Editing The Fountainhead (section)

===Howard Roark===
[[File:Frank Lloyd Wright LC-USZ62-36384.jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=Portrait photo of Frank Lloyd Wright|In writing the character of Howard Roark, Rand was inspired by the architect [[Frank Lloyd Wright]].]]
Rand's stated goal in writing fiction was to portray her vision of an ideal man.<ref>{{harvnb|Gladstein|1999|p=8}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sciabarra|1995|p=97}}</ref> The character of Howard Roark, the [[protagonist]] of ''The Fountainhead'', was the first instance where she believed she had achieved this.<ref>{{harvnb|Sciabarra|1995|p=106}}</ref> Roark embodies Rand's [[Ethical egoism|egoistic]] moral ideals,<ref>{{harvnb|Den Uyl|1999|p=60}}</ref> especially the virtues of independence<ref>Smith, Tara. "Unborrowed Vision: Independence and Egoism in ''The Fountainhead''". In {{harvnb|Mayhew|2006|pp=287–289}}</ref> and integrity.<ref>Schein, Dina. "Roark's Integrity". In {{harvnb|Mayhew|2006|p=305}}</ref>

The character of Roark was at least partly inspired by American architect [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]. Rand described the inspiration as limited to specific ideas he had about architecture and "the pattern of his career".<ref>{{harvnb|Rand|2005b|p=190}}</ref> She denied that Wright had anything to do with the philosophy expressed by Roark or the events of the plot.<ref>Berliner, Michael S. "Howard Roark and Frank Lloyd Wright". In {{harvnb|Mayhew|2006|pp=48–50}}</ref><ref name="wright">{{harvnb|Reidy|2010}}</ref> Rand's denials have not stopped commentators from claiming stronger connections between Wright and Roark.<ref name="wright"/><ref>Berliner, Michael S. "Howard Roark and Frank Lloyd Wright". In {{harvnb|Mayhew|2006|pp=42–44}}</ref> Wright equivocated about whether he thought Roark was based on him, sometimes implying that he did, at other times denying it.<ref>Berliner, Michael S. "Howard Roark and Frank Lloyd Wright". In {{harvnb|Mayhew|2006|pp=47–48}}</ref> Wright biographer [[Ada Louise Huxtable]] described significant differences between Wright's philosophy and Rand's and quoted him, declaring, "I deny the paternity and refuse to marry the mother."<ref>{{harvnb|Huxtable|2008|p=226}}</ref> Architecture critic [[Martin Filler]] said that Roark resembles the Swiss-French modernist architect [[Le Corbusier]] more closely than Wright.<ref>{{harvnb|Filler|2009|p=33}}</ref>