The topics:

1.    The theme of The Fountainhead, said Ayn Rand, is "is individualism versus collectivism, not in politics, but in man's soul." Explain how this is brought out in the novel.

2.    What is the one essential difference between the heroes and villains in The Fountainhead?

3.    For each of the following quotations, from The Fountainhead, explain its significance in the story, and their general implications.

a. Roark: "Independence is the only gauge of human virtue and value. What a man is and makes of himself - not what he has or hasn't for others."

b. Dominique: "Roark, I can accept anything, except what seems to be the easiest for most people: the half-way, the almost, the just-about, the in-between."

c. Keating (to Roark): "When I' m with you - it's always like a choice. Between you - and the rest of the world. I don't want that kind of a choice. I don’t want to be an outsider. I want to belong."

Special Prizes for Schools

1. A. The school that sends the maximum number of entries, which are of acceptable quality, will receive a set of Ayn Rand’s fiction and non-fiction books.
2. B. Two runners up schools will receive a set of Ayn Rand’s fiction.

Rules  and Conditions:

1. The participant must be a student at the Higher Secondary level (i.e., class XI or XII) or its equivalent..

2. Essays must be typewritten or legibly hand written on one side of the page with double line spacing, and must not exceed 1200 words.

3. Essays must be sole work of the participant.

4. Essays must reach us on or before 30 November, 1999.

5. Decision of the judges will be final, and winners will be notified by 30 December, 1999.

7. All entries will become the property of Liberty Institute, and will not be returned.

8. Important: Entries must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information

(a) Participant’s Name and Address;

(b) Name and Address of the school;

(c) The topic selected; and

(d) A photocopy of the participant’s school Identity Card.

Attention Teachers:

1. Copies of Teacher’s guide to The Fountainhead, prepared by Dr. Andrew Bernstein, professor of philosophy, are available on request for teachers who would like to encourage their students to participate in the contest.
2. Copies of The Fountainhead are available for purchase at a special price by school libraries, teachers and students.
3. On request from teachers, Liberty Institute could help organize video screening of The Fountainhead.

The essay contest seeks to introduce young people to stimulating literature, so that they may develop their critical faculties, be well informed about some of the very basic issues of life, and live up to their full potential in their own chosen fields. For over a decade the Ayn Rand Institute has been organizing similar essay contest is being held in the United States, attracting thousands of participants each year.