Alex’s Reviews > The Fountainhead > Status Update

Toohey supports modern architecture, even though it’s not as pure as Henry Cameron’s original work. Peter asks Toohey if he’s serious, which he says he is, about architecture being ever-changing. Keating starts work on Stoneridge but is exhausted. Francon retires and Keating has Dumont join him as a partner.

Toohey is with his council of writers listening to a play by Ike. They all say it’s terrible, but the banners writer Jules (who Toohey got hired) says it’s great. He explains he knows it’s trash but he can make the public think it’s good. He can bring down good work by comparing this trash to it and people won’t know the difference. Keating joins and the artists realize he is their target audience.

Peter goes to Gail’s who says he’s marrying Dom. Dom goes to Mallory’s and talk, a bit about Roark too. Peter goes to Toohey and tells him the situation and Toohey crashes out. Toohey tells Alvah who crashes out. Alvah talks to Gail and Gail tells him to stfu and fire anyone who publishes anything about Dom. Dom goes to see Roark building in Ohio otw to Reno. They talk for a bit and she continues on her way

Dom and Gail start their journey. He tells her what the boat name I Do means, which he does not do. They have dinner and talk about their views on humanity, about how they’ve never felt small in nature because man has conquered it and how people don’t appreciate art enough, and realize they are the same. Gail asks her to marry him, which shocks her and it ruins her plan, but she remembers Roark and agrees

Peter goes to dinner with Gail and Dom, where Gail very obviously hints at him sleeping with Dom for Peter to get Stoneridge. Peter is shocked that Gail is asking him at the incredibly nice restaurant in public and starts tweaking. Gail and Dom say it’s not to torture him but for each other. Two days before Dom and Gail sail, he lets her visit his art gallery with no explanation other than wanting her to see it

Gail invites Dom over to talk and they both quickly realize Toohey didn’t fill them in on what each other know about who they are and the origins of the statue. Dom becomes very curt and says she’s willing to sleep with Gail for Stoneridge but really to try to learn self contempt, and Gail, understanding her now, says she’ll never achieve it. Gail buys more of Mallory’s work for his gallery.

Gail doesn’t kill himself because he feels dread about his life. He gets a drink and remembers tooheys gift, eventually giving into curiosity and opening it. He finds the statue of Dom. He calls Toohey and invites him over and asks who the sculptor was. It’s clear he thinks it’s fantastic but Toohey thought it would make him want Dom.
Gail is happy that Toohey is dumb since he thought Toohey liked it as is

The Banner is always the first with the news, and some claim it does bad things to make news. Gail uses it to slander businesses and then take them over. He gets all the best writers because he pays them obscenely. He has a private art collection he shows no one. Once he turned 45 he started paying people to do jobs that were the opposite of what they wanted to do, seemingly for pleasure. Now at 51 he is numb

Wynand had a hard upbringing. He was in a gang, then became leader by winning a fight. He held many jobs and taught himself a lot through them. He started to read a ton, and realized to run things he needed to control info, so he went to work for a newspaper. He realizes the world has no integrity and decides to lean into that. He takes over the paper and turned it into one that was shameful but with justification

We formally meet Gail Wynand as he contemplates killing himself. He doesn’t feel any way about it so decides not to, seemingly unfeeling. He met with Toohey earlier who wants him to meet Keating to build his real estate and offers Dom, then a “gift” when Wynand refuses. That evening he breaks up with his current mistress and then goes to kill himself, but wants a reason to