rachel’s blog

Chapter 1:
Howard Roark begins working at a granite quarry owned by Francon. Turns out, Francon’s estate is nearby and Dominique is staying there for the summer. One day she visits the quarry and spots Roark and his red hair. She stares at him, but hates him because she might fall in love with him. (huh?) She wants to return to the quarry to see him but she does not want to at the same time. She does and they meet days later. Dominique asks, “Why do you always stare at me?” and Roark replies, “For the same reason you’ve been staring at me.”

Chapter 2:
Dominique wants to see Roark but resists, because “she found a deep satisfaction in pain – because that pain came from him.” She comes up with a plan to scratch her fireplace in order to have Roark come and fix it. He splits the marble and orders a new piece for her but when it comes to put it in, she sends for him but another man comes in his place. Dominique wants to know why Roark sent someone else while Roark wants to know why it matters. Roark comes several evening later and takes Dominique and rapes her. Though she is humiliated, she wanted it and feels the same pleasure she had felt in his arms. Roark is hired by Roger Enright and leaves for New York; Dominique is relieved.

Chapter 3:
Peter Keating receives an envelope from Ellsworth Toohey containing a draft of Toohey’s next column which is all about Keating and his work as well as a note asking for a meeting with Keating. Later Keating learns that a man named Steven Mallory has attempted to kill Toohey (he is fine). Keating and Toohey meet and get along and become friends. Keating joins a group of architects Toohey has put together; Toohey tells Keating he can be the chairman of the group.

Chapter 4:
Keating goes to tea with Toohey and Katie is there but does not talk. Toohey asks Keating all about Roark and arranges a commission for Keating. The commissioner wants the ugliest house in New York.

Chapter 5:
Dominique leaves the Francon estate and returns to New York. Toohey visits her at the Banner and sees a picture of the Enright House. She tells him the building is too good for him. Toohey’s group of architects (Council of American Builders) has their first meeting and Toohey gives a speech which is interrupted by Dominique. Keating tries to kiss her after the meeting but she is disgusted. Keating asks who she met and she tells him about a man in the quarry (Roark, but neither of them know it yet.)

Chapter 6:
Roark is able to reopen his office after receiving money from the Enright house. He attends a party with Austen Heller. Dominique is there and they are introduced but neither of them talks of their first meeting. Toohey watches Roark closely throughout the evening.

Chapter 7:
Dominique’s latest column in the Banner rips on the Enright House. Joel Sutton wonders if he should hire Roark but Dominique suggests Keating instead. Dominique goes to visit Roark that evening and tells him she wants him yet hates him because she wants him so much. She says she will do everything she can to destroy him in order to “test his strength”. Roark understands and respects Dominique.

Chapter 8:
Dominique continues to get commissions for Keating and she and Toohey agree to fight together against Roark. Roark and Dominique see each other often at night though she destroys him during the day. Enright takes Dominique to see his house by Roark and she is ecstatic. She then praises Roark in her column. People think that Dominique is in love with Keating, but she is not at all.

Chapter 9:
Toohey’s childhood is explained. He wanted to become a minister but then went to Harvard and majored in history. He had a following and in New York advised people with their careers; he would tell people that they needed to consider society when choosing a career. He told everyone to follow undesirable career paths. Toohey started publishing and became famous.

Chapter 10:
The Enright House opens and Roark receives many more commissions (Cord Building, Aquitania Hotel, Stoddard temple). Hopton Stoddard first asks Toohey’s advice because he wants to build a religious temple. Toohey suggests Roark and Roark agrees.

Chapter 11:
There is an annual costume ball where Roark is expected to come dressed as the Enright House but does not appear. After being assigned the temple, Roark finds Mallory who is asked to and agrees to sculpt a statue for the temple. Dominique becomes the model. Roark works on the temple and creates a horizontal building.

Chapter 12:
The Aquitania Hotel stops construction but Lansing promises it will continue one day. Stoddard cancels the opening of the temple. Toohey writes an awful column about the temple and Stoddard sues Roark for malpractice. Stoddard is supported by every newspaper in the city. At the trial, Dominique, Toohey, Keating, Francon, Gordon Prescott and Ralston Holcombe all testify on Stoddard’s behalf. Dominique, however, supports Roark by saying the world does not deserve the temple. Roark does not say a word but submits photos of the temple.

Chapter 13:
Stoddard wins the suit. Dominique threatens to quit if her column about the trial is not printed. Gail Wynand (who owns the banner) sends a cable saying, “Fire the bitch. GW.” Katie asks Toohey for advice with her job as a social worker and Toohey tells her to continue on because she is helping society. Keating tells Katie he wants to marry her right away and they plan to elope the next day.

Chapter 14:
The same evening that Keating tells Katie he will marry her, Dominique asks Keating to marry her. (what?!) He accepts and they go to Connecticut to get married. Dominique sleeps with Roark the same night, tells him she loves him and then that she married Keating. She says this is punishment because she can’t be happy if Roark isn’t appreciated by the world. Roark says he loves her as well and will not stop her.

Chapter 15:
Dominique moves into Keating’s apartment the next day. Keating is proud that he has Dominique for a wife when other men are jealous. The temple is converted in a home for subnormal children after being redesigned. Roark cannot find work after the temple incident. When Roark visits the temple one night, Toohey is there and asks Roark what he thinks of him and Roark says he doesn’t think of Toohey at all.