The Fountainhead

The Fountainhead

by

Ayn Rand

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The Fountainhead: Part 1: Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Guy Francon, the famous architect and Stanton’s greatest alumnus, delivers a verbose commencement address to the Class of ’22, saying they should stay true to the principles of “Beauty and Utility” in their architectural designs. He designed the ornate, stuffy hall they are in, and he is pleased to be there. He is a member of several groups, like the Architects Guild of America. Peter Keating, “the star student of Stanton,” is in attendance, as well. He is aware of being looked at and admired by everyone the room. He suddenly fears that he might not be as great as everyone thinks he is, but this passes when he sees another student, Shlinker, whom he considers inferior to himself.
Guy Francon and Peter Keating come across as ridiculous in comparison to Roark. Francon’s accomplishments and ideas seem shallow, and the adoration he inspires among the students seems blind and misplaced. Keating, unlike Roark, is constantly thinking of how people perceive him, and he builds his confidence by putting others down.
Themes
Individualism Theme Icon
Keating is greeted by loud applause when he gets on stage. He has won many prizes for his work and even has a four-year scholarship at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Everyone congratulates him while his mother hugs him and sobs in happiness. Earlier, Francon had offered him a job at his firm.
In this contrast between Roark and Keating, Rand highlights that the Keatings of the world readily win social approval while those like Roark are cast out, irrespective of their merit.
Themes
Individualism Theme Icon
Integrity vs. Conformity Theme Icon
Then, Keating thinks about Roark and feels “a satisfying pang of sympathy.” He had worried about Roark being competition, even though Roark was younger and in the class below him, because Roark had often helped Keating when he was stuck on a design. Keating is happy that Roark has now been expelled.
Keating’s sympathy for Roark is satisfying because, according to Rand, one feels sympathy by looking down on someone. Keating has been insecure about Roark’s talent and now takes joy in feeling superior to him.
Themes
Individualism Theme Icon
Religion and Morality Theme Icon
On his way home, Keating thinks about all the sacrifices his mother has made for him—like taking in boarders—because she decided that Keating would do great things and worked hard to put him through school. He recalls that he’d wanted to be an artist, but that his mother had persuaded him to be an architect. He feels a twinge of regret at this thought.
While the idea of sacrifice is often seen as a virtue, Rand argues against it and praises selfishness. She says that sacrifice leads to rancor and the loss of one’s self, which she will illustrate in the lives of the two Keatings later on. Here, Mrs. Keating has used the idea of her “sacrifices” to persuade Keating to sacrifice his dreams, which he still regrets despite his successes in architecture.
Themes
Individualism Theme Icon
Integrity vs. Conformity Theme Icon
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At home, Keating is pleased when Roark congratulates him and tells him he does good work sometimes. He wants Roark’s opinion on whether he should take the scholarship in Paris or work for Guy Francon in New York, but Roark is amazed that Keating doesn’t know what he wants. Ultimately, Keating decides to take Francon’s offer because his mother thinks Paris is too far and Roark says he must begin working if he wants to learn architecture, even though Roark thinks Francon is a fool.
To Keating, Roark’s statement that Keating does good work sometimes seems to be more meaningful than all the applause and accolades he just received at the commencement, perhaps because he knows that Roark is honest and he suspects that the rest aren’t. Since Keating is so focused on other people’s opinions, he doesn’t know what he wants for himself, which Roark finds shocking.
Themes
Individualism Theme Icon
Integrity vs. Conformity Theme Icon
Roark says he plans to go to New York, too, to work with Henry Cameron. Keating is shocked to hear this because Cameron was once a famous architect but is now a nobody. Roark is insistent on working with Cameron so he can learn from him, and he doesn’t care that it won’t open up his future in the world of architecture.
Roark is convinced that Cameron’s work is good and chooses to learn from him, despite other people thinking that Cameron is a failure and that working with him will be disastrous for Roark’s career.
Themes
Integrity vs. Conformity Theme Icon