Alex’s Reviews > The Fountainhead > Status Update

Toohey has a meeting with a bunch of rich folks who have stakes in the Banner. They talk about their opinions on society and art, and Toohey is happy to hear them repeating Banner talking points that he has control over. They express their fear over Wynand and the disdain the public is beginning to feel towards him, worried their investment in the banner is bad, but Toohey soothes them successfully and is very happy

Gail spends more time with taro, inviting him to lunch and coming to his office and home. The home comes along, and Gail and Roark talk about Roark never controlling another and about how your existence and doing something with it is proof of its worth. Dom still waits patiently as the two get to know each other more

Gail shows Dom Roarks house and says hes coming for dinner. At dinner, they talk about your soul can say yes to something it likes and how you then own it forever. Dom tries her best to stay relaxed at the dinner knowing her personal efforts are finally over. Gail visits Roark at his office and tells him through story how he makes him feel hopeful, then they go to dinner. Gail tells Toohey to never write about Roark

Roark and Gail meet. They both realize instantly that they are similar. Roark tells Gail why he’s never built himself a structure and Gail agrees. He wants Roark to build a small home for himself and Dom thats like a fortress to keep her from the world. Roark agrees to do it. Toohey finds out and says they don’t have to worry about Gail anymore. Gail asks for and reads all info about Roark and the temple trial

Roark gets a job to build a big resort, but is suspicious about it. He remains busy, as the hotel from earlier gets funds to be finished and he has a bunch of other small jobs. The resort does really well, exposing that the investors wanted it to do poorly and chose Roark because they thought he was bad. Roark becomes famous, is asked to do the world fair w a team and rejects it, so Peter does it. Gail calls Roark

Gail tells Dom she’s in love with integrity, and that he hates the presumptuous of it. He talks crushing other people to feel the power. Later he talks about his want to build a skyscraper with his name that is the final symbol. She tells him to fire Toohey and he takes offense, saying Toohey is not a threat. Later again, Dom apologizes for using Gail, and he says it’s fine since she gives him something to own

Dom stays in the penthouse for months after the wedding, and Gail starts working very hard again. A banner writer writes a story on Dom and js fired for it. Dom makes Gail go to a showing of the bad play lifted by the banner, and it made her think of the fight between people like Roark vs the power of the banner. She crashes out a bit on Gail since they both feel treasonous for their roles in having that play aired

Dom gets back from Reno and asks Gail for a massive public wedding, which he puts together without hesitation, even though he did not want it. After Dom realizes he had his papers not report on it, she lets him leave the wedding and realizes he won by being unbothered. Toohey and Alvah discuss all the mail the paper is getting about the wedding, and how Toohey also helps another magazine. Toohey says he’s loyal

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.