Figuratively, it means the origin of any movement or product of artistic or technological creativity, and might refer to an artistic or inventive individual or a place noted for a certain intellectual movement. When she was writing the book that was to become the fountainhead, rand used a different title. By the early 1600s, however, it was already beginning to be used figuratively in. Review of the fountainhead and atlas shrugged scott h young. Click download or read online button to get fountainhead book now. Structural integration in the fountainhead and atlas shrugged. This lesson will introduce characters, provide a summary, and give an analysis of the book. But ayn rand always takes that to a dangerous extreme.
If youve been following this blog over the last few months, youll know i just finished reading the fountainhead and atlas shrugged by ayn rand. As in the fountainhead, we must take our clue from the title headings. The fountainhead continues to be an example of its own theme. A fountainhead refers to an original source, like a refreshing springfed lake. The title of the book is best explained by a conversation between francisco and hank rearden. Jun 30, 2010 but when common literary terms are applied to so individual a book as the fountainhead not a page of which could be mistaken for anything other than a page of the fountainhead, by ayn rand those common terms lose much of their usefulness. But before that, lets get to the most important aspects of naming a book. I mean, maybe the formal elements of film cinematography miseenscene sound editing, along with the acting, would make ayn rands story more enjoyable. Despite continuing intellectual opposition to ayn rands ideas, the fountainhead has gained recognition as one of the great novels of american literature. Rand can be longwinded, but these two books are must reads regardless of your own personal beliefs. I bought it from a used books store, as it appears on that best books of the century list im trying to follow. Ayn rands the fountainhead presented an egoist character, howard roark, and portrayed him to what society needs, but unwilling to admit the necessitate.
Epic in scope atlas shrugged is 1200 pages the two books make the case that selfishness is the ultimate human. Before calling it the fountainhead, ayn rands working title was secondhand lives. Its theme of glorifying the independent mind not only captures the. One such philosophy, objectivism,is represented exceptionally by the timeless novel, the fountainhead. In the fountainhead, why does dominique francon marry peter keating.
When it first entered english in the late 1500s, fountainhead was used only in a literal senseto refer to the source of a stream. A fountainhead is defined as the spring which provides the source of a stream. Divine complexion with your host andrea calle definitely sober city and county of denver. But there was one common wellloved book among men that if i saw, i ran a mile. Roark also, early on in the story, works in a stone quarry. Rand did extensive research while writing the novel. Her idea for the book was to contrast the firsthanded independence of her hero, howard roark, with other characters who are variations on the theme of secondhandedness. Atlas shrugged and the fountainhead are becoming more relevant as we head into 2009. With characters that are gripping, settings that are par excellence, and dialogue that displays incredible depth, the book is a well rounded synthesis about the nature of individualism and what it means. Dominiques marriage to peter keating is one of deliberate selftorture. It is more than 700 pages long, and with a few sections being a little philosophically heavy, its a real task to read it. The fountainhead novel by ayn rand published in 1943 centering on the struggles of a young architect named howard roark. If you feel that gary cooper as howard roark was the weirdest casting ever, join in on the message boards. First edition second printing without first edition stated on the page but with all the textual errors on pages 321, 381, and 480.
The story would have been faster paced, the characters more sharply limned, had whole episodes, repetitive and tautological, been eliminated. Although rands screenplay was used with minimal alterations, she later criticized the films editing, production design, and acting. A fountainhead is also a stone that is sometimes used for countertops. The fountainhead takes place in the united states, mostly in new york city, during the 1920s and 1930s. And one of rands provisional titles for the book was the mainspring.
Fountainhead by rand, first edition, bobbs merrill abebooks. But that i knew it over twentyfive years agothat i knew it while the 1. An uncompromising, visionary architect struggles to maintain his integrity and individualism despite personal, professional and economic pressures to conform to popular standards. While most people consider atlas shrugged her most important work, the fountainhead was responsible for ayn rands sudden leap into public life rand took extensive preliminary notes for all of her books. In spite of this excess of verbiage, the novel is a. It was with the publication of the fountainhead 1943 and atlas shrugged 1957 that she achieved her spectacular success. Do you mean the title of the fountainhead by ayn rand. Fountainhead definition and meaning collins english. Her notable works included the fountainhead 1943 and atlas shrugged 1957. The fountainhead nyt critics pick off broadway, drama, experimentalperf. The books title is a reference to rands statement that mans ego is the fountainhead of human progress.
