Read The Journals of Ayn Rand Online

Authors: Ayn Rand

The Journals of Ayn Rand (39 page)

She was not afraid of Roark and she did not question the things she could not understand in him. She had not expected that she would love him, but she never needed reasons or explanations for the unexpected. He was not exactly like other people; she neither approved of it nor condemned it; she took it for granted; she never thought of resenting it, she was too avidly curious; and one universal trait had passed her by entirely; it never occurred to her, upon meeting anything strange and different, that that strangeness and difference were to be taken as some deep personal insult to her. She did not doubt herself; she had no compulsion to doubt others. [...]
 
 
Undated
To do:
When Part I is finished—go over it and make separate schedules for the development of Roark, Cameron, Keating, Toohey, Wynand, Dominique, Katie. (Minor: check on Vesta, Heller, Francon, Mrs. Keating.)
Where and how much is given of Roark’s architectural philosophy? How much is necessary?
More important—and watch this for schedule: Roark’s philosophy of life.
How about the mind versus the emotions? How much of that can or should be included? Where? In what form?
Roark’s egotism versus Keating’s egotism? Where to stress and explain this?
Remember: “Form follows function”—in the writing and planning.
(Enough of the glorification of the people as “natural” and “true.” Show what the people are.)
 
 
Undated
[Here are the “character development schedules” referred to above. AR names what is shown about the character in each scene.
]
Roark
CHAPTER I:
In the mountains. Exaltation at thoughts of architecture. Expulsion. Talk with Dean.
Appearance, great love for architecture, modernism, some of his convictions on architecture, independence, self-assurance, cold indifference to people, mention of his past.
CHAPTER II:
Scene with Keating.
A touch of gentleness and understanding. The courage of his decision to work for Cameron.
CHAPTER III:
First meeting with Cameron.
Quiet assurance. Gets what he wants without saying much. Respect for Cameron.
CHAPTER IV:
Scene of Cameron firing him.
The calm that nothing can shake. A glimpse of what awaits him—he accepts it.
CHAPTER V:
Meeting with Vesta. Incident at building with Cameron drunk. [These scenes were cut and later published in
The Early Ayn Rand.]
A touch of the unconventional with Vesta. Indifferent interest in her. His attitude on the site of a building under construction. His ability and quick decision. Knocking out the contractor. Talks with Cameron—his understanding and devotion to work.
CHAPTER VI:
Affair with Vesta. Scene of Cameron having expected commission. Help to Keating on his first project.
His indifference to Vesta, his absorption in his work and ideas, her reaction to him—fear of him, his taking her as an act of cruelty. His terrific work on the commission—and calm in the face of defeat. His ability in helping Keating—and calm contempt.
CHAPTER VII:
Cameron gives up.
His calm in the face of a disaster.
CHAPTER VIII:
Peter’s offer. Clash with Vesta. In Francon’s office.
Mike.
His closed attitude on people and Vesta’s fear of it. His cold indifference to her and snub to Keating. His silent torture in Francon’s office. His love for actual sites of construction. His ability with building work—Mike’s admiration, his response to a person like Mike.
CHAPTER IX:
Fired. Looking for job.
First real test of his integrity—he loses job. His calm about looking for work, reactions of people to him, his inability to worry too much, his immovable faith in the future.
CHAPTER X:
Job with Snyte. Break with Vesta.
The difference between Vesta’s feeling for life and his. His cold ruthlessness in breaking with her.
CHAPTER XI:
The Heller house.
His attitude on work with Snyte—ability to forget. His wonder about the world around him. His direct ruthlessness in taking commission for Heller house.
CHAPTER XII:
The building of the Heller house.
His passionate happiness in his first work. Cameron’s prediction. Some of his ideas on architecture.
CHAPTER XIV:
Gowan’s Station. Talk with Heller on commissions. Three refused clients. Fargo Store. Sanborn House. Heddy.
His unsocialness—as expressed by Heller. His quiet stubbornness with clients. More of his thoughts on architecture. A touch of the unconventional in meeting with Heddy. His “caste-system” with people.
[This last reference is to the following passage, later cut: “He seldom looked at women; there were few whom he could want, as there were few people to whom he could speak. He had an instinctive caste-system of his own; he looked for a mark upon each forehead; a mark clear to him in the lines of a face, unseen by everyone else; without that mark men did not seem to exist for him, nor women; they lost all reality to him and he lost all response. When he found that mark, the stamp of a peculiar freedom that was more than freedom, he looked upon his finds with interest and eagerness....
”] CHAPTER XV:
Idleness. Heddy. Holcombe’s bribe. Help Keating with competition project.
Calm in the face of idleness. Lighter touch with Heddy. Takes no advantage of his connections. Refuses Holcombe—wonders about Holcombe’s reasons. Won’t enter competition.
CHAPTER XVI:
