Review of Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead

In an effort to understand the many politicians and pundits who worship the writings of Ayn Rand, I’ve recently read her novel The Fountainhead. It’s a remarkable book, a defense of the individual creative spirit. I’m glad I read it and it’s a good reminder that we should all be reading things that come from different perspectives than our own preconceived biases.

The protagonist, Howard Roark is as arrogant as Ralph Nader. He is an architect who is so convinced of his own correctness (and greatness) that he will risk everything in order to buck the system. He will listen to nobody. He is ascetic, boring, and a loner. Roarke has incredible will and can push ahead even when there appears to be no way forward. He is egotistical but he is also correct and an admirer of excellence. He is willing to sacrifice the immediate common good and his own career for his ego and principles, but those principles at their heart are about designing superior buildings and making society better.

Roark’s foil is Peter Keating, a man of mediocre talent and no original ideas. Paul Ryan and Scott Walker must tell themselves daily that they are more like Howard Roark than Peter Keating, but deep in their guts they fear otherwise. Keating lacks will, he can’t make anything happen on his own. He lacks ego and will simply do the bidding of others because he cannot create an original thought. Most of all, he lacks righteousness or any concept of right or wrong altogether. His is not immoral so much as amoral.