Howard Roark Research Paper

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Howard Roark is the living embodiment of egoism that breaks social norms and will not recognize any authority except his own. He is a self-confessed egotist in The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand, with complete confidence in himself, his creations, and and actions. As an individualist, his noblest goal is productive achievement; his greatest concern “the conquest of nature.” He is constantly unwavered by the opinions or actions of others as they are completely irrelevant to him. As seen with his responds to the highly influential Ellsworth Toohey: “But I don’t think of you,” Roark demonstrates absolute purity in which Roark lives out the ideals of individualism. The brief exchange of words had ultimately left Toohey, or any character, the reality…show more content…
He constantly questions altruists with no self and how they can live within others. Fro him, he is a self-proclaimed individual spirit with his greatest concern is to achieve productive achievement in designing revolutionary structures. He does not compromise the integrity of his work as he does not want them to say classical, neo-classical, or Renaissance; they have to say Howard Roark. He bases his moral grounds in that an honest building is like an honest man: one piece, one faith, constituted the life source, and the idea of the creator. Any change will kill it. His fixation to his plans makes him extremely stubborn and incapable to be changed by others. However, in a sense, this makes Roark more heroic as he faces complex relationship with people who wants to support, ruin, or do both to him. Roark is a hero to individualism as he selfishly faces his goal in a powerless portion. Earlier in the book, Roark is given an opportunity to build after months in the granite warehouse. Roark is allowed to hire the genius Steven Mallory to sculpt a figure that represents man’s capabilities. Roark’ character captures the young sculptor after Mallory questions Roark’s unconventional

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