For all those who have read "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. Let's debate so that we can draw a visible conclusion if Howard Roark (The Protagonist) of the novel was a selfish being or not?

One can't explain the character of Howard Roark ? It is complex but seems simple. He was never selfish, but a manifestation of the idea that man should never leave his 'self".

Fountain head is my all time favorite. Howard Roark inspired me so, i became an Architect myself!

I wont call that character selfish. Call it nurturing oneself..cherishing the self. Modern world call this quality as "professionalism". Ayn Rand always clung to reason,coz she strongly believed that human progress can only happen with reasoning and not just imagining. She portrayed objectivism thru Roark. He is not arrogant..he is not selfish. He is just confident.

@ Umbrella,

I am quoting a paragraph which I got from a website which clearly states Howard Rowark as Selfish character.

The main characteristics of a selfish person is he puts his ideas and thinking first. He wont care for anybody just his ideas and he. His ideology was Screw this world, I was, I am and I will. Non-confirmist selfish guy is the best word to describe this character.

Further, Roark is a selfish man, in the positive sense that Ayn Rand means this. He is true to his values, to his convictions, to his thinking, to his mind, to his self. When the board of the Manhattan Bank Building wants to alter his design, Roark rejects the proposal for the new design, calling his behavior "the most selfish thing you've ever seen a man do." Despite being destitute, he gives up a lucrative, publicity-generating commission in order to stand by the integrity of his design — and he calls this "selfish." To be true to his self, a man must first have a self. He must think independently, he must judge, he must form values and he must act in pursuit of those values. He must never sacrifice them. This is exactly what Roark does: The integrity of his design is far more important to him than the money or recognition that will accrue from the commission. In remaining true to his values and judgment, Roark is true to the deepest core of his self. This is selfishness in its highest and best sense.


Read more: www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/The...7.html#ixzz0YQo0iFMb

Selfish in general seems to be a derogatory term. We tend to think a person is selfish if he/she is self-centered at the expense of others. The paragraph it self says that Roark is selfish in a 'positive sense'. Keeping up to ones own ideas I believe is not selfish. If it is then even Gautam Buddha can be called selfish as he also went in search for truth, to satisfy his own ideas. Having a self is not being selfish. If the paragraph calls him selfish, then may be the term we must use in a derogatory sense should be 'SELFIST' (although there is no such word).

People who wanted to modify Roark's design, can then be called Selfists, as they are trying to gain something at the expense of Roark. Infact, Peter Keating kept on doing that all along the book. Peter can be called as a Selfist.

Roark never acquired anything at the expense of others. Every person who creates something considers it as his own child. One cannot let anyone tamper with its originality because that's what it makes it so special for you, that you created it.

(there's lots more to write, but won't bore you with too many paragraphs. )

It took immense patience to read through the big volume. I agree the protoganist is an admirable genius with unique characteristics. But...inexplicably, the total effect in me was nausea!!!!!!!!