Fountainhead:: Blog Four

3.) Gail Wynand hires Roark to build a fortress to protect Dominique from human society. Despite the irony, there is almost an inevitability to this event. Why does Wynand choose Roark from among all the architects of the country? Why is it fitting? What is the essence of their bond?

Wynand chooses Roark to build his home because he is in love with Roark's purpose and work. Wynand has a particular purpose for building this home, which generally revolves around both a tribute and a protective barrier for Dominique from the rest of society. Wynand finds Roark fitting to do the job because all of his designs are made for a specific purpose, and there is never anything useless in his buildings. Wynand wants every single part of the house to represent and encase Dominique, which he knows Roark will be able to do if given free reign over the plans. In a more symbolised sense, however, it is fitting for Roark to build the tribute to Dominique because he is, indeed, in love with her. Although Wynand loves Dominique, I don't think that at first he realized that it would take someone who shared that with him in order to build what he was asking.
The essence of their bond dwells with ideals and perceptions. They are complete opposites, in a sense, but they think alike, as well. While Wynand is after power, Roark is simply after having his work constructed, but both of them see the differences between creators and second-handers. Both of these men are in love with Dominique, and while it is easily apparent to Roark, it was hidden from Wynand. Their bond is only understandable once many of the factors have been brought to attention, but it is very deep and very apparent. While they respect each other, they both have their own intentions and plans to carry those intentions out.

6.) Why is Roark's brilliant design for Cortlandt Homes altered by Gus Webb and Gordon Prescott? What factors in society make it possible? Why is Keating, despite his best efforts, powerless to stop it?

Roark's design for the Cortlandt Homes is altered because the design went through Keeting, and Webb and Prescott knew that Keeting would be easy to step all over. Keeting has always given in to what others wished of him as to avoid being seen as rebellious or argumentative. Webb and Prescott were not aware that the design was created by Roark, but they stepped in to partner with Keeting and altered the design in order to, in a sense, give it a gilded appearance. The society in which this took place affected the outcome in various ways. The specific area for which the design was made was very poor and declined, hence the building was meant to be low rent and cost efficient.
The society did not know the plans, the original design or who it was by, therefore they did not make even a notice when the plans began to change. Roark was away with Wynand at the time, so he could not enforce Keeting to stand up. Although Keeting did make efforts to stop the changes being made, he was ineffective for quite a few reasons. Keeting had never stood up for himself, and this once-in-his-life action probably seemed more like a joke than it did a real request. He had never cared before, so people didn't value his opinion. He had become a failure, so people didn't respect his wishes, judgement or threats.

8.) Dominique assists Roark in the dynamiting, and tells him that she will wait for him even if he serves time in prison. She is no longer afraid of what society will do to him. What is the essence of Dominique's change of thinking? What error has she previously made that she now corrects? What enables her to finally see the truth? How does her change of mind integrate with the novel's theme?

"Howard, if you win the trial-even that won't matter too much. You've won long ago....I'll remain what I am, and I'll remain with you-now and ever-in any way you want...."
Dominique's thinking changed when she came to this realization, and I believe that she realized this because she let herself feel the fear of having Roark locked in a jail. Sure, it'd be horrible not to see him all the time, but when it comes to true love...that doesn't always matter. She realized that they both knew the truth and that was all that mattered. She came to her senses and realized that she would always be his, and that he would always be hers, no matter how many years they spent apart. She knew that they would be reunited eventually, and she knew that if he did go to jail, that it would be for good reason; he would have stood up for his morals and that's all that counts.
The error that she is correcting relates to happiness and pain. She always thought that she couldn't be happy without him, but now she sees that they always belonged to each other anyways. She is correcting the idea that she had about sacrifice, in the sense that she got back what she let go. The thing that enables her to finally see the truth is that she is happy. She knows that she has admitted pain to him, but now she is admitting happiness to him, and the only way he was able to stand that was because he understood and he felt the same way. Her change of mind and the novel's theme blend because both are about realizations and perspective. Dominique explaining this to Roark was the equivalent of Roark's speech at his trail.

11.) In his courtroom speech, Roark discusses the outstanding innovators who have carried mankind forward, arguing that it was their independent thinking--not compliance with their brothers--that enabled them to reach their monumental achievements. In terms of some of history's great independent minds--Galileo, Darwin, Pasteur, the Wright Brothers, et. al.--explain and defend Roark's thesis.

