Howard Roark by Tiffany

Howard Roark by Tiffany - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

Howard Roark, the protagonist of Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead is described as everything man was meant to be; passionate, intelligent, handsome, and a man of action. He does not covet the qualities or possessions of others. Instead of wasting his time on wanting, Roark takes action. If there is something he does not have, he sets out to achieve it himself. He is an architect who designs buildings with revolutionary and unusual style, earning disdain from the sophisticated critics of his society. He faces pressure from his professors, his employers, even from his friends, to give up his passion. Countless times he is told to add a Renaissance pillar, or Greco-Roman facade to his buildings, but for Roark this is not mere aesthetics. The buildings he creates are symbolic of his convictions, his belief that the world should value the success of men rather than their mediocrity. To change his buildings would mean Roark has abandoned his principles, an act he is not capable of. Though no one will hire him, Roark is unconcerned by his dwindling funds and bills past due. He knows that through his own hard work, he can survive in a world that hates him. Not only is he aware that he can survive but that he can change that world for the better.

I was drawn to Roark because he did not fear the future, and encouraged me not to as well. Like most students i am told that hard work will give me access to any future I choose. But in so many aspects of my life I saw the successful demonized; forced to pay higher taxes because of their ability, schools that spent their resources pushing kids who couldn't succeed, while honors students were neglected. It was refreshing to see a character so sure of themselves and so unashamed of their beliefs and their talent. Howard Roark was the kind of person I wanted to be. The kind of person that, until I read Fountainhead, I didn't think could exist. Ultimately Howard Roark has influenced me to pursue my own passions, and to remain uncompromising in who I am if I want to succeed.