Cortlandt Homes- A Wonder of the World
A true hero is one who does not sell their soul to conventions, but to their own purpose-such hero is The Fountainhead’s Howard Roark. In the climatic controversy of dynamiting the ingenious project of Cortlandt Homes, Roark confronts a court audience and the general public about a much deeper matter, the importance of the ego. He claims that the few who uphold the mentality of individualism are the ones who offer the greatest achievements. Yet, they go just as unnoticed and unappreciated as the air one breathes. Dynamiting Cortlandt Homes carries much greater significance than simply selfish pride and the refusal to yield towards the inevitable alterations others impose on Roark’s work. Howard Roark takes …show more content…
This is what leaves Roark confounded and frightens Steven Mallory- to carry on living blindly as a “second-hander.” Giving up personal opinions and desires is to give up dignity and self-respect. There lacks value in serving the “greater good” if there is virtually nothing to offer when the number of distributors vastly outnumbers the few producers. Often neglected is the merit of the creator, who introduces supposedly absurd, but original ideas. Ellsworth Toohey, the antagonist of the story, bleakly admits to Peter Keating his use of altruism as a means of acquiring power. Through the mind of an individualist, selflessness is believing the self to be the greatest enemy of all. The common altruist rejects personal desires, values or ambitions and essentially the id, the “I,” the attribute that makes one human. Either because the person lacks the courage or determination to achieve with their own mind, they turn to the next, most simple method to compensate this emptiness which is to submit the only medium through which manipulation can occur- the mind. Roark insightfully sums this up to Keating by stating, “To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That's what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul--would you understand why that's much harder?” (603). By burning Cortlandt Homes, Roark conveys the message of …show more content…
He claims “the first right on earth is the right of the ego” (714). To embrace the ego is equivalent to the gateway of a blissful life. The point is proven by taking a brief glance at history’s greatest contributors and inventions, which all begin in the state of mind. The train of thought taken to complete these projects is not shared with another mind. In reality, every action taken by a human being is instinctively done to benefit them. Even when helping others, the motive is the belief of having done a worthy deed and therefore feeding the ego with pride. However, Roark argues that the best humanity can offer one another is to leave the other’s work undisturbed. A healthy human relationship is to have mutual respect for each other’s freedom while interests should only intersect when there is a mutual benefit for both parties. Egotism invites the individual to enter a world of progress and true happiness, guided by rationale and a keen vision that humans were born to express naturally. In order to achieve the best type of work possible, one must have standards and ideals of their own. Throughout Roark’s journey of success, he vindicates the cause Henry Cameron never sought the words to articulate when he tells him, “and I know that if you carry these words through to the end,
A true hero is one who does not sell their soul to conventions, but to their own purpose-such hero is The Fountainhead’s Howard Roark. In the climatic controversy of dynamiting the ingenious project of Cortlandt Homes, Roark confronts a court audience and the general public about a much deeper matter, the importance of the ego. He claims that the few who uphold the mentality of individualism are the ones who offer the greatest achievements. Yet, they go just as unnoticed and unappreciated as the air one breathes. Dynamiting Cortlandt Homes carries much greater significance than simply selfish pride and the refusal to yield towards the inevitable alterations others impose on Roark’s work. Howard Roark takes …show more content…
This is what leaves Roark confounded and frightens Steven Mallory- to carry on living blindly as a “second-hander.” Giving up personal opinions and desires is to give up dignity and self-respect. There lacks value in serving the “greater good” if there is virtually nothing to offer when the number of distributors vastly outnumbers the few producers. Often neglected is the merit of the creator, who introduces supposedly absurd, but original ideas. Ellsworth Toohey, the antagonist of the story, bleakly admits to Peter Keating his use of altruism as a means of acquiring power. Through the mind of an individualist, selflessness is believing the self to be the greatest enemy of all. The common altruist rejects personal desires, values or ambitions and essentially the id, the “I,” the attribute that makes one human. Either because the person lacks the courage or determination to achieve with their own mind, they turn to the next, most simple method to compensate this emptiness which is to submit the only medium through which manipulation can occur- the mind. Roark insightfully sums this up to Keating by stating, “To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That's what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul--would you understand why that's much harder?” (603). By burning Cortlandt Homes, Roark conveys the message of …show more content…
He claims “the first right on earth is the right of the ego” (714). To embrace the ego is equivalent to the gateway of a blissful life. The point is proven by taking a brief glance at history’s greatest contributors and inventions, which all begin in the state of mind. The train of thought taken to complete these projects is not shared with another mind. In reality, every action taken by a human being is instinctively done to benefit them. Even when helping others, the motive is the belief of having done a worthy deed and therefore feeding the ego with pride. However, Roark argues that the best humanity can offer one another is to leave the other’s work undisturbed. A healthy human relationship is to have mutual respect for each other’s freedom while interests should only intersect when there is a mutual benefit for both parties. Egotism invites the individual to enter a world of progress and true happiness, guided by rationale and a keen vision that humans were born to express naturally. In order to achieve the best type of work possible, one must have standards and ideals of their own. Throughout Roark’s journey of success, he vindicates the cause Henry Cameron never sought the words to articulate when he tells him, “and I know that if you carry these words through to the end,