individual who doesn’t want to compromise his values; he is selfish and doesn’t function through others.

Ayn Rand’s purpose of her writing and beliefs of individualism and anti-collectivism comes from her childhood, - as a Russian immigrant saw the rise of Communism in Russia. Her family lost their business, struggling to feed themselves because they were supporter of White Russian’s and they didn’t want to compromise their beliefs.

To be at the top 1% of Architecture you need to be able to situate yourself well and you must compromise your values – as Keating did.
It is translucent in Fountainhead the evil communist character, the Mephisto is Ellsworth S. Toohey. He uses the Banner newspaper to attack Roark and trying to change his mind to compromise his design, give up his values and join the masses.
He uses Roark’s actions of blowing up the housing estate to bring him down in court and show everyone that Roark is a trouble maker. At the beginning his speech the public is totally not in favour of Roark but in the end, after facing his enemies in the courtroom, he wins the battle and builds his modern skyscraper without compromises while getting the girl too.

Ayn Rand created—like so many American Dream stories—a happy ending, a symbol of Capitalist success the architect proudly standing on top of his skyscraper, described as a ‘Tower to Supremacy of Man’.