The Journals of Ayn Rand (40 page)

Do not dialogue thoughts. Control adjectives—cut the weakening ones. Do not use adjectives unless they are different and illuminating. Don’t go into over-detailed analyses of psychology—unless it’s something new and illuminating to say. Don’t give any details whatever—in sentences or thoughts—unless you have something new to say.

Stress the second-handedness whenever possible, particularly in Keating, but a different facet of it each time. Cut out episodes that do not bear on that theme. The book is not about architecture, it’s about Roark against the world and about the workings of that thing in the world which opposes him. Give only enough pure architecture to make the background real. But only
as a background.
Eliminate bromides or convenient colloquial expressions ready-made, even in places that are mere transitions, such as “and it made film history,” “round of nightclubs,” etc.

Estrangement—antagonism.

Her putting him in his place as a worker.

Her directness and defiant wit.

His mockery in his quiet acceptance of the position she is imposing upon him—and when she attempts (faintly) to bring in the personal, it is he who refuses, sticking to the “Yes, Miss Francon” attitude of a respectful worker.

[Roark:] “You want me and I know it and I’ll make it vile, to show you the enormity of your desire, because you’ll want me still. I’m obedient to you now, I’m nothing before you—and it won’t change things. I’ll crush you in spite of it,
because
of it, when the time comes.”

[Dominique:] “I have you in my power. I’ll torture you. I enjoy it. I want you to know that. I enjoy debasing you, because I’m debasing myself through it, because you’ll conquer me some day—I want it—I hate you and I’ll punish you for it.”

All this on what appears as a discussion of his living conditions and her interest in the workers.

“You’re boasting.” “No, but ... it changes so little.” “In what?” “In your interest in workers. In the future. There are so many unchangeable things.”

 

 

Toohey [promotes] Keating—because he
knows
that Keating did not design the Cosmo-Slotnick building.

Toohey writes a profound article on Keating’s work, and tests Keating by asking him if he did mean all those things, knowing quite well that he, Toohey, has made them up. Keating agrees that he did—and Toohey is happy. Keating isn’t quite sure whether he did mean all that or not and is not sure whether Toohey knows it or not, but is very sure that Toohey is pleased. (These touches in Toohey must be very subtle, vague and rare—only as a hint, particularly at first. Most of Toohey must seem to be very authentic, noble and “humanitarian.”)

Toohey builds Keating up in print. Gives him commissions. Organizes the “Youth Club” of the A.G.A. with Keating as head. He controls the architectural profession through Keating. Disgrace to young sculptor on one of the buildings. (When Toohey switches to modernism, “Youth Club” switches with him.) The “youth”—and Keating—want to be “deep,” learn nothing, are glad to have it given to them by Toohey. He drives Keating into complete spiritual dependence upon him. He inflates Keating with false, empty values—knowing they are empty, knowing that Keating will feel the emptiness without understanding it—and will, therefore, be ruined for any values. The emptier he is, the more Keating will need Toohey.

Toohey alone among his associates guesses at Wynand’s real nature—at least to the extent of knowing that Wynand is not a mob-man at heart. Toohey, contrary to the dictates of his usual clever diplomacy, tries very hard to appear as a hero and a “man of integrity” before Wynand. Wynand ignores him completely, never considers him worth breaking. This makes Toohey furious—relegating him to the kind of man he knows himself to be.

 

 

Part II must show Keating at his height, enjoying himself immensely (his idea of enjoyment, and the essential meaninglessness of it)—and plant the first seeds for his later downfall (mainly through Toohey getting hold of his spirit, because of the emptiness of that spirit).

 

 

Toohey’s [purpose is] to ruin the strong, the single, the original, the healthy, the joyous—with the weapon of “other people,” of humanitarianism. To excuse all sins in kindness—and thereby to destroy all virtue. To kill happiness—in order to have slaves. No man is dangerous to him-except the happy man. He exists like a maggot—on wounds and sores.

 

 

Toohey’s greatest enemy—independence of spirit.

The first result of [independence] is great creation.

Toohey destroys all independence in people and all great achievement.

For the first:
independence causes happiness. Toohey is out to destroy and discredit—philosophically and practically—all happiness. Unhappy people look for a yoke—and they come to him.

For the second:
To discredit great achievement, he sets up standards which are easy for the phonies. Hence—Toohey and Gertrude Stein, Walt Disney, and
Ferdinand the Bull.
[
Gertrude Stein seems to have been the model for the character Lois Cook, whose first name was originally Gertrude
.]

For the first:
Catherine, Peter, Dominique, Dick Sanborn, attempt (later) at Wynand. (Also Vesta.)
[This is the last mention of Vesta Dunning in AR’s notes.]

For the second: Roark,
sculptor, young writer,
Heller,
Peter as architect, death notice on Cameron.

The author of
Ferdinand the Bull
made into a “philosopher” by Toohey, as against the young writer.

 

 

For Gertrude [Lois Cook]: deliberate sloppiness—as careful as grooming—and for the same purpose.

Toohey’s behavior after the assassination attempt—“theatrical only in too complete an absence of anything theatrical.” Toohey is on his way to some “humanitarian lecture.”

Change which Roark would not make and which ruined contractor? (?)

What libel could really be dangerous to an architect’s career? (Unsafety of construction.)

