The Fountainhead Essay “In dynamiting Cortland Homes, Howard Roark breaks the law. What is his moral and philosophical argument for the rectitude of his action?” In the Fountainhead Ayn Rand portrays the fact that people are either first- handers or second handers. The novel casts different viewpoints on the qualities of people in society. She demonstrates this fact thorough the main character Howard Roark. (Which one do I leave?) The Fountainhead is a novel that shows different archetypes of people in society. Ayn Rand believes that selfishness is a positive attribute and she demonstrates this fact through the main character, Howard Roark. Roark is the author’s version of the ideal man, Howard Roark designs…show more content… Ayn Rand believes second handers are those in society who feed off others. Peter Keating sets the standard for second handers. He is a conformist, letting the ideas and opinions of others dominate his life. Keating looks up to Roark as an architectural prodigy. The second hander Keating is, he request the help of Roark’s significant architectural skills on his creation of the Cortlandt Homes. Roark is willing to design the building under one condition. The condition was that the building would be designed the exact way Roark designed it. This agreement was written in a legal document by Roark and Keating. The agreement was not fulfilled; therefore Roark had to destroy the…show more content… Roark is being punished for creating and destroying Cortlandt, when the original form was corrupted by others. Howard has every right to destroy it especially because the creation was lessened by others. Roark had no desire to receive any form of payment for the building nor did he care whose name it would be under, he simply wanted to create Cortlandt for the intrigue of solving a puzzle. “I agree to design Cortlandt for the purpose of seeing it erected as I designed it and for no other reason. That was the price I set for my work.”(684) Roark did not care for the fame and wealth that were to be given to the architect of Cortlandt. All he wanted was the fulfillment of seeing his building