Toohey And Wynand Analysis

Ellsworth Toohey and Gail Wynand each epitomize the ultimate second-hander. They are intoxicated by power: the authority and manipulation they exercise against others. Despite their similar lust for power, the two men aspire to contrasting end goals. Whereas Wynand utilizes power as a tool, Toohey chases power as an end unto itself. In this way, both Toohey and Wynand serve to contrast and foreground the perfect egoist, Howard Roark.
Before Wynand encounters Roark, he holds that the perfect man is an unrealizable aspiration; an ideal actualized only within the realm of art. When Toohey baits Wynand with the statue of Dominique, Wynand contends that “She can’t have what that sculptor has given her. And to see that same face, but without any meaning, like a dead caricature — don’t you think one would hate the
woman for that” (488)? In this manner, Wynand embraces the principles of egoism, yet rejects the realistic application of the philosophy. While sailing with Dominique on his private yacht he remarks regarding the heroic man: “I love to think of it. I don’t believe it” (581). Wielding unbridled power, Wynand asserts, is the only way man may secure himself against the refuse of Hell’s Kitchen. Given that true egoism is an impossible end, Wynand asserts that power is the only means by which man may achieve success. Rather than suffer ignominiously in the brimstone, Wynand chooses to rise among the devils in order to control them.
Although Wynand and Toohey both pursue power over mankind, only Toohey comprehends the immediate ramifications of dominating others. It takes the destruction of the Banner for Wynand to understand the implications of power. Pondering the failure of his media campaign to exonerate Roark, Wynand reflects “you were a ruler of men. You held a leash. A leash is only a rope with a noose at both ends” (777). In exchange for power over mankind, Toohey and Wynand sacrifice their own freedom. Toohey understands his dependence on others and acknowledges that an ascent to power necessitates the loss of self. Toohey is less than human; he is merely a mouthpiece for the masses, warping the human spirit in the pursuit of dominance. Wynand finally recognizes the nature of power during the strike against the Banner: Any throne built upon the back of mankind remains subject to its whims. When Wynand realizes his folly, he collapses his financial empire in order to throw off the yoke of the masses.
Ultimately, Wynand’s acceptance of egoism as absolute allows for his moral redemption. Although the fallen capitalist never regains the years spent in the pursuit of power, he achieves something of which Toohey can only dream. Wynand reclaims his independence and closes the Banner on his own terms. At the cost of personal wealth and prestige, Wynand redeems his ego. In this respect, the newspaper tycoon attains that which Toohey can only aspire.
Toohey embodies the ultimate evil in The Fountainhead. He utilizes religion and collectivism to disguise his insidious ambition to manipulate men and women like puppets. Talentless, he is a parasite who dazzles and ensures his followers, quaffing potential and perpetuating mediocrity. For Toohey, power begets power — a ravenous, insatiable cycle. A young Toohey foreshadows his ambition with a query to his Bible instructor: “Then, in order to be truly wealthy, a man should collect souls” (350)? The unscrupulous basis for Toohey’s question is his assumption that personal success may be measured in terms of influence over ones fellow human beings. Due to Toohey’s lack of distinguishing abilities, he strives to subjugate others, forcing his followers into dependence. Although Wynand and Toohey nurture similar ambitions, Toohey, unlike Wynand, is a collector of souls. Wynand, a slave to public approval, is a second-hander by trade. Toohey is a second-hander by design.
Whereas Wynand and Roark are similar in many respects, Toohey, as a direct character foil, contrasts Roark, the enlightened protagonist.
Toohey is both a master and a slave, bound to the people who serve him. He provides a dramatic dipole to Roark, who is wholly independent. Likewise, Wynand offers a glimpse of what Roark could have been had the aspiring architect abandoned his morality in the pursuit of power. Unlike Wynand, Roark realizes from the start that egoism and collectivism are irreconcilable. He redeems the fallen capitalist and triumphs despite the “corrosive gas” (583) that is Toohey. Through his victory over Toohey, Roark proves that the heroic man is more than a myth.
In her writing, Rand champions the supremacy of the individual. When man accepts the will of others, he crumbles to the theocrats, the fascists, the communists; he is crushed by Wynand and subjugated by Toohey. The pursuit of validation by others, the worship of material goods, the sacrificial offering of oneself to the masses, the accumulation of power; none of these ever truly satisfy the soul. If water is the wellspring for life, mankind is best served seeking the
fountainhead.