Surviving in the real world is a difficult task in itself; surviving alone proves to be an obstacle. The choice to carry on unaided is usually an option that an individual chooses for himself. Howard Roark decides that the only way to live is for himself and for his beliefs. From the s

Toohey accumulates certain people. If he likes a person, maybe he will mention him in his column. Or perhaps, he will invite him to participate in one of the small groups that he has started. Toohey finds innocent young people who are trying to become a success and pulls them into his grasp. He establishes a relationship with these young people so they regard him as a wise elder/father type figure. Toohey handpicks these people because they have something in common with him and he needs to use them to achieve a certain goal. Toohey is extremely intellectual and he can see right through them. He recognizes their underhanded actions and lets them realize that he is unto their game without actually acknowledging anything. By doing so, Toohey causes them to become dependent upon him. They need to keep returning to him for advice and counseling. Toohey once said to one of the young people whom he took in, "This is a pact, my dear. An alliance...Our motives may be quite opposite. In fact, they are. But it doesn't matter. The result will be the same. It is not necessary to have a noble aim in common. It is necessary only to have a common enemy..."

On the opposite side of the fence, Peter Keating believed that in order to be pleased with himself, he had to please others. Instead of becoming an artist, Keating sacrificed his wants and became an architect because that was the profession that his mother wished him to acquire. Keating's mother decided that it would be a "respectable position" for her son. Keating graduated and joined the most respected architectural firm. He worked his way to the top, but not through his hard work and dedication. Instead, Keating used many different tactics to climb the rungs on the ladder of success.

The title of Toohey's column is rather ironic. In his column Toohey uses eloquent language to slash his victims. After being noted in "One Small Voice" a person is either totally respected or disrespected. Toohey loudly makes it clear what he thinks of the situation and since so many hold him in high regard, his opinion is taken to heart. Toohey's "small voice" is not that at all. His words shouted at his reading audience making it fully aware of his hefty judgments therefore swaying the audience toward his point of view. Toohey's small voice definitely carries on strongly throughout society.

All of Keating's actions were self-centered. Unlike Roark, Keating's motives were to obtain success and fame in the eyes of others. His desire was to be somebody and be known in his society

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Approximate Word count = 1732
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)