Although Rand believed that the pleasure derived from a literary work chiefly lay in its subject matter-in its presentation of exciting events and characters-she also believed that the full enjoyment of a literary work, qua art, was bound up with its success in integrating its diverse elements into an artistically satisfying whole.

The kind of structural processing Roark here describes can be transferred to the act of appraising a work of literature. As Roark explains, “Your own eyes go through a structural process when you look at the house, you can follow each step, you see it rise, you know what made it and why it stands.” (136) Thus, when in The Fountainhead Austen Heller asks Howard Roark why he takes such pleasure in watching the construction of the house Roark has designed for him, Roark points out that it springs from one’s awareness of the building’s structure. Not only did she regard such integration as consistent with man’s need to translate experience into a cognitively coherent form, but she also saw it as a major source of aesthetic pleasure.

Holding that an important purpose of art is “to unify man’s consciousness and offer him a coherent view of reality,” ( RM 73) she held up integration-the ordering of an artwork’s component parts into a unified and harmonious whole-as a central aesthetic virtue. Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.In her writings on art, Ayn Rand put great emphasis on the value of structural unity in an artwork.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.

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