Roark is saying that individuals have conquered while second-handers have copied. Independent minds have created things, while dependant minds have simply been praised for making duplicates. He is saying that creators rise to the occasion, while followers copy stuff and expect it to be used even in a time when it is not needed. Roark is an individualist, and every part of his designs carry purpose and dignity, while say, Keeting, for example, always relied on past works and got help in almost everything he was challenged with. Roark's work has purpose and makes sense, while Keeting's work is simply praised because it was praised in the past.

12.) At the end of the novel, Roger Enright buys Cortlandt Homes and hires Roark to build it in accordance with his original design. Wynand hires Roark to erect the Wynand Building, the world's tallest skyscraper. Roark marries Dominique Francon. He has succeeded completely, and on his own terms. What point does the author make regarding the nature of success? In contrast to the evil Toohey, what point does she make regarding the nature and power of the good?

Rand makes the point that anything can happen if you have your business in order. From the beginning of the book, Roark was expected to be a failure, but he ended up winning. In various places his work was always recognized and praised, because there were other people that thought like him. She makes the point that if you stick to what you started out with, you can achieve the corresponding goal that you set. Rand makes the point that success can be achieved even in the most heinous situations.
Toohey failed at life. While he was a twisted collectivist, he was considered evil throughout the whole book. Toohey manipulated people and looked for power, while Roark used nothing but himself and looked for his buildings to be useful. Toohey was bad, and he lost. Roark was good, and he won. The power of evil can be used to manipulate and hide the truth, but with the power of good comes realizations that show the truth and everything real. Rand makes the point that the power of good is stronger than the negative power of collectivism.

Fountainhead:: Blog Three

2.) Toohey presents Mallory's sculpture of Dominique to Wynand in an effort to bring Dominique and Wynand together. What is the purpose of Toohey's scheme? Why does he need something to distract Wynand's attention away from his newspaper?

I think that Toohey has multiple reasons for trying to get Dominique and Wynand together. The first and foremost reason is to get the Stoneridge contract for Peter Keeting, Dominique's husband. He seems to think that she is not showing his career enough attention as of late and she needs to act like a concerned wife...which she isn't. One detail that Toohey failed to link between Dominique and Wynand, however, is how much they think in the same manner. This detail later brings a downfall to his scheme, as Wynand actually falls in love, for the second time ever, with Dominique.
I'm can't really put into words exactly why Toohey wanted Wynand's attention away from The Banner, but it seems relevant that he would be trying to do so in order to have more freedom in his column and the subjects that he writes about. The more freedom he achieves, the higher change he has of possibly taking over the paper. Although he wants this to occur, he doesn't want to actually earn it, as he is trying to be manipulative over Wynand to keep him from really discovering his intentions.
I think another overall purpose of Toohey's plan was to bring power onto himself. He already has power and respect from the mass majority of the society, but he sees that he could control even more, were he in Wynand's position. In a sense, he is also trying to make EVERYONE happy, including himself. I don't think he really sees the link between why Dominique would marry Keeting and why she actually ended up with Wynand, but who says he might not one day realize and claim that as a reason, as well?

3.) What is Toohey's overall purpose on The New York Banner? What is his overall purpose in regard to society in general? Dominique warns Wynand against Toohey, but he is too contemptuous of Toohey to heed her. Is Dominique correct in her assessment of Toohey's actual motives?
Toohey's overall purpose for writing his column is to control the people that can't grasp the negative aspects of being sheeple. He talks about how charity and pitying the poor are very important and noble acts in order to gain respect and force/power/persuasive rule. In society, his overall purpose is very much like his purpose in the paper. Toohey wants to control people and have a fighting force behind him. He wants everyone to think the same way and follow him around as if they were ducklings.
I think that Dominique has everything pretty much figured out, as she is one of the smartest characters. She might see things that others do not, including Wynand, but she might not understand that she is the only one that actually knows. Toohey told Dominique and Peter that he only wanted her to meet with Wynand in order to get the contract, but there is no way, even before they meet, that she believed that was the only reason.

