Currently I'm reading The Fountainhead for my American Literature class.  I don't know why, but for some reason this novel is hard to put down.  However, I got pissed off at the debatable "rape" scene especially after our teacher asked us to write a response detailing why Ayn Rand would celebrate this scene.  Maybe it was simply because I felt that the female character involved was pathetic for wanting a man to dominate her and "defile" her.  Of course I couldn't tell my classmates that...they'd chide me even more for being a femi-nazi.  I'm really not, but at my conservative college I guess I qualify as femi-nazi.  They should meet my sister who happens to go to a women's college. 

Anyways, I did a little research on Ayn and what I found certainly wasn't promising.  She was considered a traitor to her sex by some feminists.  I also found out that she thought homosexuality was morally wrong and that it was a character flaw.  Of course that gives you -50 cool points in my book. 

Basically I dislike Rand as a person, but her book is fascinating somehow.  Anyone else have any experience with Rand?  Just looking for some opinions/good discussion.  In particular if anyone wants to comment on the rape scene, that would be great.  We had a huge debate in class today but I still don't feel as if we resolved anything.