Alex’s Reviews > The Fountainhead > Status Update

Gail Dom and Roark are all chilling by the newly completed house. Roark is exhausted from working overtime on the housing project. Peter shows Toohey and he laughs, saying Peter accomplished what he’s been trying to do his whole life.

Roark and Peter meet for the first time in 6 years. Roark realizes Peter has changed when he asks for his help, and Peter is surprised when Roark says he’ll think about it. They meet the next day and Roark says he has been thinking about these projects for a while as a challenge and really wants to build them. With Peter as the social support and Roark as the designer they agree to secretly work together

Keatings life is becoming a failure. His office is down to one floor, after the failure of the Centuries exhibit, the resigning Guy, and the Depression. His mom moves in with him, and he starts to paint alone since it makes him peaceful. He needs one more commission, and goes to Toohey to try to get it. Toohey tells him he can have it if he succeeds but that he was always replaceable. Keating calls Roark for help

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 visits the home site with Gail. Gail brings up the Temple and Roark chews him out for saying he would have done the same if he was in town and for thinking Roark cared. They reminisce on their poor childhoods. Roark brings the drawings to Gail who says Roark will for him doing what he says or he will end his career. Roark butchers the house and calls the bluff and Gail folds. Gail invites him to dinner w Dom

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