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The book's title may be interpreted as follows: "Man's ego is the fountainhead of human progress."
The hero, Howard Roark, is an ideal of Rand's Objectivist philosophy. He is a hard working, aspiring architect whose plans and goals are waylaid at every end by "the hostility of second-hand souls". His pleasure is in the act of creation, and his calm, reserve, and selfishness are woven together into a person Rand means for us to admire and emulate.
The story is also about Dominique Francon, a woman torn between two loves — not of men but of power, pleasure, and a self-dominance she grows to understand through her relationship with Roark. Roark and Dominique first see each other while the former is working in a quarry owned by the latter's father. He later comes to her house and rapes her, an event that leaves Dominique filled with a possessiveness for Roark that drives her into the arms of another man.
Gail Wynand, a newspaper mogul who raised himself by the bootstraps from the ghettoes of New York CitySkyline, with Statue of Liberty New York, New York" redirects here. For alternate meanings, see New York, New York (disambiguation). New York — officially named City of New York and often called New York City to distinguish it from the state of New York,, believes himself to be the highest of men. He has the power to do anything, command anything. Until, that is, he meets Roark, a man who he helps to destroy. Wynand, after seeing a naked statueA statue is a sculpture depicting a specific entity, usually a person, event, animal or object. Its primary concern is representational. However, as with all artistic topics, this definition of the concept Statue is far from exhaustive and can be/needs to of Dominique sculpted by Steven Mallory, a friend of Roark's for one of his buildings, the Stoddard Temple, falls in love as much with the woman as the artistry of the statue. Dominique and Gail are married.
There are many other characters — Henry Cameron, Roark's mentor who was destroyed by "the system"; Peter Keating, a colleague and friend of Roark whose only individuality is a direct reflection of others; Ellsworth Toohey, the man whose power is directly proportionate to the number of times he says he is unimportant.
Ayn Rand dedicates this book to "the noble profession of architectureArchitecture is the art and science of designing buildings. A wider definition would include within its scope the design of the total built environment, from the macrolevel of town planning, urban design, and landscape architecture to the microlevel of fu". She chose the architectural profession for the analogyAn analogy is a comparison between two different things, in order to highlight some form of similarity. Analogies are often used to explain new or complex concepts by showing the similarity between something familiar and something else. Analogy types In l it offered to her ideas, especially in the context of the rise of the Modern Movement in architecture. In her hands, this profession becomes a convenient vehicle for propagating her views — that the ego is supreme, and individualismIndividualism in general, is a term used to describe a theoretical or practical emphasis of the individual, as opposed to, and possibly at the expense of, the group. It is thus directly opposed to collectivism. From a social standpoint, individualism is g and selfishnessSelfishness is a primary or sole concern with one's own welfare. It is considered by many to be a negative character trait; some, however, view it as positive. One positive view of selfishness is called rational selfishness. This view is often attributed are virtues to be treasured.
The characters of Peter Keating and Howard Roark are placed in anti-thesis to each other. Keating still practises in an eclectic/neo-classical/historical mould even when the building typology is modern like a skyscraperTaipei 101, the world's tallest skyscraper by roof height on high rise. What is the chief characteristic of the tall office building? It is lofty. It must be tall. The force and power of altitude must be in it, the glory and pride of exaltation must be in and is therefore dishonest and imitative. He is also accomodative of changes suggested by others. This mirrors the various eclectic directions and the general willingness to adapt at the turn of the twentieth century. Roark however rejects history, searches for truth and honesty and tries to express these in his works. He takes an uncompromising stand when changes are suggested in his buildings. This mirrors the trajectory of Modern architecture with its origins from dissatisfaction with earlier trends and its emphasis on individual creativity. The celebration of Roark's individuality can be seen in parallel with the eulogising of modern architects as uncompromising and heroic "masters". It is now considered almost a certainty that the character of Roark is based on the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
If Roark is Wright, then it is reasonable to propose that his nemesis Ellsworth Toohey is a composite of Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson. In an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932, Hitchcock and Johnson first lauded Wright as a precursor to what they dubbed the International Style, of the generally politically left-leaning Bauhaus architects. A few years later, they revised their view of Wright, seeing him as a "Romantic individualist".
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