Jul 16, 2006 08:44 PM
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Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Steve Jobs, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King- All were men who created history and caused a revolution in one way or another. Men who defied authority, society and conventional thinking. And most importantly men who stood by their ideals. These were some of the men whose “ego was The Fountainhead of human progress”.
I have read many books in my life, but few have impacted as much as AynRand’s 1943 novel, The Fountainhead. This novel is about how individualism is a cornerstone of human life and how the human ego has to be cared for. A book about an architect and his struggle in a world that refuses to accept his beliefs. But more importantly a book about the battle within every one of us faces in daily life. Do we have to chart our own path or is it better to be safe and secure? Are we really happy with our high paying jobs, monthly salary cheques, our fancy cars and plush apartments? Or is there some thing in us, that wants to break out and achieve our own dreams? Does everything we do have to be acceptable and for common good? As human beings don’t we have the right to practice our ideals? These are some of the questions that the novel explores.
The Fountainhead is the story of a young brilliant architect Howard Roark. Roark prefers to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise on his ideals and values. For Roark, architecture is not just another job, it’s a passion. His classmate Peter Keating becomes an architect as his mother pressurizes him in doing so, since its well paid and prestigious. Peter Keating is a totally mediocre architect, but he makes it to top as partner of Guy Francon, a leading architect of the time. Roark is expelled from school, and later joins under Henry Cameron, a brilliant architect, whose career was destroyed as he refused to compromise.
After Cameron’s death, Roark struggles doing odd jobs and in the meantime meets the beautiful Dominique Francon, the daughter of Guy. And in the meantime there is the powerful media magnate Gail Wynand who can make or break a career. Does Roark manage to be successful in his beliefs? Do Roark and Dominique find their love fulfilled? Does Wynad help Roark in his ambitions?Fountainhead is a novel that is epic in scope and content. And it comes up with some of the greatest characters in literature.
Howard Roarkis the hero all of us aspire to be, but rarely become. Ayn showcased her philosophy of Objectivism through Roark. Roark is a genius, a visionary who simply cannot tolerate the “second hand souls opposed to him”.
Dominique Francon is the fascinating heroine of the novel. Rich, beautiful, independent and arrogant .She is drawn towards Roark but at the same time believes that men like him are doomed to failure.
Gail Wynand is the media magnate who rose from rags to riches. Wynand shares Roark’s passion, vision, yet he is a prisoner to public opinion. Wynand represents many of us, who feel things can be better, but don’t want to take the step for that. In other words a man who could have been.
Peter Keating is what a majority of people are in this world. Of totally mediocre abilities, but nevertheless successful , simply by virtue of being a yes man. Keating is successful financially, but as a human he is a total loser. He has no mind of his own, his mother decides what he will do and whom he will marry, his boss decides what he will build. In effect he is a man who is just living, carrying out every one’s orders, but totally bereft of any character.
Ellsworth Tooheyis an architectural critic. In effect he simply uses flowery language to promote his favorite, Peter Keating and run down his nemesis Roark. Toohey knows he can never be a Roark, and so he makes sure that Roark will never be acceptable. Toohey’s ideals of doing anything for the public good and community brotherhood are Ayn’s attacks on communism. Toohey is the opponent of excellence, and this was Ayn’s way of getting back at the socialists and communists of those times.
The Fountainhead is about architecture and set in 1943, but in effect it could be set in any period and against the backdrop of any industry, and the outcome would be the same. The Fountainhead is a cry against acceptance of mediocricity in the name of public good. We know of many Howard Roarks, who are ridiculed by every one. Forget about being a genius, even if some one remotely tries to assert our independence, we are ridiculed, and looked down upon as queer. Why even something very simple like the movie we see or the book we read, causes people to make all impressions on us?
The Fountainhead is not exactly a case for capitalism. Ayncertainly wouldn’t have approved of the crony capitalism being practiced in those days. Nor she would have approved of the Reliance or Microsoft style of monopoly capitalism, where one company tries to run down its competitors. You might not agree with Ayn’s views, but the points she raises are something all of us face day in and day out. And the biggest achievement of this novel is that it makes us think about them.
