Choices - Themes, The Fountainhead | The Fountainhead - Summary, Themes and Characters - Novels PDF Download

At the start of Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor's character goes on an epic rant about the acceptable choices we're expected make in life: from picking a career to picking out a shiny TV. In this rant McGregor totally sounds like he's channeling the inner monologue of Peter Keating.

Keating, and pretty much everyone else in The Fountainhead, make the choices that society tells them they're supposed to. He does what society expects him to do. And this bums him out: as a result of his following the directions of the herd, he constantly questions himself.

Roark isn't bummed out. Unlike everyone else in the novel, Roark is never conflicted. For strong individuals (like our boy R), choices are something you make with confidence and without doubt. A choice that leaves you conflicted is the wrong choice, according to Rand.

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Wynand tries to make good choices, but he is ultimately forced to back down. Wynand's efforts count for something though, and he's depicted as a tragic hero figure in the story.

Though Wynand tries, he fails to stand by his good choices and, in the moral laws of the story, is seen as a failure.