Scene with Keating. Refuses bank commission. Leaves for Connecticut.
Contempt for Keating—won’t take money he needs. Torture and almost breakdown from waiting. The great bank commission. Refuses. Ruthlessness toward himself in his decision to work as common laborer.
Keating
CHAPTER I:
Reference to him by Mrs. Keating.
His brilliance as a student.
CHAPTER II:
Graduation. Talk with Roark. Decision about job.
Brilliance and popularity. His second-hand absorption with his relation to other people and with his superiority to them. Insincerity with people. Touch of sincerity with Roark—his helplessness and lack of assurance. Lets mother influence him, even though he neither loves nor respects her. Mother pushed him into career.
CHAPTER III:
First day in Francon’s office.
Lack of assurance—gains it only from comparing himself to others. Clever playing up to Francon—dig at Stengel.
CHAPTER IV:
Relations with Francon, takes over Davis’ work, scene with Katie.
Taking Francon into his hands, insincerity and shrewdness in dealing with Davis, sincerity and vagueness with Katie, his own better side which he cannot sustain, confesses to her his real opinion of Francon and his career, exhibits good touch in refusing to meet Toohey.
CHAPTER V:
Establishes himself in office, betrays Davis.
Servility and appeal to clients, unprincipled ruthlessness in advancing himself, weakness in avoiding Katie, cheap love affairs, touch of hypocrisy with mother.
CHAPTER VI:
Gets rid
of
Stengel. Hisfirst designing job.
Subtle diplomacy, treachery to Francon in his manner of eliminating Stengel, orgies with Francon. Attitude on his work—only fear, no real ideas or creative impulse. Runs to Roark—accepts his help and resents him.
CHAPTER VII:
Steady advance. Proposal to Katie.
Beginning of fourflushing with money and position. Hints about Francon’s daughter. He is greatly satisfied with himself—has lost the sincerity of admitting anything to Katie, doesn’t see it any more, loves Francon and his position, wouldn’t mind meeting Toohey, indifference to work, concentrates on the social side of it. But proposes to Katie—somewhat unexpectedly, as a last flash of his better self.
CHAPTER VIII:
Gets Roark into Francon ’s office.
Fourflushing before Roark. Needs Roark, uses him, yet in a way feels superior, enjoys subtly insulting Roark and ordering him about. CHAPTER IX:
Does nothing for Roark after Roark is fired.
Drops Roark when he feels he needs him no longer.
CHAPTER X:
Strike. Protest meeting. Sees Dominique.
His restlessness and doubts when left alone and idle. Needs Katie. His fear at her absorption in Toohey. Sees Dominique—and decides to follow it up, even though he fears and dislikes her. CHAPTER XI:
Holcombe’s party. Meets Dominique. Francon’s hints.
Pursues Dominique, plans to take advantage ofFrancon—even though he doesn’t really like Dominique.
CHAPTER XII:
Scene in Roark’s new office.
Resents Roark’s success and advancement over him. Instinctively, not understanding it and bewildered by it. Later—nasty, patronizing remarks about Roark.
CHAPTER XIII:
Luncheon with Dominique. Scene when Katie asks him to marry her
—
and the consequences.
Goes after Dominique without warning her. Realizes he’s planned two futures; decides to let future decide and drifts. His love for Katie asserts itself when he is ready to marry her, has feeling of his own danger, but lets his mother and the considerations of other people—career, Francon, society, church, etc.—stop him. Would have gone through if Katie insisted, but she doesn’t and he lets it go. His uncertainty and reliance upon others.
CHAPTER XV: Campaign
against Heyer. The Cosmo-Slotnick
competition. Love scene with Dominique.
Ruthlessness in his hounding of Heyer. Weakness on the Cosmo-Slotnick competition, dread of another winner, hysterical vanity, runs to Roark again. Is physically infatuated with Dominique, is terribly disappointed, but still proposes to her.
CHAPTER XVI:
Heyer’s death. Wins competition. Scene with
Roark.
Celebration ofpartnership.
Horrible cruelty to Heyer. Triumph of vanity and “second-handedness” in his attitude on winning competition. Slight hint of conscience in thought of Roark. Attempts to talk Roark into conventional attitude—doesn’t know what prompts him. Attempts to bribe Roark—and screams his hatred of him, realizing Roark’s contempt. Celebration of partnership—“second-hand” satisfaction.
Toohey
CHAPTER IV: Article in
New Frontiers
—first hint of his philosophy.
CHAPTER VI: Katie’s talk about him—hints on his manner and methods. Small mention—Keating’s fear of him.
CHAPTER VII: “Sermons in Stones”—radicalism, criticism of present economic system, down with individuals, glorifying the masses, glorifying the united and the obedient, attack on modern architecture. Brilliance of style and erudition.
Katie about him: the beginning of her absorption, his indifference to the clippings, and yet... his making speech at Union.
CHAPTER X: His column on the Banner. The situation on the strike, the noble gesture of a public martyr. The speech—stress on organization and the lack of freedom in individual choice. The magnetism of his voice. Katie’s absorption in him frightens Keating.
CHAPTER XI: Dominique on Toohey—the perfect skunk, the monolith, his threat to the world, the testing stone.
