66 pages 2 hours read

Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1943

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Essay Topics

1.

Toohey states that everything about a person’s soul can be gleaned through their face and their reaction to other people’s faces. Throughout the course of The Fountainhead, a character’s physical appearance frequently reflects or elucidates their personality and convictions. Discuss the link between appearance and reality and examine the correlations that Rand creates between beauty and virtue (and, conversely, between ugliness and moral bankruptcy).

2.

Dominique Francon is the only major female character in the novel and one of proportionally few female characters overall. Discuss gender inequality and Rand’s treatment of women in The Fountainhead within the context of modern feminist theory.

3.

To better understand the field of architecture while she wrote The Fountainhead, Rand undertook unpaid work in an architect’s office. How does Rand employ the field of architecture as an extended metaphor of the very best and worst aspects of human society? Analyze at least three to four separate examples to support your analysis.

Related Titles

By Ayn Rand

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