Dominique Francon: Ayn Rand’s Profoundly Misunderstood Heroine
I fell in love with Dominique Francon when I was sixteen years old. Her idealism--her impassioned love for man at his highest and best--even more than her beauty and trenchant intelligence captured my spirit. To this day, she is my favorite literary heroine. For all of her errors, which she corrects, I resonate with her tormented, hero-worshiping soul. Ayn Rand described Dominique as "myself in a bad mood"; and so, I love her for the same reason that Roark does--she is "total passion for the total height." I was overjoyed and proud to write an essay in "The Objective Standard" explaining the essence of her so-often misunderstood character, and am beyond pleased that the Objective Standard Institute (OSI) published it as a stand-alone booklet, as well. Thank you to everyone at OSI for that. Above all, a deep, heartfelt thank you to Ayn Rand for creating such a complex, fascinating, and memorable female character.