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More oxford books @ www.OxfordeBook.comFore more urdu books visit www.4Urdu.com44THE EDUCATION OF AYN RAND, 1905–1943in New York. In a writing notebook she wondered “if there are thingsin capitalism and democracy worth saving” and speculated, in aSpenglerian aside, that perhaps the white race was degenerating. 14 Shequalified every reference to America’s individualistic economic systemwith sarcastic asides such as “so-called” or “maybe!” 15 According toRand the primary “fault” of liberal democracies was “giving full rightsto quantity.” Instead, she wrote, there should be “democracy of superiorsonly.” 16 As she began the book the connections between her vauntedindividualism and American society were far from clear to Rand.By contrast, her characters were starkly etched in her mind. Randdesigned an elegant, almost geometric structure for the book. HowardRoark was her ideal man, an uncompromising individualist and creator.The other primary characters were variations on his theme. As sheexplained in a notebook, “Howard Roark: the man who can be and is.Gail Wynand: the man who could have been. Peter Keating: the manwho never could be and doesn’t know it. Ellsworth M. Toohey: the manwho never could be—and knows it.” 17 Rand also created two love interestsfor Roark, Vesta Dunning and Dominique Francon.Rand’s characterizations flowed directly from her architecturalresearch, her knowledge of current events, and her developing oppositionto American liberalism. To give Roark form and specificity shedrew on the career of the modernist pioneer Frank Lloyd Wright, whoseavant-garde style she admired. Numerous details of Wright’s life asdescribed in his autobiography would recur in the novel, and she gaveRoark a cranky, embittered mentor in the vein of Wright’s own teacher,Louis Sullivan. Second-hander Peter Keating was based on a contemporarymediocrity, the popular architect Thomas Hastings. As Randnoted excitedly after reading a book on Hastings, “If I take this bookand Wright’s autobiography, there is practically the entire story.” 18Other titans appeared in the novel as well. Gail Wynand was modeledafter William Randolph Hearst, whose career Rand had closelyfollowed. She was struck in particular by his failed bids for mayor andgovernor of New York. Here was a man who claimed great influence buthad little success in actually grasping the levers of power. Hearst hadbeen thoroughly humbled, Rand thought, overlooking his two terms inCongress and the authority he continued to wield through his mediaempire. To her Hearst’s strength was a chimera. His power was not his