Ayn Rand said The Fountainhead was an overture to Atlas Shrugged

Posted by richrobinson 9 years, 5 months ago to Books
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Ayn Rand once said that she was asked about the practical applications of The Fountainhead. She said she answered those questions with Atlas Shrugged and that you should think of The Fountainhead as an overture to Atlas Shrugged. I'm not sure I understand what she means by that.

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  • Posted by khalling 9 years, 5 months ago in reply to this comment.
    no-Tagart is evil but ineffectual. Toohey is highly effectual which makes him super evil. Roark is everyman in the Gulch.
    Rearden is closer to Dominique, IMO. I would off the cuff say Keating and Taggart are more aligned-but Peter continues to question important ideas throughout the story. They both are second handers though
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  • Posted by edweaver 9 years, 5 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I'm not sure if it was a natural progression or another way of telling the story. I did see many similarities from Roarke / Galt & Toohey / Taggart but kind of feel that AS took the subject even deeper into the abyss of government corruption and intrusion.

    Your making me think Rich. Good way of starting the day!
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  • Posted by richrobinson 9 years, 5 months ago in reply to this comment.
    So are the characters in Atlas Shrugged kind of the next generation from The Fountainhead?
    Roarke = Galt
    Toohey = James Taggert
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  • Posted by richrobinson 9 years, 5 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I listened to Atlas Shrugged on CD and at the end they read the "about the author" stuff. Rand said it was an overture. I'm wondering if AS is the natural progression after what happened in the Fountainhead?
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  • Posted by edweaver 9 years, 5 months ago
    So she wrote "The Fountainhead" with the intent of writing AS. So it was kind of a part 1 & part 2. Hmmm, not sure.

    Good post! I will be waiting anxiously to read thoughts on this one.
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  • Posted by khalling 9 years, 5 months ago
    The Fountainhead is a personal story. You can generalize some concepts from the Speech, how you or Roark lives life. Personal integrity.
    atlas Shrugged illustrates what happens in the world as a result of society and individuals adhering to certain philosophical positions.
    One of the problems with only having read the Fountainhead and trying to get a bead or application of the philosophy of Objectivism, is that you run into that end game of personal happiness can be achieved anywhere, which I personally disagree with.
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