The fountainhead is a 1943 novel by russianamerican author ayn rand, her first major literary success. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Few films have ever so explicitly expressed a political ideology. But, in principle and in the long run, truth wins out. These are some of the reasons why, for me, the most profound personal meaning of this new, anniversary edition is the fact that its jacket carries the reproduction of a painting by frank. Roarks meaning of life differed from the others he associated with, which left him isolated toward them, but benefited his remarkable success in.
The story is supposed to be about sticking to yourself and doing things for yourself. She heard no twelve times before a dude over at bobbsmerill company decided to go for it. How different are all these books in terms of their title. Rands fourth and final novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing. With gary cooper, patricia neal, raymond massey, kent smith. Ayn rand introduces confusing concepts in her novel the fountainhead. Ayn rand actually worked on the script for this movie, which starred gary cooper and patricia neal. While in each part the omniscient narrator focuses on the individual after whom that part is named, roark remains a.
Editions of the fountainhead by ayn rand goodreads. Beyond that, the book truly illustrates the haqqani networks centrality across the entire spectrum of the terms. With characters that are gripping, settings that are par excellence, and dialogue that displays incredible depth, the book is a well rounded synthesis about the nature of individualism and what it means to be human. An impassioned proponent of reason, rational selfinterest, individualism, and laissezfaire capitalism, she expressed her unique views in numerous. It presents the idea that mans ego is the fountainhead of human progress. Both roarkypoo and rands darling individualism are the fountainhead in the fountainhead. Without reflective literature, man cannot begin to comprehendthe essential messages behind philosophy. The fountainhead sparksnotes by ayn rand and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
It can be called a novel in roughly the same way in which the architectural creations of its protagonist, howard roark, can be called houses, apartment complexes, filling stations, and office buildings. Howard roark, peter keating, ellsworth toohey, and gail wynand, all brought together to play different roles in the architecture industry. Born february 2, 1905, ayn rand published her first novel, we the living, in 1936. The fountainhead philosophy demands literature that can abet the understanding ofsocial views. The novel celebrates reason, individualism, productivity, and creativity. Fountainhead of teacher education a century in the sheldon tradition by dorothy rogers and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A poll conducted jointly in 1991 by the library of congress and the book of the month club showed that atlas shrugged was the second most influential book in the lives of the respondents behind only the bible and showed the fountainhead among the top twenty. Not so with the film version of ayn rands hit novel the fountainhead, which is a paean to radical individualism. Today, the fountainhead has achieved the status of a modern classic.
Books similar to the fountainhead the fountainhead. Even to classify the fountainhead as a novel seems slightly beside the point. Donald trump has quoted rands novel fountainhead as his favourite book, though his book reading habits are doubtful. Easiest to specify is the books political and ideological significance. Mar 10, 2020 a spring that is the source of a river. Fountainhead definition of fountainhead by merriamwebster. It is like the completion, the proper climax of this books history.
Fountainhead definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Howard roark is the main character in the fountainhead and plays the role of a struggling architect who encounters love, destruction, and heartbreak. Smith goes to washington to dave, most mainstream hollywood films that deal with politics have delivered a populist message. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by ayn rand, who also wrote the screenplay adaptation. The fountainhead, hightech, juicy and full of pulp. When the fountainhead was released in 1943, rands publishers did not expect much from it.
While the fountainhead became a best seller within a few years after its 1943 publication, anthem never made the bestseller lists. Initially rejected by twelve publishers as too intellectual, the fountainhead became a best seller within two years purely through word of mouth, and earned rand enduring commercial and artistic success. In so doing, they serve as an important thematic pointer, indicating the special significance the theme of reason plays in. The fountainhead has been described in many ways, but at its core it is about the individual vs. Ayn rand, russianborn american writer whose commercially successful novels promoting individualism and laissezfaire capitalism were influential among conservatives and libertarians. She wanted the novel to be imbued with a spirit of individualism and to convey the idea that mans ego is the fountainhead of human progress the fountainhead, front matter. Man and nature in the fountainhead the atlas society. The fountainhead originally provided, and continues to provide, a powerful inspiration to the individualist movement in america and throughout the world. It chronicles the struggles of the innovative architect howard roark in his effort to achieve success on his own terms. The fountainhead is a novel about the ideals of four characters. What is the significance of the title the fountainhead in.
