Topics include: background material on Rand and the era in which she wrote the novel; an overview of the story; an analysis of the principal characters; detailed discussion of the main theme and a number of related sub-themes.In many ways, The Fountainhead is a novel about the greatness of the independent, American spirit. It is a novel about a young architect who refuses to compromise his vision of what makes a magnificent building, while living in a culture that relentlessly criticizes him as naĂ¯ve, unconventional, impractical, idealistic. And yet he still triumphs. This classic novel is Rand’s account of what it truly means to live in pursuit of your own life and values, and how America is the country of individualism.
This interactive, video lecture course is an introduction to Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. High school students studying The Fountainhead will definitely find much value in the course. However, the material should be of value to anyone interested in learning more about the novel and Rand’s ideas.
Each unit of the course is a self-contained module. Students should feel free to take the whole course in sequence or to peruse the course outline and jump around to sections of interest. Teachers who wish to use the course for classroom instruction are welcome to select the unit or units most relevant to their instructional goals.