Love and Conflict between Dominique Francon and Howard Roark - Book Report/Review Example

Love and conflict between Dominique Francon and Howard Roark: Its link with the theme and meaning of "The Fountainhead" The 'Fountainhead', Ayn Rand's first best seller, spread into four sections and named after four of the major characters of the novel narrates the life struggle of Howard Roark, an architect, and many people directly or indirectly connected with him. The accidental encounter of Dominique Francon, a news reporter, with Howard Roark, the red headed quarry worker, is intrinsically woven into the web of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand with the thread of love and hatred. The story line revolves around Roark's main adversary Ellsworth Toohey, an architectural critic, columnist, and social crowd-puller and Dominique Francon, another writer and architectural critic who loves Roark and understood his talent that is misfit in a corrupt world. The fountain of an inflexible love of Dominique Francon, though she wrote and worked to destroy Roark, springs from the incomparable caliber of Howard Roark and his way of working and pertinently connect with the theme and meaning of 'The Fountainhead', which may be classified into romantic realism. The Fountainhead, published in 1943, is considered as Ayn Rand's first successful best seller, after being rejected by 12 publishers for the reason that it "would not sell because no audience existed for it." (Rand). Ayn Rand declared in an address given at Lewis and Clark College in 1963 that the motive and purpose of writing was 'the projection of an ideal man'. She adds "neither politics nor ethics nor philosophy is an end in itself, neither in life nor in literature." Only Man is an end in himself, and keeping this in mind her purpose of writing Fountainhead was not the philosophical enlightenment of its readers, but "first cause and prime mover is the portrayal of Howard Roark as "an end in itself" (p.vii). At the same time Rand project Roark as a villain and anti-hero, mainly through Peter Keating, the architect friend of Roark, and Ellsworth Toohey, a writer, who are devoid of reasoning, but contempt Rand introduces young Howard Roark as an ambitious teenager who decided to become an architect at age ten, because he loved this earth superior to all and wanted to change them, which comply with Rand's philosophy. His professional principle as an architect is "I don't intend to build in order to have clients. I intend to have clients in order to build." (p. 26). Roark, a red head, with sincerity, commitment, and unconventional outlook is hated by many traditionalists of New York. The Dean of Stanton Institute of Technology label Roark as 'not a man to be encouraged. You are dangerous.' When Roark was expelled from Stanton Architectural School for his noncompliance to conventional ideas he chose to work with Henry Cameron, once famous architect who was nurturing comparable ideals. Even though Cameron's individualistic ideas were not acceptable to the public and he was struggling to sustain, Roark's choice of Cameron as his mentor indicates his determination to realize his architectural dream partnering with a like minded person, rather than compromising his individuality. It is his uncompromising nature of sticking to his professional values and embracing excellence that is envied by others who sacrifice artistic ideals and personal integrity for self existence. A person who loved his work and creativity like Roark, who valued success as he visualized rather than measured up through other's opinion, mostly end up debased and unsung like Cameron. Roark's reply to the Board of Directors of Metropolitan Bank Company that suggested "inconsequential change" to his design for their new building, which made him lose a handsome commission at a time he was indigent, signifies his morality and adherence to his original ideas. His words "an honest building like an honest man, had to be one piece and one faith..." and if one smallest part created treason to that idea the thing or the creature was dead" exemplifies the innovative and creative virtue of a self respecting person. The blasting of Cortland Homes, which was designed by Roark under a secret pact with Keating on a condition that his design will be faithfully followed, gives true colors to Roark as a committed innovative nonconformist. Even though Roark is disliked by many there are a few who appreciated his caliber and Dominique Francon and Gail Wynand are his love, solace, and insight during his struggling times. Rand portrays Dominique Francon as a brilliant, passionate woman who liked individual freedom, finds 'a dark satisfaction in pain' that originated from Howard Roark after her encounter with him. Dominique Francon, the New York socialite having identical individuality and comparable mentality gets infatuated with Roark, and becomes his lover and persecutor. She always criticized Roark's designs and was determined to redirect his prospective assignments to Peter Keating, his rival. She connives with Ellsworth Toohey to destroy the career of Howard Roark. Whatever their individual motive they expected same result, through their columns. Their pact was based not on "a noble aim in common" but "a common enemy" of Howard Roark (pp.279-280). The mystifying behavior of Dominique Francon in writing columns against Roark and canvassing prospective clients to prefer Peter Keating "the man of the century" rather than granting their commission to Roark, contradict with her contentment in sleeping with Roark. "They had a silent agreement never to be seen together" and "the simplicity of being at ease making the hours more sensual than the moments they delayed (p.284) implies that Dominique's love towards Roark was deep and committed. Perhaps, to the obdurate society that was committed to eliminate 'Howard Roark the architect,' it will seem Dominique Francon is committed to disparage his works and banish him from the arena of established architects. In the real sense the negative propaganda generated from her articles indirectly project Roark to the limelight and make his name circulate among the topnotch architects. Another instance of Dominique Francon's intense love towards Roark comes to the fore when she disobeys her father and becomes model for a statue to be placed in 'Stoddard Temple.' It symbolizes true camaraderie and her devotion to her lover friend Roark, though the temple was criticized by authoritarian socialite Ellsworth Toohey in the 'New York Banner' as a 'spiritual embezzlement" (p. 339). Her arguments, while testifying in the case of Hopton Stoddard versus Howrd Roark, that "the Stoddard Temple must be destroyed. Not to save men from it, but to save it from men" and her admittance that "at this moment I am as futile as Howard Roark" reflects her abject disapproval of what Toohey and others had testified and substantiate the credentials of Roark before the jury (p. 357). Dominique Francon's love and devotion to Roark is once again recounted by Rand in the situation where Dominique visits Roark at Clayton and persuades him to marry her. A woman betrothed for second time to a wealthy man like Gail Wynand, who travels all the way to a countryside, while she was supposed to be on her way to Reno on vacation, to meet her impoverished lover may seem inapt. But, this episode shows that Rand wanted to express the lure and pressure of love that springs deep from within the heart, which draws all to the stream of love and its coercion does not spare a person from its embrace, even strong impassioned idealist like Dominique Francon. The words of Guy Francon that architecture is a great art based on two cosmic principles "beauty and utility" is the quintessential theme of Fountainhead (p.27). Howard Roark, a brilliant architect with innovative genius, is portrayed by Ayn Rand as an avant-garde hero as well as a nonchalant anti-hero. His love for Dominique Francon, who ultimately marries him after two marriage experimentations with Keats and Wynand, conclusively proves that their love for each other is beyond censure. In her introduction to 'The Fountainhead' Ayn Rand states the motive and purpose of her writing it as "the project of an ideal man" and the ideal man is Howard Roark, who can be termed as a stimulating fountainhead. The theme of love between the sophisticated Dominique Francon and Roark, which ultimately hoists her to "the ocean and sky and the figure of Howard Roark" may be classified into romantic realism. Works cited Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. New York: SIGNET. 1993. Read More