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Dominique Francon lives in a world of mediocrity, characterized by creations not constructed in the name of genuine talent or love of the subject, but for success. While the book centers on how a society like this can be overcome, from a perspective of somebody who was the daughter of this system, those who champion the system’s failure, such as Howard Roark, are portrayed as the enemy. Instead of dealing with this in the way Roark has, by trying to fix society, she crafts an illusion for herself and pretends that the world is decent. When Roark finally shows her that a life outside of this institution is possible, she attempts to destroy him, partly to keep her illusion alive and partly to shelter Roark from being broken by men like his foil, Peter Keating. Conversely, Dominique found cracks in her belief in the system before she met Roark, particularly that because of her privilege she has only had success not because of her talent, but because of her father. Ayn Rand weaves these many layers together to create a complex romance between a woman and the man she both loves and wishes to destroy.
1.	Society (conditioned)
2.	Privilege (transition to self-conflict/ doubt)
3.	Disillusionment (her hate of capitalism)
4.	Roark (to save him from himself).
The society itself which has bred generations of success without merit has set the stage for Dominique’s conflict of self. The concept of success just for power and money puts the aspects of earning recognition and actual talent to the way side. Those who are subpar lead society as long as they appeal to the previous powers.


Because of these surfacing insecurities cast aside by Dominique, she acts out aggressively against Howard Roark. This is made evident by her destructive tendencies both internally (to scorn) and externally (to destroy).  Such conflict of character leads Dominique to become unable to control herself and her life. What kind of society allows people like Guy Francon and Peter Keeting to be successful while those with raw talent, such as Roark and Cameron, must “only hear your voice begging him [Francon], pleading, your voice licking his knees?” (Rand 65).
The New York Architectural Machine will inevitably lead to the consumption of talents such as Roark. Howard, the man Dominique cannot help but love, will fall at the hands of those below him. With powerful admiration, Dominique sets out to destroy Roark before the talentless pervert and defeat him.
In addition to her love for Roark and what he stands for, her self-hatred projected onto him is a reason why she struggles to be happy. Her success, being given to her, has given her all the more resolve to destroy the system that made her successful for the wrong reasons. An attachment to the life of a younger Dominique and the realization of the atrocities going on put her at odds with herself. The ‘new’ Dominique, having seen the error of her ways in Roark, now wishes to defeat the system, yet also goes through the system to ruin Roark’s life before anyone else can. Such a new form of thought instilled in her by Roark also makes her resent him for changing her so drastically. When she cannot blame herself anymore, she goes to blame the next most important thing in her life: her lover.
“you don’t have to applaud. I don’t expect it. Dominique says this with the intent of seeming disconnected with the privileged life she grew up in and to further her dissociation with who she was and who she desire to be. By characterizing herself as powerful even in the harshest conditions, she feels an independence from the machine.
Her desires being fulfilled all her life has led to extravagances which also control her decisions.
You know, I love statues of naked men. Don’t look so silly. I said statues. I had one in particular. It was supposed to be Helios. I got it out of a museum in Europe. I had a terrible time getting it; it wasn’t for sale, of course. I think I was in love with it, Alvah. I brought it home with me.
	She goes on to throw this same statue down the airshaft because it is too perfect for others to see. Something priceless is destroyed because others were not ready for it. Instead of waiting for the day when man can understand its perfection, she must get rid of it. This shows that Dominique doesn’t care for those below her more than she does care for the pursuit of perfection.








Stirred by the taut lines of Roark's body, the proud, scornful demeanor of his face, Dominique pursues him. She comes to the quarry, where the workers engage in inhuman toil in the terrible heat. His look says that he not only has the right to stare at her with arrogance and unspoken intimacy, but that she has given him that right. Dominique is angry but terrified that she has no control over the feelings this nameless worker arouses in her.
She knew it was the most beautiful face she would ever see, because it was the abstraction of strength made visible. She felt a convulsion of anger, protest, of resistance- and of pleasure.
205

She tries to distance herself from her privileged life and still keeps her poise even when suffering.
“At the end of two weeks she returned to her penthouse apartment on the roof of a hotel over Central Park, and her articles on life in the slums appeared in the Banner. They were a merciless, brilliant account.”
64

 she knew that the world that they lived in wouldn't recognize or appreciate Roark's genius. They prefered the usual, generic designs of people like Francon and Keating. She knew Roark's designs and plans were excellent and perfect, but because she also knew the general public would destroy his work/ideas, she didn't want them to reach the public. They didn't deserve them. She did whatever she could to secure the commissions and clients for Keating so they wouldn't go to Roark. Dominique believes that greatness such as Roark's should never be offered to a public unable to appreciate it, and decides that since she cannot have the world she wants (in which men like him are recognized for what they are) she will live completely and entirely in the world she has, which shuns him and praises Keating. That evening, Dominique pays Keating a visit, and makes him a one-time offer of her hand in marriage. Keating accepts, and they are married that evening. Dominique turns her entire spirit over to Peter, hosting the dinners he wants, agreeing with him, and saying whatever he wants her to say. She fights Roark, and herds all of his potential clients over to the slowly weakening Keating
Dominique wants to destroy Roark because she loves him. He is living in a time that she feels does not deserve him. She thinks that he shouldn't be bringing his beauty and his work to a corrupted world.
Also, she wants to destroy him because she wants him to be only hers, and the only way to do that is to make sure that no one else can ever come in contact with him.
There is a passage about what she does to statues that she loves, and it explains her obsession with destruction. Also, if you've ever read Atlas Shrugged, the idea of destroying to save the world is presented in a much clearer format. I would suggest reading that book, as well, and then you'll surely know Dominique's motives.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/f/the-fountainhead/character-analysis/dominique-francon
Prior to meeting her lover Howard Roark, Dominique Francon remained loyal to her individualistic philosophy and retained her sense of self control. Her natural distaste for society after a life of superiority leads her to develop further what Roark would later teach her: that some people don’t deserve to see brilliance. What other’s see Dominique as, whether irrational or strong willed, is the result of her brilliance being wrongly acknowledged throughout her life.