Who is Howard Roark in Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead?

Howard Roark is the protagonist and architect hero of the 1943 novel The Fountainhead, written by Ayn Rand.12

Often cited as being inspired by the real-life architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Roark serves as a vehicle for Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. Throughout the story, he represents the ideal of the uncompromising individualist who battles against conformist mediocrity. After being expelled from architectural school for refusing to abandon his nonconformist design principles, Roark continues to pursue his creative vision despite significant societal opposition. In Rand’s moral framework, Roark’s struggle highlights her belief that the suppression of individual creativity is a profound evil.2