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Parts of "The Fountainhead" that confuse me

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KRW

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When I first read "The Fountainhead", obviously, I fell in love with it. I read it so fast, that some parts I didn't understand. This time, I decided to read into it with more depth to understand the little hints Rand uses to express her theme.

My first stop is at Keating's first day on the job at Francon and Heyer. After he leaves Francon's office suggesting to Francon to make changes to an architect's drawings, Keating notices a man escorting a lady out of the room,

 

"On his way back through the reception room, Keating saw a distinguished, gray-haired

gentleman escorting a lady to the door. The gentleman wore no hat and obviously belonged to

the office; the lady wore a mink cape, and was obviously a client.

The gentleman was not bowing to the ground, he was not unrolling a carpet, he was not

waving a fan over her head; he was only holding the door for her. It merely seemed to Keating

that the gentleman was doing all of that."

 

After this passage, nothing is mentioned. I do not understand its significance. Or is it a character in the book that has yet to be introduced, and I read the book to fast to recognize it.

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It's there primarily for atmosphere.  This is how a big-time firm (architecture, law, accounting, etc) treats its clients; it's part of what made it big-time.

 

It also helps to establish Keating's character.  He notices the superficial (suck up to the client) at least as much as the more essential (create good buildings) which would register foremost with Roark.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is a cinematic technique which Rand, as a screen writer, carried over into her novel--with wonderful results.

 

We are indirectly given the character of our hero, who is first introduced as a mere player in an observation made by someone who then recedes into the background. 

 

Roark is observed by Keating as not being a suck-up flatterer; now he must choose, as must the reader.

 

As a passing point, this technique of gradually bringing the main character into focus by seeing him through  the eyes of others most likely began with Homer's depiction of Hector. We begin with the anger of Achilles, and are to some extent gulled into forgetting that it's Hector's vanity that will destroy Troy.

 

As for Spanish lit (my own field), Sender's remarkable 'Alba' stands as modern exemplar of taking the indirect path.

 

Andie 

Edited by andie holland
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