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.