Fountain head was first published in the year 1943. At that time America was on the edge of world war two. Exactly 69 years after that whatever united states has achieved, I think a lot of credit goes to the book. United state is the first country which evolved through the process of modernist, capitalist, and objective oriented society which never frightened from bringing new ideas into reality. This was possible only because of freedom of ideas, freedom to do new things, freedom to support new things, freedom to respect new things.
Fountain head is a story of a hero who fought for saving his ideas. It is a story of architect engineer who decided to rebel against the conventional standards. It is a story of a guy for whom selfish person was more important than selfless person. It is story of a human who fought a battle against the crusaders who try to destroy him. It is story of his love with a beautiful woman who tried to destroy him. It is also a story of a girl who married his opponents so that her love can be saved.
Howard Roark, an architect is a person who leaves his college and bright career just because his drawing teacher asks him to draw a drawing of conventional building. However , he refuses to do so because for him working on a project which already has been covered and established is an old idea. He wants his work to be a modern such that it has not been repeated or worked out. For him setting a new standards was important as mankind has always gone to the new level of prosperity whenever it has chosen new path.
Ellsworth Toohey is a a self aclaimed intellectual and powerful man who shapes the opinion of public against protagonist Howard Roark .He also leads the battle for Howard Roark's enemy. Peter keating is a graduation friend of Howard who belives in collectivism. Fears round of arguments between Peter and howard sets up the story. One holds his breath when interaction between Howard and Ellsworth took place for the first time. There is a Dominique Francon, a girl who marries Howard Roark's enemy so that she could save him from his Enemy. There is a Gayle Waynand who can only understand Howard Roark.
"I swear by my life and my love for it that I will never work for another man nor ask another man to work for me."
Most important thing of the novel is that while reading it we also become arch enemy of the character of Howard Roark. As a reader we can't accumulate the Idea of Individualism against the collectivism. We firmly hold our stand in a basket of collectivism against Howard's individualism. However as novel progresses our view starts to change. We started realizing that it's not his attitude, it's not his ego or selfishness but a selflessness which drives him to creativity.
Fountain head is a story of a hero who fought for saving his ideas. It is a story of architect engineer who decided to rebel against the conventional standards. It is a story of a guy for whom selfish person was more important than selfless person. It is story of a human who fought a battle against the crusaders who try to destroy him. It is story of his love with a beautiful woman who tried to destroy him. It is also a story of a girl who married his opponents so that her love can be saved.
Howard Roark, an architect is a person who leaves his college and bright career just because his drawing teacher asks him to draw a drawing of conventional building. However , he refuses to do so because for him working on a project which already has been covered and established is an old idea. He wants his work to be a modern such that it has not been repeated or worked out. For him setting a new standards was important as mankind has always gone to the new level of prosperity whenever it has chosen new path.
"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common : that the step was the first, the road new, the vision unborrowed, and the response they received-hatred. The great creators -the thinkers, the artists, the scientists, the inventors, -stood alone against the men of their time. Every great new thought was opposed. Every great new invention was denounced. The first motor was termed foolish. The aeroplane was considered impossible. Power loom was considered vicious. Anesthesia was considered sinful. But the men of unborrowed vision went ahead. They fought, they suffered and they paid. But they won."After that whichever institute or company he joins they threw him out. His battle for setting his own standards earns him a lot of enemies. He become outcasted as his only priority is to build unique design which has not been made yet. A design which is not a copy of anything. However, because of this attitude his enemies bring him in a condition where he can not have even a place to live. He becomes a mere beggar. His battle continues.
Ellsworth Toohey is a a self aclaimed intellectual and powerful man who shapes the opinion of public against protagonist Howard Roark .He also leads the battle for Howard Roark's enemy. Peter keating is a graduation friend of Howard who belives in collectivism. Fears round of arguments between Peter and howard sets up the story. One holds his breath when interaction between Howard and Ellsworth took place for the first time. There is a Dominique Francon, a girl who marries Howard Roark's enemy so that she could save him from his Enemy. There is a Gayle Waynand who can only understand Howard Roark.
"I swear by my life and my love for it that I will never work for another man nor ask another man to work for me."
Most important thing of the novel is that while reading it we also become arch enemy of the character of Howard Roark. As a reader we can't accumulate the Idea of Individualism against the collectivism. We firmly hold our stand in a basket of collectivism against Howard's individualism. However as novel progresses our view starts to change. We started realizing that it's not his attitude, it's not his ego or selfishness but a selflessness which drives him to creativity.
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