5.) Why does Wynand fall deeply in love with Dominique? Do they share noble qualities in common? Have they made a similar mistake? Because of Wynand's undeniable virtues, do Dominique's feelings for him change?
Wynand falls for Dominique, in a sense, for the same reasons she fell for Roark. She is pure and clean, doing things for reasons that make sense to her, even if she can't explain why. They do indeed share some qualities in common, but not too many. They have both made mistakes, but Dominique had no choice about hers and Wynand doesn't see his as mistakes. I think that eventually, she starts to care about him, but she is not in love and the battle over her true love, Roark, is still in her mind.

6.) On her way to Reno to secure a divorce from Keating, Dominique stops in Clayton, Ohio to visit Roark. Why is Dominique willing to marry Roark only if he renounces architecture? What is the meaning of Roark's response that if he wanted to be cruel, he would accept her proposal? Aside from the obvious fact that she loves Roark, what does this visit show the reader about Dominique?
Dominique is only willing to marry her true love if he gives up architecture because she couldn't live to see him torn down with failure. She wants him to stop so people can't use him any longer. Roark told her that if he wanted to be cruel then he would accept because he knows everything that she is feeling, that she is thinking, that she is desiring, that she is battling with in her mind. He understands everything! Roark knows that she would do anything for him, that she...loves him. He understands that she is fighting herself to keep away from his perfection, because she would feel like she was corrupting him. He knows that she might be more miserable with him giving up his passion (because she actually started caring for him and his ambitions when she fell in love with him) than she would be with distracting herself from the pain of denying the urges to hunt him down and be with him forever.
This simply shows most readers that they were wrong while assuming that she forgot about Roark, but if you put me in the place of the reader, it shows that I understand everything she feels, including her battle and why she gets so lost in the moment when she thinks of Roark. To others, it would bring sense to many things, such as how she is destructing herself by being with Keeting, and now, Wynand. Her actions while she was visiting him reinforced everything that she ever felt for him, and it might have surprised some of the readers that didn't realize why and what exactly she had been trying to do.

Fountainhead:: Blog Two

1.) At the granite quarry, Dominique is deeply attracted to the red-headed worker who stares at her insolently. She pursues him aggressively, but resists him in the moment of her triumph. Given that Dominique is eager to make love to Roark, why does she physically resist? Ayn Rand once stated regarding this scene that, if it is rape, “ then it is rape by engraved invitation.” What does she mean? Is this actually rape, i.e., is Dominique an unwilling victim?

Dominique is eager to make love to Roark, but her mindset is not prepared to give something of herself to someone else. She is attracted to him in ways that make her want to be closer to him, yet she wants to remain self-dependant and in control. She physically resists him when he comes into her room because she is not comfortable with the new situation, and although she wants it, she feels submissive. She dreamed of the moment that their skin would touch, yet she had never been in the situation, and only she could be in control of her dreams. Dominique physically resists Roark because she cannot bear to be held in his arms.

She wanted "to make love to Roark ... feel his body against hers ... to feel as if he were her master taking shameful, contemptuous possession of her," but when she began to realize that she was getting what she wished for, she understood that she wanted him for herself. The only problem with her view on the situation was that Roark made love to her out of scorn, instead of tenderness. If he would have made love to Dominique out of passion and care, she would not have reacted the way she did.

When Rand said that "it was rape by grave invitation," she was saying that Dominique wanted to make love to him and that she made it obvious to him that she was interested. I am torn between defining the situation as rape or not, as she wanted it in every way, but she still fought him. She wanted to be "defiled" by him and "raptured" by his actions, although she came out looking like a tease. Roark should have stopped for her protests, but he knew that she wanted him and he knew that she dreamed of having him. I think that he did it out of scorn because she seemed to be playing hard to get, although she had made it obvious she wanted to make love to him.

2.) Though strongly attracted to Roark, Dominique both pursues and fights him. Is this inner conflict regarding her love representative of some deeper aspect of her character? How does this ambivalence relate to her destruction of the Greek statuette that she loves? To joining forces with Ellsworth Toohey in an effort to wreck Roark’s career? To refusing to pursue a serious career in spite of her great intelligence? Are Dominique’s motives for thwarting Roark the same as Toohey’s?

