In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand often presents characters in stark moral terms, some clearly admirable, others clearly villainized. What do you see as one defining trait shared by the “good” characters, and one defining trait shared by the “bad” characters?

Peter Keating is often seen as Howard Roark’s opposite, but much of the novel follows his internal struggles. How do you interpret Keating’s need for approval and success? To what extent is he a victim of society, and to what extent is he responsible for his own decline?

Cameron and Roark are both portrayed as brilliant designers who struggle to get commissions. At one point, Cameron urges Roark to abandon his principles and design more conventionally. Given that Cameron himself never did this, how do you interpret the meaning of that scene?

What factors shape the dynamic between Dominique and Roark in The Fountainhead? What do you think draws them to each other, and how did you make sense of their interactions throughout the novel

Dominique Francon seems to spend much of the novel choosing unhappiness. Why do you think she does this, and what does it reveal about her character and her views on the world around her?

Gail Wynand is powerful, intelligent, and self-made, yet ultimately unable to live by his own ideals. Why do you think Wynand fails where Roark succeeds? What does Rand seem to be saying about power, public opinion, and moral compromise through his character?

Ellsworth Toohey persuades Hopton Stoddard to commission Roark to design the Stoddard Temple. What do you think Toohey’s purpose is in setting this up? What larger scheme is he pursuing through the commission, and what do you see as his ultimate endgame

Art, architecture, and the media sit at the center of story in The Fountainhead. What do you think Ayn Rand is saying about the role of each of these in shaping society and individual values?

The novel culminates in Roark’s courtroom speech and the Cortlandt Homes trial. Did you find Roark’s actions and defense morally convincing? Why or why not?

The Fountainhead was written more than 80 years ago, in 1943. To what extent do you see the novel as a product of its time (and place), and how do you think the passage of time has affected its relevance for readers today

Having read nearly 700 pages of Randian thought in The Fountainhead, do you think you can simply sum up Ayn Rand’s philosophy?