Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
The Fountainhead
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Quizzes
Portrait of young thinking bearded man student with stack of books on the table before bookshelves in the library
Famous Novels, First Lines Quiz
Young woman with glasses reading a book, student
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz
Textbook chalkboard and apple. Fruit of knowledge. Hompepage blog 2009, History and Society, school education students
The Literary World (Famous Novels)
Books. Reading. Publishing. Print. Literature. Literacy. Rows of used books for sale on a table.
Name the Novelist
Related Questions
Read Next
Britannica's Book Bingo. Take our reading challenge! Books range form greatest, banned, and counterculture.
Britannica’s Book Bingo
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales.
10 Captivating Contemporary Novels Set in the British Isles
Chapter 4 pg 42 - Chapter header of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Published in 1884 by The American Publishing Company
Periods of American Literature
Girl Reading On Turquoise Couch
9 American Countercultural Books
Discover
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
A human Inuit skull in a stone chambered cairn in Ilulissat in Greenland. These ancient graves are pre christian and are at least 2000
14 Tough Questions Answered
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?

The Fountainhead

novel by Rand
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

The Fountainhead, novel by Ayn Rand, published in 1943. An exposition of the author’s anticommunist philosophy of “objectivism,” The Fountainhead tells of the struggle of genius architect Howard Roark—said to be based on Frank Lloyd Wright—as he confronts conformist mediocrity.

In Rand’s world, suppression of individual creativity is the greatest evil. Roark is expelled from architectural school for his nonconformist ideas, but he pursues his vision undaunted.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.