Previous
Part 1: Chapter 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Fountainhead, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Individualism
Integrity vs. Conformity
Rationality vs. Emotion
Love and Selfishness
Religion and Morality
Summary
Analysis
Keating starts work at Francon and Heyer in New York. He feels insecure at work, but once he starts noticing his colleagues’ physical flaws, he slowly regains confidence. He needs “his fellow men” to feel better, and works happily at the tasks assigned to him.
Keating lacks confidence and any notion of whether he is good at his work or not. The only way he feels happy is by comparing himself to those who aren’t as good looking or successful as he is.
Themes
Keating discovers that Guy Francon hasn’t designed anything for years and that most of the work in the firm is done by a designer named Stengel. When Keating meets Francon, he finds him hungover and uninterested in design. Keating suggests more ornamentation for the house they are discussing, encouraging Francon to order Stengel to re-do the work.
Rather than actually working, Keating spends much of his energy and time understanding the social dynamics of his workplace and working out schemes of how he can manipulate people for his benefit. He takes pleasure in petty powerplay, like having Stengel redesign the house.
Themes
The most famous building Francon has designed is the Frink National Bank Building, built in marble in the Classical style. A few blocks away, the Dana Building designed by Henry Cameron offers a stark contrast—its lines are clean and neat, and its tenants are happy with their access to air and light, but it is rarely admired because it lacks ornamentation. Henry Cameron was the top architect in New York in the 1880s, but has since fallen from grace. Cameron used to be so popular that his clients didn’t argue with him. He enjoyed designing skyscrapers, celebrating their height. But then there was a revival of Classicism and architects who copied the old styles became popular, while Cameron refused to follow the crowd and lost work.
Cameron, like Roark, seems to have stuck by his vision for buildings. Despite his style becoming unpopular, he hasn’t caved to social pressure and started building in the Classical style. Cameron is famous for building skyscrapers, which represent aspiration and heroism in this novel.
Themes
Roark finds Cameron in his office in a rundown building. Cameron is ill-tempered and belligerent, and he initially refuses to hire Roark—but he changes his mind after he sees his drawings. He sees great potential in them, even though he says Roark has a lot to learn. Roark agrees, saying that is why he has come to him. When Cameron asks why he wants to be an architect, Roark says it is because he doesn’t believe in God but loves the earth. He wants to remake the earth. Cameron hires him, even though he can’t afford to pay him much.
While Roark is convinced that his work is good, he is willing and ready to learn and get better under a good teacher. While he’d told the Dean that he had nothing more to learn at architecture school, it wasn’t vanity that made him say that, but honesty—the school, steeped in traditionalism, had nothing worthwhile to teach him. Roark’s aspirations are very high—he wants to remake the earth into something better.
Themes
Get the entire The Fountainhead LitChart as a printable PDF.
