| The
Fountainhead Essay Contest |
| for
students of high schools and junior colleges in
India |
| 2001
Contest Topics and Rules |
|
|
|
READ
AYN RAND’S NOVEL
THE
FOUNTAINHEAD
Win
Prizes Worth Rs 20,000/-
- ALL
INDIA THE FOUNTAINHEAD ESSAY COMPETITION 2001
for
students of classes XI & XII,
and equivalents
First
Prize: Rs. 8000/-
cash award
2
Second Prizes: Rs. 4000/- each
3
Third Prizes: Rs. 2000/- each
A
Number of Consolation Prizes
Special
Prizes for Schools
- 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.
- B.
Two runners up schools will receive a set of Ayn Rand’s
fiction.
The
topics:
Select
ONE of the following 3 topics:
(1) Ayn
Rand said that her basic test for any story was "Would I want
to meet these characters and observe these events in real
life? Is this story an experience worth living through for
its own sake? Is the pleasure of contemplating these characters
an end in itself? ...." In the context of The Fountainhead,
give your answers along with your reasons for these questions.
(2)
For each of the following pairs of characters in The
Fountainhead,, compare and contrast their approach to
life and their basic motivation - (a) Howard Roark and Peter
Keating, (b) Gail Wynand and Ellsworth Toohey.
(3)
For each of the following quotations from The Fountainhead,
explain its significance in the story, and their general
implications.
- 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."
- Gail
Wynand to Howard Roark:"Build it as a monument to
that spirit which is yours ....... and could have been
mine."
- Howard
Roark to Henry Cameroon: "If at the end of
my life, I'll be what you are today, here, in this office,
I shall consider it an honour that I could not have
deserved."
Send
your entries to - (Entries
must reach us by 30 November 2001.)
The
Fountainhead Essay Contest
LIBERTY
INSTITUTE
259, J-Block (2nd floor), Saket New Delhi 110 017
Tel: (91)-(11) 6512441/ 6528244; Fax: (91)-(11)
6856992
E-Mail: essay@libertyindia.org
Rules
and Conditions:
1.
Essay should not exceed 1200 words.
2. Type your essay - if hand-written, make sure it is
legible - only on one side of page. Leave double line
spacing.
3. This contest is open to students of Class XI and XII,
and their equivalents such as ISC, intermediate, pre-degree,
pre-university, junior college, etc.
4. Your essays should reach us on or before 30
November, 2001. You fax,
post or e-mail your entry.
5. Results will be notified by 30
December, 2001. Decision of the judges will
be final.
6. Your essay should be accompanied by a covering letter
mentioning your name, residential address, name and address
of your school or institution, and the topic you have
selected. Also enclose a photocopy of your school identity
card or a similar certificate from your school.
7. All essays will become the property of Liberty Institute,
and will not be returned.
Attention
Teachers:
-
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.
-
Copies of The Fountainhead are available
for purchase at a special price of only Rs 220/- by
school libraries, teachers and students. (Postage extra)
-
Liberty Institute can, on request from teachers, organize
video screening of The Fountainhead for
schools in and around Delhi..
-
And remember there are special prizes for best schools.
About
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
(1905-82) is one of the all time most popular authors in the
world. Two of her best-selling novels are The Fountainhead
(1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957). Over 30 million copies
of her books have reportedly sold world wide so far. In the
early 1990s, an opinion survey by Gallup for the United States
Congressional Library found her to be the most influential
author, second only to the Bible. Her books, particularly
the fictions, are widely available in Indian bookshops. However,
the most telling evidence in support of her popularity in
India can be found in the availability of pirated edition
of her works, including non-fiction, on the streets of most
major cities! In 1999, a documentary feature made on her life
- Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life - was nominated
for an Oscar in that category.
About
Liberty Institute
The Institute
is a non-profit, public policy research and educational organization
dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of liberal,
free market ideas. It organizes seminars and workshops, maintains
a resource centre where a wide range of relevant literature
and audio-visual material from around the world are available
for reference, participates in book fairs to expose readers
to such literature. Visit us at www.libertyindia.org
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. Another organisation dedicated
to improving understanding of Ayn Rand's philosohy is The
Objectivist Centre.
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