CHAPTER XV: Said nothing about the Heller house.
CHAPTER XII: Katie’s fit of terror of him.
CHAPTER XV: On Cosmo-Slotnick competition jury.
Wynand
CHAPTER V: First mention of papers—“gas-station murder.”
CHAPTER VI: Cameron’s mention: “legs, crusade against wealth, rights of the downtrodden, unwed mothers, recipes, utility companies, horoscopes.” Circulation growing.
CHAPTER IX: Francon’s reference to Lili Lansing. The castle, the party (Caesar Borgia) and the photos with children.
CHAPTER X: Wynand on the strike. Reverses principles when it hits him. His real estate operations. His unpredictable inconsistency. The appeals to trashy patriotism. People’s dread of him and his vengeance. Heller’s reference to him. The startling gesture toward Toohey.
CHAPTER XI: Dominique on Wynand—great art lover and perfect sideshow baiter. Decadent.
CHAPTER XII: The slums campaign. Wynand on a world cruise. Alvah Scarret.
February 18, 1940
[
AR critiques her first draft of Part I.
]
[The Chapter I scene in] Roark’s room: Is it necessary at all? If so—do better, put in more character.
CHAPTER I: Roark planted too soon—too much of him given—too obviously heroic—the author’s sympathy too clear. (?) Don’t like Roark’s outbreak with Dean—can be treated differently.
Don’t
dialogue thoughts—narrate them (such as the Dean’s and Mrs. Keating’s). Roark changing his drawing—too much detail. (?) In this first chapter—plant Roark: ornament—that his buildings are not modernistic boxes?
CHAPTER II: Change Mrs. Keating’s approach to a subtler and meaner one—like the one she uses later about Katie. Give one speech on Keating’s attitude about architectural convictions. (?) CHAPTER III: Miss Bisbee—unnecessary? Too long about Francon’s office—can be cut. Cameron’s biography should be gone over—some awkward passages. Cameron’s criticism of Roark’s drawings—don’t like it.
CHAPTER IV: Details about Tim Davis—unnecessary. Make it shorter. Roark’s life and his tenement room—can be done better, simpler, there’s a little too obvious an effect there. Cameron giving Roark a raise—too much niceness. (?) Don’t have Cameron dropping his head on his arms.
CHAPTER V: Roark looking for the “stamp” on faces—should be planted earlier and separately and more importantly. Omit incident with faked plans—too much and too detailed. Change it to narrative of Davis simply becoming useless, being crowded out—and never knowing how it was done and Keating remaining his best friend and even giving him a job and boasting of this “good deed.” Don’t like all of incident with Roark fixing building—too long—technically dishonest—and Roark too able. Cameron’s struggle against contractor unnecessary—reserve that for Roark’s future. [AR cut this last
scene—it has been reprinted in
The Early Ayn Rand.]
CHAPTER VI: First reference to the Wynand papers should be separate and more important. On Vesta’s first resentment [of Roark]—here is the place to put the other side of her character—the “social” one.
The Dunlop incident—couldn’t it be cut? Important psychologically and as example of Keating’s methods—but perhaps too detailed for a mere incident. Keating’s first job of designing—shorter and clearer. Roark’s corrections—all the details or none. Narrative would be better than dialogue. The Cameron sequence from Austen Heller to flashback and back again is bad. Put flashback and [summary] of past year first, then on to Heller and the Wynand papers.
This
is the place for the first mention of the Wynand papers.
CHAPTER VII: Better last paragraph of office closing sequence—more emphasis for drawing on the wall. In resume of Keating’s rise—stress more (and
most)
the second-handedness: his worrying about people’s admiration for him and people’s envy, his comparing his achievements with others, his “good deeds”—and boasting of them. Mrs. Keating’s arrival not very well worded. Also—the transition to Katie.
CHAPTER VIII: Cut some of Keating’s cruder insults to Roark. Keating must be much subtler in this. More about Mike—show why Roark likes him and why Roark would like him immediately.
CHAPTER IX: Shorter on Roark’s looking for a job. No need for single incidents; they can all be blended into one narrative—all except Prescott.
CHAPTER X: Lead up into the strike—simpler and more authentic.
CHAPTER XI: Better and clearer summary of Roark’s six months with Snyte.
CHAPTER XII: Cut out Heller’s thoughts on men’s interdependence.
Much
too early. Leave just the friendship angle—the unselfish devotion. Don’t like Roark’s talk on architecture—give it better build-up, lead into it better, and also better wording and more original thoughts and expressions. Heller’s biography—very last. More pointed and fresher.
CHAPTER XIV: Cut out Heddy entirely. I don’t think that Roark needs another love. Cut out Sanboms—too detailed for this part of the book—not detailed enough in itself. Perhaps cut Fargo Store—another way of covering this period has to be found.
CHAPTER XV: Cut out Heddy. Cut out Holcombe incident—or put in another one like it instead.
CHAPTER XVI: In conversation with Mike—plant that Roark does not want a white-collar job. Control the obvious, pointless exaggerations in the description of the movie furor.

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