Dominique seems to be rather confused about her feelings towards Roark. The inner conflict that she is having between fighting and chasing him obviously represents a deeper aspect of her character, because she would not be doing it without reason. Dominique has had problems with mixed feelings before, as she destroyed a Greek statuette that she loved. Roark seems to be a variable in her equation, as she finds him amazing and wonderful so much that she does not want others to use him.

Dominique wants to destroy Roark in order to keep others away from him, because he just seems too good to be true. She wants to put him down so others don't look at him the ways in which she does. She tries to resist him, but she is strongly attracted to him, which results in a secret twisted romance. Her mixed emotions relate to partnering with Ellsworth because he can destroy Roark in ways that she cannot. I think that Dominique resists pursuing a great career because she knows that she would be used by people. Although she and Ellsworth both wish to corrupt Roark's career, their reasons vary in ways that Dominique cannot bring to the open.

4.) At Kiki Holcolmbe’s party, Keating gives advice to Roark. He says: “ Always be what people want you to be.” What is the meaning of such a statement? Why does Keating believe this? What does such an approach to life reveal about the soul of Keating and of people like him?

The meaning of Keating's advice to Roark is that when you become what people want you to be, you progress without the worry of fighting. With the problems that Roark is facing as being an individualist, it is natural to suggest something of this sort, but the point of being an individualist is to work through it and not give in to collectivity. The difference between the situation and Keeting's normal morals is that, while he is suggesting that Roark apply it to the problem, he applies it to everything.

Keeting believes that being what society wants of you is acceptable for a few reasons- the first being that all individualists/modernists have been shot down and rejected to a life of failure. The second reason that Keeting enjoys pleasing others is that it gets him into the positions that he wants without going through extensive work to get there. Another possible reason for Keeting to believe in this ideal is that he has never been creative and self-sufficient, while always relying on the work of others and the inspirations of successors to feel accepted. This approach to life shows lacks of confidence, originality, and intuition.

5.) At the same party, Dominique thinks of Roark’s as “ the face of a god.” What is she responding to in Roark? In seeing such beauty in Roark’s face, an evaluation not shared by the rest of society, what does Dominique reveal about her own soul?

Dominique is responding to Roark's confidence in knowing that he has the strength to be real. She sees beauty in Roark and the things that he does, which shows that she is real, as well. In a very abstract manner, they are alike, while nobody but them understands it. The answer to this question is quite simple, although rather important to their relationship. Dominique has revealed that she understands Roark and his reasons in life. Furthermore, by doing so, she has revealed that they are remarkably alike.

When saying that Roark has "the face of God," Dominique is saying that Roark makes his own choices and follows his ideals. She is saying that he is rather unique, but it would take someone of the same sort to actually unravel that. Dominique is saying that Roark is his own person, and he does what he wishes instead of what society wishes of him.

6.) Dominique begins to write about Roark’s buildings in her column. She words them in such a way as to give the appearance of criticism while actually offering extravagant praise. Why does she hope that Roark’s buildings will be destroyed in a future air raid? What is her view of human society, and of the possibility of great men succeeding in it?

I think that Dominique wishes Roarks buildings to be destroyed in the future because they will be useful to humans that will not appreciate them. After the present fads and thoughts have passed, people will see his buildings as amazing- modern. Just as society began to appreciate Cameron's buildings, the same might happen to Roark with no praise. Dominique wants to destroy Roark so people can't use him ... so people can't look at his beauty.

Dominique sees most humans as stupid, and most of society as ridiculous. She sees Roark as a great man is society, but instead of carrying the pessimist attitude that she does towards his possibilities, she should help him. She cannot see great men succeeding because she has too much confidence towards the collective manner of society. She sees no one beating the game, which makes her want to destroy Roark instead of seeing his beauty fail for something else.

Fountainhead:: Blog One

1.) Explain in detail the reasons for Howard Roark's expulsion from the Stanton Institute of Technology. The Dean states that Roark has "a determined little group of defenders" among the faculty, while other professors "felt it their duty" to vote for his expulsion. Why do the faculty members on each side evaluate Roark and his work so differently?

Howard Roark was expelled from the Statnton Institute of Technology because he was different from all of the other students and he actually enjoyed architecture. His focus on architecture revolved around being creative and expanding possibilities, while on the collective side resides ideas about preserving history and following the footsteps of past work. Roark was an individualist, and the Institution was teaching different ideas than he was creating. It was expected of the best to take examples of former architectures and reinstate their success. Roark simply wanted to create what was necessary to each situation, and actually have a use for each part of his designs instead of just decorating to sell.

