Blog 1 Fountain Head

1)Though Keating often leaves Catherine Halsey waiting weeks for him to call, the author makes it clear that Catherine is special to him. How does the author show Keating's love for Catherine? In contrast to Keating's motive for pursuing his other values (in work, for e.g.), what personal significance does his relationship with Catherine have? What fate will befall Peter if he betrays his love for her?

Keating is truly in love with Catherine Halsey. He thinks about her all of the time. Early in the book Fountain Head he talks of marring her. He is hastening about meeting her father. He and her father works in the same field of architecture. From what I know he is a critic and that played a major part in their relationship.

2) 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?

Roark was expelled from Stanton because his work was too “extreme”. Roark had a lot of great ideals and wanted them to be challenged. Roark stated that he didn’t want to do the same thing over and over and that he wanted to do his work, his way. Roark was called into the Deans office and he explained that some of his Professors did want him to stay, but the disapproval of his work weighted more then what his approval was. The faculty views Roark as being a know it all person. .

3) 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 was a well known architect. Like Roark he wanted to be challenged. He had made buildings that were more then buildings, but pieces of art. Roark and Cameron to me are very similar because they don’t allow the society around them to dictate to them what they should be doing. Francon and Keating have a great firm but they do what is expected of them and nothing involving their creativity.

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?

He has achieved success by having his workers create buildings of beautiful work of art. He has a wide spread of clients and he has lots of brillant wonderful designs that .Francon has achieved and mantain his sucess by using others, and Keeting what he 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.