Childish: of like or pertaining to a child; silly or immature. In a discussion pertaining to Question 92 of The Fountainhead, many students shared the fact that Howard Roark destroying his Cortlandt homes was just this. If you remember, Howard Roark always wanted the buildings he erected to be exactly as he drew them. When Roark gave Peter Keating his drawings for the homes, he agreed that Keating could use them as long as he didn't alter any part of them. He didn't care who constructed the buildings as long as the design was erected as he drew it. The Cortlandt homes that was built, was much different from Roark's original plan. So Roark, self-proclaimed in who he was and what he stood for, destroyed them. I believe that this act was not childish at all, for many children have difficulty standing up for themselves when other people are pushing them down. This is the one time in the book when Roark shows in his actions that he wouldn't stand to let his vision be compromised. His building was a reflection of who he was, and he wouldn't let others opinions of it change what it stood for. Some may ask was this stand even necessary? My answer would be yes. Roark needed to destroy Cortlandt homes for the sake of not letting others walk all over him again. It was standing up for the individual he stood for and justifying to himself that he could have pride in his work and the person he was. Just because he was different didn't mean that his ways were wrong.
In today's society, although people are encouraged to stand up for themselves, many times they fail to, in fear of what others will think or say. Bullying can be the strongest reflection of this fact. When someone is being bullied they are frequently unable to stand up for themselves. In the novel, Roark was in a sense “bullied” by his society. His action of destroying Cortlandt was his way of publicly showing his “bully” that their opinions did matter for once, but he wasn’t going to change his ways as a result of those opinions. As people grow into adults they discover what they truly stand for and are able to stay standing in their beliefs even when others continue to knock them down. Roark shows that he has already found his identity, and he is going to do whatever is necessary--in this case making a point to society that they can't have any of his ideas if they don't use all of them. Therefore, his actions can not be characterized as childish, only as a reflection of the man he is.