The Dean told Roark that he was rebellious and too daring, while architecture should be conservative and heratage-based. Roark called himself insubordinate and the Dean agreed, but he was simply insubordinate because he was an individualist in a society full of conservationists. Roark had new and creative ideas because he used logic instead of laziness. He fit each situation differently and showed discontent with just keeping one type of building because it worked in the past. Roark was expelled because they were scared of his ideas, as each one was something different.

Each member of the faculty evaluated Roark differently because they were different people with different opinions and strengths. Certain instructors wanted to keep him because they could see his strength and intentions and found the combination an excellent base. Other instructors did not want to keep him because all they saw was that he was different, and they found it disrespectful.

2.) At the end of Chapter One, Roark comprehends that there is a fundamental difference between his approach to life and the Dean's. Roark understands his own, but not that of the Dean and those like him. He recognizes that there is a principle that explains the difference, which he calls the "principle behind the Dean." Based on subsequent events of the story, explain the "principle behind the Dean."

The "principle behind the Dean" is collectivism and conservation. Roark is an individual, and he cannot understand what the difference between himself and the Dean is because those ideas are absolutely insane. Why would someone want to bring the past into the future, call it the present, and steal from other's work? Why would the mass majority of the society want to keep everything the way it was? These things happen because they are easier than being creative. If a group decides upon an idea, who is an individual to be themself and defy the ideas of others?

Roark does not understand the Dean because Roark has a strong voice, and he does his own work. The Dean, and the rest of the collectivists, find it easy to use others ideas, even when they are not best-suited for the situations at hand. Roark turns a building into something useful, and creates buildings unique to each situation, while the ideas that he does not understand are simple repetitions of buildings already created.

3.) Peter Keating graduates as valedictorian from the Stanton Institute of Technology. Does this mean that he is an outstanding architectural student? By what methods did he get such high grades? What does this say regarding his moral character?

Keating is not an outstanding student, he only copies from others. In his relative society, the vast majority of people believe him to be outstanding simply because he is manipulative. He uses everyone he comes into contact with, although he has no ideas of his own. He got such high grades by giving the professors exactly what they wanted. He took ideas straight out of history, even though they were not the best for the situations.

Regarding his character, this shows that he has twisted morals. He finds it alright to use others in order to succeed because it has always worked for him. Keeting is simply a leech, but he has the intelligence to create the idea that he is brilliant, and that he is creative, even though he openly presents the facts that he is just altering others ideas.


4.) Keating goes to work for Guy Francon, the most successful and prestigious architect in the country. What are the methods by which Francon has achieved commercial success? Does he have anything in common with Keating? In what ways do they both differ from Roark?

Francon has achieved success by having his workers create buildings for him while he puts his name on the trademark. He has a many designers, and the market often calls on him for his "brilliant designs." Francon has achieved success simply by using others, and Keeting sees fit for himself, as well.

Keeting and Francon both manipulate others, and they both know it. They both differ from Roark because he actually does all his work in relation to his own ideas. Roark publishes nothing but his creativity and logic, while Keeting and Francon both use others. Francon does none of his work, and Keeting uses others ideas.


5.) Roark gains employment with Henry Cameron. Cameron, though a genius, is a commercial failure. Why has society rejected his work? Why does Roark nevertheless revere him? What qualities do Roark and Cameron share in common? What is the fundamental difference between them and Francon and Keating?

Cameron has been rejected by society for the exact same reasons that Roark is being rejected for. Roark respects Cameron because he was not afraid to fail. Cameron published his own ideas, and for a while he succeeded, but then others became lazy and he was the only one creating his own work. Roark operates in the same ways that Cameron does, therefore he goes to work for him.

Roark and Cameron share almost everything in common in terms of architecture, but Cameron has already failed where Roark has just started. Cameron tries to keep Roark from making the same mistakes that he did, because society did not accept Cameron, but he sees that Roark has what it takes to succeed. In respect to how Keeting and Roark differ, Francon and Cameron differ the same ways. Their fundamental difference is that Francon and Keeting are collectivists while Cameron and Roark are individualists.

