“Roark’s speech”

This page contains what are likely early thoughts of Rand’s on the speech that Roark gives at his trial. Elements of that final speech are apparent in these notes, but they are not in the polished form that Rand achieved for the published novel. By the time she actually finished writing the speech, every word mattered, and she chose them carefully.

While crafting this speech for the novel was a challenge, Rand faced subsequent challenges with the speech in relation to adaptations of The Fountainhead. For the illustrated condensation of the novel published by King Features in 1946, Rand condensed the speech herself, successfully keeping its essentials. She also adapted her novel into a screenplay for the 1949 Warner Bros. film, which involved not only a condensation of the speech but also a fight to retain its integrity as it was filmed. For more information on her struggles with the film adaptation, please see this podcast episode.