wendell pfeffer reaction: Ayn Rand the Fountainhead

Wendell Pfeffer

8/25/13

Reaction: Ayn Rand the Fountainhead

            The story develops in the year of 1922 when Howard Roark a distant, aloof, disagreeable and incapable of relating to others is expelled from the Stanton Institute of Technology. This is mainly in part because he does not conform with his teachers at his school. Meanwhile Peter Keating, a star student and the president of the student body graduates with honors and receives a four-year scholarship to study at the Ecole des Beaux arts in Paris and is offered to work at the prestigious architectural firm of Francou and Heyer. Peters mother, is a controlling and absorbent widow that tells Peter what his best options are and she tells him to work at the firm. Peter moves to New York and begins to work at the firm he is assigned to work for and instantly befriends Francon, the owner of the firm. Peter believes that the only way to succeed is by eliminating his enemies; he does this through manipulation and lies. With Stengel he knows that the only way to get rid of him is by arranging a lunch with Mrs. Dunlop. Stengel agrees to go, but before he accepts he asks Peter “what’s in it for you?” Immediately realizing and answering “oh, I see.” From the beginning of the story Peters main goal is to please others, by addressing Francon in a correct manner, trying to become friends with everyone at the office and pretending to be interested in Heyers porcelain collection.  He needs the approval and admiration of other people and he has the incapability of doing what he really desires. On the other hand Howard Roark is totally unconcerned about his expulsion from the Stanton Institute. He does not rely on anyone, since he was a small child he was set in his own ways, clear of what his goals were. He is not concerned what others think of him and remains true to his own beliefs. Howard finds refuge with Henry Cameron, an architect whose career was destroyed by his own unwillingness to compromise much like Roark is.  So far this is where I left off; the book itself is quite interesting and cannot wait to see what unfolds in the next few chapters. I am currently on page 73.