“Howard Roark laughed” are the begging words of the novel The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. These words are indicative of the protagonist Howard’s calm demeanor that will be portrayed and revered throughout the novel. Howard is a lionized by the supporting characters in the novel in that their belief system is altered upon meeting Howard because he is perceived to embody the essence of an absolute man. The first scene in the novel describes Howard at an edge of a cliff. The various aspects that the scene contains are relevant to the wider themes of the book such as the control of society on the public and observing that simple concepts can have profound impact in life.
The environment surrounding Howard when standing upon the cliff is described with simple imagery. “The stone had the stillness…” (Rand 15) described the stone prior to hitting the water. The stasis stone was later revealed to present beauty with the reflection of the sun hitting the stone and the stone having the power to disrupt the flow of the immovable water. This description coincides with Howards architecture in that his work is perceived to be generic and simple but his work is actually the antithesis. Upon closer examination of the edifices he sketches the buildings contain complexity and grandeur. This connection between Howards work and this scene illustrate the theme of seemingly austere work or people being majestic. The supporting characters of the novel are presented very similar to the cliché imagery in that the supporting characters are archetypical characters. Ellsworth Toohey, Dominique Francon and Peter Keating play a pivotal role in presenting the varying people in society. Ellsworth Toohey epitomizes how society can manipulate people at a young age or gradually infiltrate people’s minds. This is why Ellsworth is the antagonist of the novel and contradicts everything Howard stands for. Dominique Francon is the pessimist that cannot see the potential of good in the world which is why she despises the things she loves to prevent her heart from being broken when the world destroys the things she loves. As the novel progresses Dominique begins to be optimistic because Howard is the beckon of hope that people can survive in a society that is selfless and irrational. Peter Keating represents members of society that are consumed with achieving a lifestyle that society deems enviable. We learn that in order for Keating to achieve his ambitions he separates from his beliefs and crumbles under the pressures of society. When you compare these core characters to Howard it becomes evident that Howard’s ability to consistently maintain his character is what society should strive for. Howard affects the lives of these characters by simply being himself and not who society wants him to be.
The granite cliff Howard stands upon is symbolic of the character of Howard that will remain throughout the novel. Granite is similar to how Howard is presented in the novel. He is described with “grey eyes, cold and steady; a contemptuous mouth, shut tight.” (Rand 16) Like granite he maintains his values that will not be hindered by outside forces. Howard is the only character that does not conform to the social constructs that Stanton Institute of Technology wants to enforce. He constantly strives for the pursuit of self happiness which contradicts the hegemony of the other characters lives. Ayn Rand describes Howard in the first few pages of the novel and his character does not falter unlike the other characters. This is evident in the juxtaposition of Howard and Keating demonstrate that Keating always wanted to obey the conventional and logical path that he deemed would guarantee a satisfying life. However, he becomes an alcoholic because he sacrificed his core values in an effort to achieve his ideal life. Thus, the fall of Keating exemplifies that originality and separating yourself from the norm is the “fountain head” that will lead you to a better life. Furthermore, granite is symbolic of the potential of man. When Howard looks at granite he visualizes the various creations that are possible. He describes the world around him as “waiting to be split, ripped, pounded and reborn.” (Rand 16) These are the characteristics Howard embodies because he has original thought that can be molded into any idea or concept that has not been affected by others. Thus, his architecture can be split and ripped into anything he truly wants.
The Fountainhead utilizes unconventional methods to describe the nature of humans and how the social constructs of society affect our ability for creative and original thought. The granite Howards stands upon and visualizes represents more than a rock but an idea waiting to come to fruition. In addition, to appreciate architecture you must pay attention the subtle details because they are usually the components of a piece of work that we remember and admire. Possibilities are endless and that is why the novel concludes with the ocean and sky and the figure of Howard Roark.
