Hard Rock
... made a mistake “By asking me. By asking anyone. Never ask people. Not about your work. Don't you know what you want? How can you stand it, not to know?" (Rand 33). Here Roark explains part of his philosophy; a man should not base his actions on the thoughts of others, but on his own thoughts. However, Roark hardly ever offers advice in the book. It seems that even his presence can impose itself greatly upon a person. After Wynand meets Roark in person he feels that , "for the first time in his life he had spoken to a man without feeling the reluctance, the sense of pressure, the need of disguise he had always experienced when he spoke to people; there had been no strain and no need of strain; as if he had spoken to himself." (Rand 521). In a way, Roark acts as a mirror of truth. He shows people, those who take the time to look at him, who they are and not who they make themselves appear to be from the opinions of society. But with his apparent arrogance and egotism, Howard Roark is not a fiend. Nor is he a saint, a demon, or a martyr. He simply is himself, unaffected by the people around him, and unchanging. Roark illustrates this point when he describes his architecture: “No two materials are alike. No two sites on earth are alike. No two buildings have the same purpose. The purpose, the site, the material determine the shape. Nothing can be reasonable or beautiful unless its made by one central idea, and the idea sets every detail. A building is alive, like a man", and Roark is like the building he describes, unique and above all, true to himself, not others (Rand 24). He does not copy the beliefs of other men, nor does he use or care for their ideas, nor does he attack them, or even attempt to defend his own. It is this self-assurance that makes Roark dislikable. Wynand voices his observations to Roark, “Howard, everything you’ve done in yo...