First Place

Cheska Mauban, Bayside High School, Queens Village, NY, US

Choose the scene in The Fountainhead that is most meaningful to you. Analyze that scene in terms of the wider themes in the book.

“Roark looked after him. He had never seen that boy before and he would never see him again. He did not know that he had given someone the courage to face a lifetime” (Rand, The Fountainhead 506). The narrator ends the scene depicting a young man, at the commencement of his life, who has gained encouragement from Howard Roark, the protagonist, who represents a consistent individual in society. Specifically, the young man witnesses the sight of Monadnock Valley, a summer resort that Roark has designed. The scintillating creation of small houses on the natural ledges in Monadnock Valley exhibits the theme, “Man exalts himself through his enhancement of the natural world.” A paradise, in which nature and man intertwine, Monadnock Valley presents the young man with the “identity to the thing he sought” (Rand, The Fountainhead 504). Through the young man’s understanding and connection with Roark’s work, another one of The Fountainhead‘s underlying themes is manifested, “The courage of one man, if accepted, is inspirational to others.”

The scene begins with the portrayal of an individual through the description of leaves as a part of the setting: “They were not green; only a few, scattered through the torrent, stood out in single drops of a green so bright and pure that it hurt the eyes” (Rand, The Fountainhead 503). In other words, the multitude of leaves symbolizes the lot of society and, in particular, the few leaves that exhibit a green color symbolize the scarce amount of actual individuals among the collective–the majority of society, who share similar opinions and inclinations. Rand’s description of this short scene foreshadows the young man’s journey as an individual set apart from society due to another man’s inspiration, who is explained as the “few scattered through the torrent,” i.e. Howard Roark. Furthermore, the description illustrates the nature of these leaves as “pure,” with the ability to “hurt the eyes” explicating society’s reluctance to accept those who deviate. The setting alone hints to the reader that this young man is on the verge of leading a life like no other: his own.

The young man–not fully aware of his own desires and uncertain of the answer he seeks along his solo ride on the “forgotten trail through the hills of Pennsylvania” (Rand, The Fountainhead 503)–actually portrays a keen understanding of the true meaning of life. In fact, the young man thinks, “Men have not found the words for it nor the deed nor the thought, but they have found the music,” (Rand, The Fountainhead 504) to explain that humanity, including himself, is either nescient of his true desires or lacking in the courage to fulfill these desires; however, he also suggests that all men possess the potential to act accordingly with their own desires that lie within themselves. For example, Peter Keating, Roark’s long-time acquaintance, has the desire to become an artist but, due to his mother’s wishes, he embarks on an architectural career: instead of adhering to his own desire, Keating would rather satisfy others. Also, Keating continuously criticizes Roark’s stubborn persona, which refuses to comply with society’s status quo, instead of grasping Roark’s individual accomplishments of fulfilling his sole desire. Thus, Keating’s character and role in the novel portrays the contrapositive of the theme, “The courage of man, if accepted, is inspirational to others,” because, even though he has acquainted himself with Roark, he does not accept the inspiration Roark’s achievements convey, but merely ridicules them.

Then, the young man requests, “Let me see that in one single act of man on earth. Let me see the answer to the promise of that music. Not servants nor those served. . .but the final, the fulfilled, innocent of pain” (Rand, The Fountainhead 504), to explain that he wants to experience something or someone that does not suffer. In other words, the young man searches for one who is free from the pain of self-denial and possesses the ability to satisfy his own desires. Gail Wynand–a successful businessman–is exposed to the structures Roark has designed and is inspired to redeem his long-time career of printing articles that do not mirror his rectitude in the New York Banner. After finding inspiration through Roark’s works and integrity, Wynand attempts to print his true opinions in The Banner, which oppose those of the public. Wynand simply needed to “see that [courage] in one single act of man. . .” to kindle his own courage. However, Wynand’s character manifests a man who has acted too late, with the inability to redeem his life as a second hander. He vicariously lives a first hand life through Roark’s construction of the Wynand Building (Rand, The Fountainhead 690). Nonetheless, Wynand still accepts Roark’s greatness, thus allowing him at least to attempt to be an individual. Unlike Peter Keating, who fails to allow Roark’s inspiration to encourage him, a handful of characters in The Fountainhead, such as Wynand, accept Roark’s inspiration with open arms.

By coincidence, the young man encounters the work of Howard Roark, the resorts of Monadnock Valley, while cycling through the trail. Immediately, the construction of the small houses on the unaltered hills intrigues the young man. In fact, the narrator explains the young man’s awareness of, “. . .some power had known how to build on these ledges in such a way that the houses became inevitable. . .part of the hills, shaped by the hills, yet ruling them by giving them meaning,” (Rand, The Fountainhead 504) to display the ability of man to complement nature. Essentially, the young man realizes that the designer of these resorts possesses the competence to erect a structure that demonstrates the greatness of man exceeding that of nature. Howard Roark’s consistent character throughout the novel, which displays an unwavering structure of integrity, is able to erect unprecedented buildings; Rand grants Roark’s character this phenomenal ability to highlight the powers that an individual possesses by merely having the courage to adhere to one’s true desire.

“Music, he thought, the promise of the music he had invoked, the sense of it made real–there it was before his eyes–he did not see it–he heard it in the chords. . .” (Rand, The Fountainhead 505) The narrator then reveals that the young man has found what he has sought: the feeling of inspiration that ironically is not merely seen, but felt among certain men. Just as the young man, Dominique Francon–Roark’s wife–has also been encouraged by Roark during her first encounter with him at the granite quarry; the two do not utter words to each other, but Roark’s presence finally prompts Dominique to have the courage to desire–something she has been too afraid to do in her past. When the young man notices Roark and learns that Roark is indeed the one who has built the valley, the young man understands that he has experienced a great achievement by man: that man is capable of creating structures more phenomenal than nature. Through the short, but life-changing, moment in which the young man discovers Roark’s name, he is forever inspired to persevere through life in order to gain achievements of his own. The inclusion of an insignificant character of a young man, not even bearing a name, in the opening scene of The Fountainhead‘s fourth part, actually displays the prominent themes of “Man exalts himself through his enhancement of the natural world,” and, “The courage of one man, if accepted, is inspirational to others.” The character of Howard Roark firmly believes that the greatness of man is capable of erecting structures that equal or even exceed the beauty of nature. The mere fact that the young man contains curiosity for the structure of Monadnock Valley demonstrates his willingness to accept its greatness. Furthermore, the young man unconsciously compares the ideal society with music because both contain many separate, individual building blocks, which contribute to a greater whole: a society in which the achievements of individuals are acclaimed to inspire others to create their own accomplishments. One man’s courage to accept the responsibility of possessing desires is thus contagious. Through one man’s initiative, one by one, others are incited to choose the courageous lifestyle–which society usually forbids–in which they pursue their own desires: “Wheeling his bicycle by his side, the boy took the narrow path down the slope of the hill to the valley and the houses below” (Rand, The Fountainhead 505).