Blog Five: Breaking Free!

What does the uncharted forest represent in Anthem?

I think that the uncharted forest represents many things that the society is trying to keep from the community. I believe this because the uncharted forest is supposed to be a place where people don't go because they fear what will happen and it would express individuality and free will. There are said to be many more forests than the main one discussed and they are all said to have grown over ruins of the Unmentionable Times. I think that the uncharted forest represents education and intellect. The community fears the forest like they fear education because they know the details of the Great Burning and no one wishes to have the same fate. They fear education because it requires change and the changes might not be that easy. The people fear intellect because they do not wish to have their own thoughts or make their own discoveries. Equality is the perfect example of someone that does not fit in with the rest of his crowd because he develops his own thoughts and he makes his own discoveries. Equality escapes to the uncharted forest after his attempt to bring his community to individuality and curiosity fails. He says earlier in the book that he feared the forest, but he also said that he did not remember running to the forest; that his feet had just taken him there. His mind knew that he was different and that he needed to be separated from the community that feared everything. The uncharted forest represents determination, free will, curiosity, individuality and intelligence.

Describe the house from Chapter X and its contents in your own words, and explain why Liberty and Equality find it so strange and unique.

The house which Equality and the Golden One find was left over from the unmentionable times. The walls are made of glass and there are electric appliances everywhere inside the house. There are mirrors and light bulbs on the walls and ceiling, and there is a whole room dedicated to books. Equality and the Golden One didn't understand much of what they saw, and they were confused for the majority of the exploration of the house. There are basically appliances that we use in modern times to be found in the house that was left over. They find the house so strange because they've never experienced anything like it, and they don't know how to operate many of the objects that they discovered. Equality and the Golden One find everything in the house unique because they don't realize that at one time it was the norm to have everything that they found in the house. They don't understand that everything could be considered regular when everything is so new to them.



Re-read the incident with the Saint of the pyre. What was he trying to communicate to Equality?

I think that the Saint of the pyre was trying to communicate that Equality should discover what he had discovered. Equality said that the Saint looked straight at him and smiled, as if he wanted to speak the unspeakable word to him. I think that the Saint was trying to communicate the word with him, but in a different method than what Equality thought. The fact that the Saint made Equality curious might have been what caused him to start thinking individual thoughts and making his own choices. If that curiosity hadn't arisen in him, he might have kept his fear of education and individuality. The Saint was trying to communicate that there was something hidden, and that anyone with the right intentions could find it.

Blog Four: Society

In a well-organized paragraph, describe the society in which Anthem is set. Some areas to consider are the political structure, degree of technology, social relationships, quality of life, and education. Would you want to live in this society? Explain why or why not.

Anthem is set in a collective society. Everyone in this book is supposed to follow the same rules, refrain from asking questions, and abide by the life morals given to them by someone else. Everyone earns the same exact thing, no matter how hard they worked or didn't. There are no individual wants and there is no originality or creativity. In Anthem, everyone is the perceived to be the same. Technology is not very advanced in the society, and it shows in various ways. The characters do not use electricity, and science is apparently a restricted subject. People are not supposed to form friendships or bonds, and no one should show a preference for a certain person. Everyone has the same life plan set out, and Equality thinks that he is the only one who can see everything from the outside looking in. Education is not very extensive in the book, almost restrained. Only certain people, for a certain amount of time, gain an education. Work comes after the completion of education, unless the individual is chosen to be a scholar. I would be unable to live in a society like this, because I am an individual and I love intelligence. I am very creative and I rely on my best friends. I am curious and I always want to learn. This type of society would not be able to support me.


When does this novel take place—in the past, the present, or the future? How do you know? Please provide specific clues from the text.

This novel takes place in the future, and there are a few clues to support it. Throughout the book, something called the Great Burning is brought up and explained. The Great Burning was an event that consisted of the burning of all books and paper information that were considered evil. I think that these books and papers are our modern-day information. There are places and things left over from the Unmentionable Times, which are considered to be evil, as well. All of the forbidden places and objects are things that are commonly used in our society, and over time, they were considered evil with the new society.


What does Equality discover in Chapter III? How important is this discovery? Describe 4–5 ways in which it would help society, and make life easier or more enjoyable.

