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J&B Essay ConsultingThe Fountainhead Essay ContestAyn Rand
≈✤Novelist and Philosopher
Discover the Power of The FountainheadWhat motivates a creative thinker? Is it a selfless desire to benefit mankind? A hunger for fame, fortune, and accolades? The need to prove superiority? Or is it a self-sufficient drive to pursue a creative vision, independent of others’ needs or opinions?Ayn Rand addresses these questions through her portrayal of Howard Roark, an innovative architect who, as she puts it, “struggles for the integrity of his creative work against every form of social oppression”.
What is The Fountainhead?This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite… of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy… and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator.As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction— that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.✤
About the Contest✤Open to middle & high school students worldwide, ages 13 and older✤The Fountainhead novel ✤694 pages book length✤Seasonal prompts✤Unique essay prompt every three months✤800-1,600 word count ✤
Grading Criteria ✤Clarity✤Organization✤Understanding✤On Topic
Fall Prompt Steven Mallory tells Roark that he fears there is something like a “drooling beast of prey” that is hanging over the world. What do we learn from the rest of the book about what is the object of Mallory’s fear and is what was is it like a beast of prey? How does Roark help Mallory and others learn to overcome it? How does Roark’s success in helping his friends combat this fear relate to the theme of the novel? To answer all of these questions, give specific examples from the novel.
Entry Deadline for Fall Prompt✤September 13th, 2024
Things to Consider✤Winning essays from Ayn Rand are often argumentative, creative, and most of all, show a deep understanding of Ayn Rand’s texts and her philosophy.✤When working on your essay, it is important to think of yourself as both a philosopher and an essayist—just like Ayn Rand, herself!✤When reading The Fountainhead, it may be helpful to ask yourself: do I agree or disagree with Ayn Rand? Why?
Why Should I Enter the Contest?✤Writing an essay for The Fountainhead contest is one way to test and expand the limitations of your critical thinking skills, opening the door to new ways of thinking and exploring the world around you.✤As Ayn Rand once said, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”