Saturday, June 8, 2013

The Fountainhead Literary Essay on Dominique Francon


Dominique Francon’s Enlightenment and Allegory 

            Solemn at first yet statuesque with a radiance of feminine heroism is the characterization of Dominique Francon, the daughter of the highly revered architect Guy Francon. Feeling contempt towards her father’s worth, she comes across a sign of extraordinary potential enshrined within the one reviled outcast of architecture, Howard Roark. As a journalist working for the newspaper chronicle the Banner, she carries forth a sentiment of idealism and commendation to the human potential. Unfortunately her ideals and vision are waned as she cannot withstand the remarkable burden of society’s inexorable precepts. Pessimistic about the triumph of man’s endeavor against all odds, Dominique Francon progresses to an enlightened phase and comes to realize the inner value of independence from personal experience. This unique cognizance acknowledges the significance of her and symbolic allegory in the context of the narrative.
            Dominique Francon is introduced in the midst of an appointment through the observation of Peter Keating, a former colleague of Howard Roark: “A young woman stood before the railing, speaking to the reception clerk” (p. 111). The mesmerizing imagery further revealed that “her slender body seemed out of all scale in relation to a normal human body; its lines were so long, so fragile, so exaggerated that she looked like a stylized drawing of a woman” and that “her appearance was deliberately exorbitant-and strangely elegant” (p. 111). Francon’s delicacy delineates a novelty in relation to the outer world. Young and mysterious, her essence figuratively flags the collectivist mind frame of society. Her unique physical appearance stands out apart to the fanatical vision of architecture embraced by the whole community. Domnique’s exclusiveness is paralleled to her isolated lifestyle. Living an extravagant and luxurious way of life, her loneliness is discerned through the act of “surrounding herself with people” in order “that the experiment of actual solitude was an enchantment to her and a betrayal into a weakness she had never allowed herself: the weakness of enjoying it” (p. 203).  Her aloofness signifies that the world of her residence is unsatisfactory and incomplete. It is incapable of measuring up to her level of expectations. Aware of the imperfections of her surroundings, Dominique longed for the true complete image of her ideals. Unbeknownst to her is a crusade she is embarking on for seeking out the “Holy Grail” of what she wishes and desires.
            Despite holding fastidious presumptions, Dominique’s predilection of perfection is manifested within one individual she unexpectedly encounters. Serenely glancing over a granite quarry, she caught the glimpse of the “orange hair of a man who raised his head and looked at her” (p. 205). Reminiscent of an archetypical “love at first sight” moment, Dominique was captivated by the “cold, pure brilliance of the eyes that had no trace of pity.” The ideal figuration of her imagination was flawlessly confined within this one unidentified being. The man who she later meet as Howard Roark was the embodiment of her desires as his face “was the most beautiful she had ever seen…the abstraction of strength made visible.” Becoming intimate with one another, their relationship would stand out as a metaphorical connotation for strenuousness that is stressed against the prevailing collectivism of the community. Her bond with Roark epitomizes reverence for heroic man-worship. The admiration of heroism comes to serve as a virtue for living one’s life in the narration. Francon’s love for Roark carries a visionary respect for the inner strength of man. The worship from Dominique energizes the mind of Roark to endure onward in spite of those who oppose him. Despite experiencing a surge of new hope, Dominique’s pessimism persisted as she felt that the insurmountable iniquity of the outer world would batter Howard Roark’s mind and soul into oblivion.
Believing Roark to be destined for demise, Dominique strives to demolish him before a world of grave injustice would. She would accomplish a task through varied and meticulously planned details. In one attempt, Francon published an article in the Banner regarding the Enright house designed by Roark and belittled it as an “essential insolence” and a “mockery to all the structures of the city and to the men who built them” (p. 266). In another, she forged an alliance with Ellsworth Toohey, Roark’s nemesis in the hopes that a partnership would bring a quick end to his career in order to avoid any more suffering. Her actions demonstrate her lack of hope for Howard Roark’s succession and her naivety. Dominique Francon’s knowledge of truth is incomplete and she is guided onward to a more genuine state of realization. Her gloomy view of Roark is confronted by her visitation to the incomplete Enright house with Roger Enright, the businessman who had hired Roark to design the apartment complex. Astonished by the “steel cages of future projections, at the insolent angles, and at the incredible complexity of the shape coming to life”, Dominique’s experience is one of foreshadowing (p. 286). The imagery was a powerful “sense of birth and promise” that indirectly hinted at Roark’s victory over all the corruption and misfortune that held back society.
   In the advancement of the narrative, Dominique undergoes a dynamic shift in character. Observing the minds and actions of Ellsworth Toohey, Peter Keating, and Gail Wynand, the owner of the Banner, Dominique sees the inherent weakness they carry forth. Sharing a trait of megalomania, these individuals appear as an unstoppable juggernaut and are power hungry with an eager desire to savage and dominate the apparently weak. Desiring a parvenu’s state, their weakness is their primary dependence upon the minds of other men for supremacy. This power seeking attribute is nevertheless incapable of shattering Howard Roark who relies on his own mind and independence for guidance. From his prevail as the victor amongst the four men she has journeyed with, Dominique has learned the importance of the reliance on one’s mind. Dominique sees how the good that radiates inside of Roark can triumph against the evils of the community. As a thinker, her purpose in the plot illustrates a literary characterization for independence. The lesson learned from Dominique is that independence cannot necessarily guarantee arriving at the truth, but it can aid an individual to learn from past mistakes. From her experiences with others besides Roark, self-sacrifice deconstructs the inner meaning of individual potential. To fulfill achievement and success at the highest potential, man must pursue his own self-interest. This lesson has Dominique changed into a new person, one who is more embracing of Howard Roark.
   Dominique Francon is presented as a secondary character in the novel. While being the heroine of the narrative, she initially lacked a fundamental element in her personality. This missing component which is her knowledge of the world around her is gained through the experiences she had with a throng of men with widely different views and perspectives. As Roark’s lover, she is contemplated as a dynamic character through which her bond with him created a new hope in that the good can overcome and be victorious in the struggle against the temptations of the inner hearts of men. She and Roark are a consummate couple whose minds and expectations are linked upon one another in a myriad of ways.

Works Cited
Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. New York: Signet Classics, 1952. 111, 203, 205, 266,
286.

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