The Fountainhead

Main Ideas

• Individualism and personal freedom: The book emphasizes the importance of individualism and personal freedom, contrasting them with collectivism and conformity.
• Creativity and self-actualization: The protagonist, Howard Roark, embodies the ideal of a creative individual who seeks self-actualization and refuses to compromise with society.
• Egoism as a virtue: Rand views egoism not as a vice but as a virtue, asserting that the pursuit of one's own happiness and success is morally right.
• Conflict between innovation and tradition: The book depicts the conflict between innovative ideas and traditional views, with innovation portrayed as the path to progress.
• The role of the architect as a creator: Architecture in the book symbolizes creative activity, and the architect is seen as a creator who shapes the world according to his principles.