Fountainhead

             The conventional view is that in life an individual can either achieve practical success or be moral, but not both. Do you think Ayn Rand accepts or rejects this conventional view in The Fountainhead? Explain by reference to characters and events from the novel. .
             We have all heard the cliche that nice guys finish last. This story is no different. I feel that the author Ayn Rand accepts the fact that in life an individual can either achieve practical success or be moral, but not both. In the novel, Howard Roark had such a high quality of morals that he was stubborn. Roark was his own person who did the right thing most of the time, but it didn't turn out to be very prosperous because he wasn't very successful. .
             In the opening pages of the book, we see Roark being kicked out of the institution where he is studying. This is because he refused to follow the outdated traditions of the school. All he had to do was adapt like his peers. Because of his stubbornness, Roark probably missed out on several opportunities because he didn't finish school. He went to lowly firms, while Keater went to a prestigious firm when he graduated from school. Later in the story, we would find Roark turning down assignments and money if he didn't agree with a client or if he couldn't do things his way. .
             Roark didn't do things that were suspected of him. He took the high road majority of the time instead of the low road. As humans, we expect others to take the easiest way, because we would do it ourselves. But Roark was one of those guys that would let someone take credit for his work, like Peter did. Roark would help you out even if you haven't been the nicest guy to him. These are the types of things that although they are ethical, they don't help you advance to where you need to be. .
             Finally, Roark was not very successful because he was so moral. He had talent and could have excelled far if he would have done what society wanted him to.