Howard Roark in the Fountainhead

Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead presented an egoist character, Howard Roark, and portrayed him to what society needs, but unwilling to admit the necessitate. Roark's meaning of life differed from the others he associated with, which left him isolated toward them, but benefited his remarkable success in architecture. Passion, devotion, and hard work stranded Howard throughout his career even with the discouraging incidents brought to him by the devious characters, Peter Keating and Ellsworth Toohey. Several characters appealed to Roark's lifestyle and work ethic, Gail Wynand, Dominique Francon, and Austin Heller. When Howard acquainted with his true friends, his philosophical meaning of life erupted out of him easily, contrast to everyone else associated with him, providing them with an encouraging sense of belonging.

Howard Roark opened up to the man told to be his arch enemy, Gail Wynand. Wynand became fascinated with Roark's ability of surviving the brutal world of architecture in a strong but confident manner. When Wynand and Roark visited the country house, Roark displayed the branch he tore off a tree and compared it to the material that the earth provides everyone and their duty states to make something of it; the work of the individual who makes something of it proves how powerful the material (the branch in Roark's words) would appear. Howard's words, "Now I can make what I want of it: a bow, a spear, a cane, a railing," signify that an individual could be given anything and craft it into what pleases him; his perspective of what should be made will inspire him to create it. Howard fulfilled his career in making what appealed to him, not others; in contrast to Peter Keating, his lifetime competitor and nemesis who illustrated his work for other's preferences.

Howard's life changed when he met the desirable Dominique Francon, his forever love. Dominique, one of the few that sympathized Roark's treatment from society, helped Roark achieve greatness from starting at the lowest point. From Dominique being swarmed by his rivals' everyday, she remained puzzled on how Roark never expressed a feeling of suffering, sorrow, pain, or anger. Roark explained his ability of not showing any feeling in a conversation with Dominique, "I'm not capable of suffering completely. I never have. It goes only down to a certain point and then it stops. As long as there is that untouched point, it's really not pain." With every occasion that should have drawn Roark to give up, quit, or perform a breakdown in his architectural career, he still remained calm and content. Throughout his career, Roark erased