James Skemp's StrivingLife

As with the previous parts, it seems that Ayn Rand has written the final part of The Fountainhead with two people as the focus of the part. Howard Roark is associated with this part, but Gail Wynand is obviously the secondary character. Yet, Ellsworth's speech to Keating, which gives us a glimpse into what Ayn Rand fears, clarifies his character for us. If we didn't learn so much about Wynand, and what makes him the same, yet different than Roark, Ellsworth could be seen as the secondary.

At the end, I was upset with the speech that Roark gave. Not because of what he said, but rather that he said it at all. Throughout the book Roark has been the same in one particular way. His speech, while correctly what he (and Rand) thinks, is out of character. Could Rand have made her philosophy as obvious, but without manipulating Roark?

We see also that Keating has become a mere shell of a man - he has become nothing - while Roark has finally become himself. The world, it appears, has finally (been forced to) accept(ed) him. (I'm posting this 2 days later. Originally I had the following after this line. "(I)f we were to suppose that this is what Roark is, and not Rand's 'puppet' (being crude for a moment)." The feeling still stands - I was truly disappointed that she had to make Roark give a speech - but is quiet.)

From this, I'd say that one could perhaps read Ellsworth's and Roark's speeches and understand the book/Rand completely.

It has been a very long time since I've read a book that I had such a hard time putting down. Many nights I would stop reading, set it down, and then look at the time and/or how many pages I had to read until the next chapter. I would usually toss my head about and pick up the book, only to read another chapter. I've begun Atlas Shrugged immediately (in part because I was in Chicago and that was the only other book I packed) and finished a tenth of it in one day. It seems I'll fly through that as well.

Philosophically, I have to leave my thoughts on that until another time. Generally, I think she seems to lean to far to an extreme. Yet, with Roark, such as when he helps Keating, we see a bit of middle-ground. Didn't Roark know that Keating would fail? If he really didn't, then what about his planning? Again, that would seem to be against his character, especially based on what he did before that, with the other project.

Having finished Part 3 of The Fountainhead in less than a day, the whole should be fairly fresh in my memory. Yet, I have a hard time putting a second name to this part, to go along with Gail Wynand's, and as I did for my thoughts on part 2.

To some extent we could put Dominque's again. After all, next to Wynand she is covered the most in this part, from her marriage to Keating to her marriage to Wynand, which continues the trend from the beginning of part 2. Ellsworth might belong as well, since he becomes a bit more clearer in this part, yet is it as clear as Dominque has become? Or have we instead seen her weakness exploited by someone who may not have even wanted to, and has certainly not completely realized that he has?

Unlike the previous parts, it seems that Wynand is still an enigma. This could certainly be due to the fact that he's played such a minor role up to now. Looking at the four parts, and their respective names, one almost thinks that Dominque should have been named here, as Keating, Roark, Dominque, and Ellsworth are the four characters one would think of first.

Yet perhaps that he remains an enigma is why he belongs here. To some extent, continuing the idea in my last article that Keating and Roark are on two ends of a (vertical) line, Wynand seems to belong in the middle of that line. He does what the masses want, because he doesn't want them to spoil that which is truly beautiful. Take for instance the subtle point of his gallery, and his obvious remarks about the play.

Part four, having the name of Roark associated to it, suggests that we will move once again into the life of Roark. Armed with the full knowledge of what has happened to Keating, and a glimpse at Wynand, where will Roark take us? As we might expect, or in another direction?

In part 1 of this series I wrote about the first part of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Having now finished part 2, I can write on it.

The second part of The Fountainhead is devoted to Ellsworth M. Toohey, as the subtitle suggests. This further introduces a character we had met in part one, but gives us the chance to get to know him further.

Toohey is a sort of hybrid of Keating and Roark. Like Roark he seems to understand that one should strive after their own ideals, but like Keating tries to make the situation work in his best interests. This is most apparent when he speaks with Dominque and Catherine.

With the former he speaks bluntly and honestly, showing his greed and contempt for man. With the latter he shows his dual-nature, saying one thing while believing the opposite. Yet he holds contempt for those, like Stoddard, who have the basic idea in mind, but fail in their execution. Toohey appreciates those who can trick others into believing what they say, not what they mean, or using their words to say multiple things at once. Dominque's time at the witness stand, and earlier her article on Roark's building.

We also read exactly what's been going on in Dominque's mind this whole time, near the end of this part. It's hard to remember, but the beginning of this part involved the first meeting of Dominque and Roark, and their conquests over each other. If Rand had done it so for her other parts, Dominque's name could have appeared below Toohey's, as we learn so much more about her, making Ellsworth and Dominque the two main characters of this part (Keating and Roark being part one's).

While our feelings of Ellsworth may have been further cemented in place, Dominque has changed from one without a purpose, to an individual driven by one. In a way, a sort of change from Keating into Roark.

Along these same lines, the beginning of the part is not without it's share of Roark. While we (I) may not have liked either one, I now understand that Roark and Keating are not on two ends of a horizontal line, but rather two ends of a vertical one, Keating being at the bottom. Roark ends up with nothing, but has grown stronger, while Peter now has everything he wanted before, but fears it. See for example the outburst with Guy at the end, the same end that was driving him in part one.

Part three awaits.

Update 5/25/2009: Read part three of this series.