Post 8

This week I continued to read The Fountainhead. I have really been enjoying this novel more and more as I continue to read on. Although the theme of objectivism is the same as Anthem, the setting for Fountainhead could not be more different. The novel takes place in 1920's and 30's America, revolving completely around the culture of architecture. This setting is chosen I believe because Rand saw it as one of the professions most totally dominated by a drive for conformity, most in need of a giant dose of objectivism. The novel is in face dedicated to architects as Rand writes "I offer my profound gratitude to the great profession of architecture and its heroes who have given us some of the highest expressions of man's genius, yet have remained unknown, undiscovered by the majority of men." Upon realizing that not even in the dedication does Rand lose focus one realizes the true ideological zeal of this great author.
I really like the direction Rand has gone in with fountainhead, forcing on a more realistic background to project her beliefs onto. The novel does as truly remarkable job of making this world seems real, a world which in reality is totally alien to me. I believe the total obscurity of the field of architecture in real life speaks to the truth of this novel, which deals heavily with the battle between architects who wanted to really share their gift with the world, and those that wanted to keep the trade in the background, giving no one man the glory or fame another kind of artist would get.