In The Fountainhead, Rand characterizes her thoughts of the ideal human being throughout the embodiment of the novel’s hero who lives by his own achievement, does not give or receive the unworthy, and values accomplishment and dismisses resentment and jealousy. The novel’s central character, Howard Roark is a brilliant architect who struggles against a traditionalist society that rejects his revolutionary designs, therefore giving voice to Rand’s own Objectivist philosophy. The Objectivist philosophy states that the ethical purpose of human life is the quest for one’s personal happiness and rational self-interest. Therefore, Roark is innately selfish, entirely unaware of others, and dearly committed to his own success and prosperity. Throughout …show more content…
They fought, they suffered and they paid. But they won” (710). Through Howard Roark, Rand clearly presents her version of an absolute man who is the antithesis of contemporary belief that a human being is formed and shaped by society and its forces. He is not the product of his upbringing, his economic class, his family, his religious training, or his social background. Howard Roark is a product of the choices he has made. Roark believes in the merit of his revolutionary designs and has the courage to stand for them in the face of an antagonistic society as he lives by Objectivism and believes “the best is a matter of standards—and I set my own standards. I inherit nothing. I stand at the end of no tradition. I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one” (13). Roark exemplifies free will — the theory that an individual has the power, by virtue of the choices he makes, to control the outcome of his own life. A man's thinking and values are not controlled by God or society or any outside factor — but by his own choice. Others, like Keating, may choose to give in, but Roark will not. He is his own man. It is this means of approaching life that Rand regards an exemplary …show more content…
Throughout the novel, it is apparent that Roark’s only desire is to see his own success and happiness. As the self-absorbed Roark asserted, “No creator was prompted by a desire to serve his brothers…. His truth was his only motive. His own truth, and his own work to achieve it in his own way.” (710). Over every one of his characteristics, selfishness is by all accounts a key part in molding Roark's identity. He has a tendency to help others only when some personal benefit is involved. For instance, when Roark visits Stephen Mallory, it clearly displays his selfishness because Roark feels enriched by his connections with good people, “because your figures are more devoid of contempt of humanity than any work I’ve ever seen…I came for a simple, selfish reason…to seek the best” (337). Roark only concerns himself with his own interests, success, and happiness. It is true, fulfilling a successful and happy life requires devotion to oneself, but to a certain extent. Every successful individual stands on the shoulders of those who have come before. In addition, success involves help from others, it takes teamwork and the support and encouragement of others. Support and relationships are a fundamental part of