| The
Fountainhead Essay Contest |
| for
students of high schools and junior colleges in
India |
|
|
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) For each of the following pairs of characters in The
Fountainhead, compare and contrast their approach to life
and their basic motivation:
(a) Dominique Francon and Ellsworth Toohey,
(b) Howard Roark and Gail Wynand,
(c) Henry Cameron and Peter Keating.
2) In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand portrays the essential
division between two basic kinds of people: "those
"dedicated to exaltation of man's self-esteem and the
sacredness of his happiness on earth-and those determined
not allow either to become possible." Illustrate this
division from the story, and give your reasons.
3) For each of the following quotations from The Fountainhead
explain its significance in the story and its wider implications:
(i) Howard Roark: "To say 'I love you,' one must first
know how to say the ' I '."
(ii) Howard 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 done for others."
(iii) Hopton Stoddard: "You are a profoundly religious
man, Mr. Roark - in your own way. I can see that in your
building."
Howard Roark: "That's true."
Send your entries to - (Entries must reach us by 30 November
2002.)
The Fountainhead Essay Contest
LIBERTY INSTITUTE
259, J-Block (2nd floor), Saket New Delhi 110 017
Tel: (91)-(11) 6512441 / 6528244; Fax: (91)-(11) 6532345
/ 6856992
E-Mail: essay@libertyindia.org
liberty@nda.vsnl.net.in
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,
2002. You fax, post or e-mail your entry.
5. Results will be notified by 30 December, 2002. 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 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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