Equality discovers light in chapter three. This could help the society by technologically advancing it and showing the scholars that there are many things that they are ignorant to. This is a very important discovery, because Equality discovered it by himself, and that shows individualism. It could make the lives of his brothers and sisters easier because they wouldn't be as restricted with supplies. Equality discovered energy, and that could lead to even better inventions. The scholars could follow Equality's example and start looking more into science. His discovery might spark other people to become curious about electricity and how energy flows. Equality's discovery could open many doors to help his society.


How would your teachers react if you had Equality’s “curse”? Why do Equality’s teachers disapprove of his quick mind? At this point in the novel, does Equality accept the moral teachings of his society? If so, why doesn’t he initially feel shame or remorse when he knows that he’s committing a crime? Find textual evidence to support your answer. Does this change as the novel progresses?

At a younger age, I did have the same "curse" as Equality. My teachers often told me to be quiet, and let other children answer questions. I always understood everything before they taught us, and I didn't understand why I was getting into trouble for understanding my work. I was eventually put into advanced classes and a program for gifted students, but Equality didn't have this option. His teachers did not approve of his quick mind because he was only supposed to know what they taught him. Equality does not accept this, because he knows that there are far better things than what their society is being taught. He doesn't feel shame for committing a crime because he knows that he is bettering himself, and he knows that he is capable of more. He laughs when he thinks of himself as Damned because he knows that he has done nothing but better his knowledge.

Blog Three: Indivisualism

What might it be like to live in a society with no "selves" and where "we" has replaced "I"?

A society is an ordered community, or a particular system of ordering a community. The society that I grew up in, and have always known as right, is a Capitalistic sort of organization. There are many, many, individuals making up our society, instead of one large group of people. Everyone makes their own decisions, and there is an abundance of freedom. People in America choose where they want to go to school, and what they want to do with their lives. Everyone here has a free will, and no one is forced to be something that they despise. When people in America, and every other country for that matter, say "we", they are referring to a group of people, and not just themselves. If we were to stop using the word "I", there would be no individualism. I wouldn't be hungry, but we would, even if I was the only person hungry. This is more of a hypothetical situation, more than it is actually explaining something, as it wouldn't make sense to say, "we are hungry," when walking in from school. There would be no free will if we stopped using the word "I", and everyone would want the same thing. If you were to take away the world's ability to be full of individuals, everything would, in a sense, would be collective. Everyone would aim for the same things, and no one would step up to be a leader. Everyone would go along with the "group's" wants. If we lived in a society with no "selves", someone would eventually step up and change it, just like Equality 7-2521 did. The world is full of intellectual people, and there is no way that EVERYONE could be the same. Sure, they wouldn't be accepted if they were different, but that doesn't mean that they wouldn't exist. Take away individualism, creativity will go with it. There will be no new ideas, the world won't advance anymore; everything will stop.


Explain the significance of the names that Rand gave her characters. Why do you think particular names were used?

There were many characters in this book, and some of the names repeated various times. The main character was named Equality, and I think his name is slightly ironic. Equality stood up for the right for everyone to be individual and successful. Equality wanted everyone to have proportional chances and equal success, but in a different sense than equality that is achieved through collectivism. Everyone was already equal, but he wanted people to be able to have the right to gain what they earn. Equality stood up against a collectivist society, and a few of the collectivist characters had names to represent that. Fraternity, Alliance, International, Similarity and Unanimity are some of the names that Rand chose to represent collectivism. The names of these scholars all represent people sharing things in common, be it a small or large group. I think that she chose these names to show what an individual would have to stand up to in order the achieve equality.


Equality talks about the unspeakable word on page 51. What do you think that word is, and why is it unspeakable in this society? What would happen if this word was used, and how would it change the way people think of each other and themselves?

Before I finished the book, I thought the unspeakable word was "I". I thought this because there are no individuals in the book (that society knows of), and it is forbidden to be a single person. If people were to start using the word "I", there would be no collectivism, and there would be far less group control. People would start developing opinions and thinking for themselves. They would become aware of "themselves" and their emotions. Everyone would start to think of themselves as individually capable, and they would think the same about other people. No one would rely on a single person to tell the world what to do, and people would choose to do things to benefit themselves instead of the group.