 

 

Chapters I and II: written (Roark-Dominique in quarry)

October, 1928. Peter—his high standing. (Peter enters office. The newspaper. Story of Toohey’s inheritance. Peter—on not meeting Toohey and no write-up.) The Cosmo-Slotnick building and incident of sculptor— past—and sculptor has just been fired. Peter looking for another one. Review of Cosmo-Slotnick building and note from Toohey. News of attempt at Toohey’s life. The story of the attempt. Peter’s meeting with Toohey. (Toohey knows Peter did not design all of Cosmo-Slotnick building—and is pleased by it.) Peter accepting Toohey’s ideas on his building. Toohey hints about his “committee of architects”—in the future. Toohey and Gertrude’s commission. Toohey about Peter’s romance with Catherine.

Sketches in papers and accounts of Roark’s building for Enright. Peter-Catherine, her first “social worker” job. Peter meets Gertrude—her house. Gertrude’s literary career. Their romance. Toohey’s reference to Roark’s building—“if it were important, I would have remembered it.” Toohey questions Peter most significantly about Roark. Peter is surprised that all the questions are personal about Roark, not architectural at all. The meeting of the “committee of architects.” Peter is president.

Dominique’s return to New York. Dominique-Toohey. Meeting of youth group. Peter—her looking for him.

Roark, the Enright Building, Austen Heller. The prospective client. The party. Roark-Dominique. Roark-Toohey. Toohey-Dominique.

Dominique’s article against Roark—Toohey objects. Toohey-Dominique about past relationship of Roark-Peter. Dominique getting important commission for Peter. Interview: Roark-owner. Roark-Dominique—their night together.

Early winter, 1929. Commission for “Unfinished Symphony.” Reactions to that. Toohey and writer. Dominique-Roark. Dominique helping Peter. Toohey throwing Dominique and Peter together.

Campaign against “Symphony.” Dominique-stockholder. Toohey makes Dominique lose her column. Dominique votes against Symphony. Work stopped (Fall, 1929).
[Note that the chapter on Toohey’s background is missing here.]

Peter-Catherine. Dominique at “Symphony.” Next day—Dominique marries Peter. Her night with Roark. Next morning—their break.
[The main events that AR planned in connection with the “Unfinished Symphony” were later transferred to the Stoddard Temple sequence.]

Winter, 1929-1930. Toohey and old millionaire [Hopton Stoddard]. Roark gets commission for Temple. Roark and sculptor. Life of Peter-Dominique. Roark calls on her. Dominique posing for statue.

Fall, 1930. Temple finished. The scandal. The lawsuit. Cameron’s death. [
In the novel, Cameron dies much earlier (towards the end of Part I).
]

Early winter, 1931. Roark loses suit and everything. Goes to live in “Unfinished Symphony.” Temple altered by Peter. The Wynand real estate project. Toohey’s plans for Peter. Dominique is to meet Wynand. Scene of Roark on steps of Temple.

 

 

1. Unfinished Symphony—example of the triumph of second-handedness.

2. Toohey-Dominique.

3. How Dominique loses her column (possible connection with Wynand).

4. Toohey and the Wynand papers.

5. Dominique-Roark: why she leaves him.

a. Wynand. (Prepare him as a complete scoundrel. The oddness of his villainies. His passion for art.)

b. Toohey-Heller. (The beginnings of the break. The parting of the ways. The two kinds of liberals.)

Heller’s foundation for relationships—Toohey objects. In connection with (b) above.

Dominique at Unfinished Symphony, sees man and his dirty action, sees all of society that will hurt her as this act has hurt her—decides to marry Peter. (Before this—tying at Roark’s feet—in silence, in complete sincerity.) [In connection with] (5).

Toohey, knowing Wynand’s tricks, deliberately builds up a writer of integrity, creates the occasion for a great display of integrity, in order to tempt Wynand to [crush] it—which Wynand does. (In connection with Unfinished Symphony? Heller?) [In connection with] (4) and (a).

Toohey, knowing what Wynand has prohibited, deliberately tells Dominique that it’s prohibited—and she changes her mind to the opposite of what she intended to write and is fired. (Unfinished Symphony and Heller?) [In connection with] (2) and (3).

Toohey has to eliminate the top off the papers—Dominique and the writer whom Wynand ruins. [In connection with] (4).

 

 

April 22, 1940

What do I wish to show by the party (besides the meeting of Roark and Dominique)?
Second-handedness.
What kind?
The social kind.
Which is?

A desperate desire to make an impression on others. They are not there to see but to be seen. Each wants to dominate the other and will crawl, lick feet, and make a fool of himself for that domination. They cannot talk shop. They cannot raise controversial subjects. Don’t antagonize—above all. You’ve got to please them all. Don’t mention what you’re really interested in; it makes you too important. You gain importance here by being unimportant—in inverse ratio. Others are not interested in you as your own self; you offend them by presuming that they are. Become only a mirror for them, while they’re trying to be a mirror for you. The vicious circle. Toohey as the one to start the circle rolling, because he [provides] a direction compatible with all those people’s hidden aims. They all want importance—they can find it only in others. They want to be invited in order to get work in order to be invited here. (Use people to make money to use to impress people with.) There are no values—that is why they cling so desperately to people.