I can understand how you feel, and thats why it would be hard to understand her novels without first knowing her philosophy and on top of that most of what she says in the fountainhead is contextual, which makes it even more confusing. Although rands screenplay was used with minimal alterations. Click to tweet 5 steps to choosing your book title. And in one of rands double entendres, a fountainhead is the source of a spring. Having grown up in the totalitarian dictatorship of the soviet union. Below is a quotation within atlas shrugged from that discussion part 1, page 422.
The fountainhead serves as an excellent introduction to both ayn rands writing and her philosophy of objectivism. The four men whose names serve as the titles for the four parts of the fountainheadpeter keating, ellsworth toohey, gail wynand, and howard roarkare the main characters of the novel, but roark is the undisputed protagonist. Atlas shrugged includes elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance, and it contains rands most extensive statement of objectivism in any of her works of. More than any other work, the fountainhead reawakened popular enthusiasm for a way of thinking, and a way of life, that in 1943 was regarded by virtually every sector of. Feature adaptation of ayn rands novel about a young architect battling for his own artistic integrity. Published by the bobbsmerrill company, new york, 1943. The fountainhead, ayn rand the fountainhead is a 1943 novel by russianamerican author ayn rand, her first major literary success. Okay, so now that we have a basic understanding of the key components in book titling, lets get into my stepbystep process in coming up with a good book. This idea of living a secondhand or conventional life crops up near the end of the book in a scene with roark, the protagonist, and his frenemy gail wynand. The revolutionary literary vision that sowed the seeds of objectivism, ayn rands groundbreaking philosophy, and brought her immediate worldwide acclaim. The fountainhead essay examples download free or order. The novels protagonist, howard roark, is an individualistic young architect who designs modernist buildings and refuses to compromise with an architectural establishment unwilling to accept innovation. I have since discovered it is one of donald trumps favourite books.
As the story opens, twentyoneyearold roark is expelled from the stanton institute of technology for insubordination. The fountainhead of presuppositionalism the continuing. Fountainhead definition is a spring that is the source of a stream. Much like howard roark had a hard time finding a client for his innovative architectural designs, ayn rand had a hard time finding a publisher for the fountainhead. Philosophically, these titles, derived from aristotle, refer to the basic axioms of logic. Well, our protagonist howard roark lives an original life of own choosing, inspired by the idea of individualism. The fountainhead heres the imdb page for the 1949 movie version of the fountainhead. A crappy movie is a waste of time, so i really wanted the fountainhead to be good as a movie ignoring its philosophy. I do not mean to imply that i knew, when i wrote it, that the fountainhead would remain in print for twentyfive years. How to title a book 2020 nyts bestselling book title. Nelson english iii honors february 28, 20 the fountainhead ayn rand wrote the very prestigious novel known as the fountainhead, filled with love, tragedy, and the complications of life and the world we live in. Fountainhead definition of fountainhead by the free.
One of the centurys most challenging novels of ideas, the fountainhead champions the cause of individualism through the story of a gifted young architect who defies the tyranny of conventional public opinion. The novel begins as howard roark is expelled from stanton and peter keating graduates. She is known for her two bestselling novels, the fountainhead and atlas shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she named objectivism. In her novel, the fountainhead, ayn rand explores the struggle between the individual and society. The fountainhead new hampshire state library overdrive.
The fountainhead is a 1949 american, blackandwhite drama film from warner bros. January 20 1905 march 6, 1982 was a russianamerican writer and philosopher. The fountainhead was initially rejected by twelve american publishers, but was nevertheless published first in the united states and only later in other countries. All of the major intellectual themes that inform rands fiction and her subsequent philosophy are presented clearly in this novel. Fountainhead definition of fountainhead by the free dictionary. For sale is a brand new facsimile reproduction dust jacket for the 1st edition of the fountainhead by ayn rand also available in the 2nd issue jacket. Rands unique philosophy, objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience. Book summary the fountainhead takes place in the united states, mostly in new york city, during the 1920s and 1930s. To their surprise, the work quickly became a wordofmouth bestseller. The struggle for personal integrity in a world that values conformity above creativity is p.
The books title is a reference to rands statement that mans. It falls short, as do so many modern novels, in the apparent inability of the author or editor to be a ruthless surgeon. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, introduction to. The fountainhead contains an undeveloped form of rands philosophical beliefs. Jan 29, 2018 the word spring, referring to the season, occurs three dozen times in the novel. Novel by ayn rand published in 1943 centering on the struggles of a young architect named howard roark.
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