Part 1: Summary
Howard Roark and Peter Keating are students of architecture nearing their completion of college. Roark is expelled from college due to his drastically different architectural designs. His modern designs conflict with the preferred classicism of the present day. Keating graduates from college and is presented with the opportunity of furthering his education or accepting a job offer. He seeks the advice of Roark, who encourages him to make his own decision, but tells him that if it were his choice he would begin a career. His manipulative mother pressures him into accepting the offer and he joins the company of Francon & Heyer.
Keating befriends Davis, a coworker. Keating continuously offers to help Davis out by completing his work for him. This manipulative plan eventually results in all of Davis's work actually being produced by Keating. Davis then becomes useless to the company and is fired. Keating is informed that Ellsworth Toohey, a popular columnist with the Banner, is the uncle of Katie, his girlfriend. Keating knows he has a tendency to manipulate people, so he refuses to let Katie introduce him to Toohey, fearing that he will be using her to befriend him. Soon afterwards, Toohey also publishes his first book on architecture titled Sermons in Stone, which proves very successful.
Francon & Heyer are offered a designing job. Francon views this as a good opportunity to progress his company and has confidence that Keating will be able to fulfill it. Stengel's design impressed the client so Keating convinces him to take on the job solely and abandon the company. Keating is thus promoted to the position of head designer, replacing Stengel. Keating is given his first designing task and is unhappy with his progress. He then seeks Roark's help to improve his work and Roark allows him to be accredited for his work.
Roark had begun working with Henry Cameron, who shares his views of modernism in architecture. However, Cameron suffers from heath issues due to the stress of his failing business, so he decides to retire in New Jersey with his sister not long after. He instructs Roark to close the company and destroy all their previous work.
Peter purchases his own apartment on Park Avenue and brings his mother to New York to live with him. His mom suggests that he court Dominique, Francon's daughter, to gain Francon's favor and further his position in the company. Despite his mother's stubborn urgings, Katie and Peter spontaneously decide to get engaged.
Keating recommends that Francon hire Roark when he learns of his recent unemployment. Roark accepts on the condition that he will not be employed for designing. Keating enjoys the power his higher position in the company allows him to impose on Roark. Roark, however, remains indifferent and this displeases Keating. The only pleasure Roark finds in his new job are the opportunities to inspect construction sites. Here he meets Mike, an electrician, who he befriends. Francon requests that Roark redesigns the Dana building, one of Cameron's creations, in a more classical style for a client. Roark suggests that such radical changes wouldn't be honorable to Cameron's work. Unacquainted with rejection, Francon fires Roark for his disobedience.
Roark encounters difficulty in his job search, but is eventually hired by John Eric Snyte. Snyte coordinates his designing projects by requiring each architect at the firm to produce a design in the style that they specialize in. Meanwhile the Building-Trade Union goes on strike for higher wages. Although Wynand, owner of the Banner newspaper, opposes the strikes, his employee Toohey decides to publicly give a speech expressing his support. Wynand gives Toohey a raise insisting it is not a bribe to keep his opinions to himself.
Austin Heller is interested in hiring Snyte's company to design his house. Roark's original design was the only one that appealed to Heller. Roark is then prompted to edit the final image, removing the aspects of the project. Heller then hires Roark to complete the project individually. With his income from Heller's project Roark opens his own office. Keating is the first one to visit his new office, praising his success with an undertone of resentment. Roark soon discovers that Mike is working on the construction of the Heller project. Once the house is completed Heller highly approves the work, though society disagrees. The Heller house receives very little publicity.
Dominique, meanwhile, is assigned to do a report on the living conditions of the slums. She obtains her information through her experiences of the two weeks she lives there. She insults both the owners of the buildings, stating the horrible conditions they keep them in, and those living there, describing them as greedy. She had also completed a negative review of one of Francon & Heyer's buildings. Francon eventually decides to introduce Keating to Dominique at a formal party. As they become more acquainted Keating begins to believe he is falling in love with her. At the same time he agrees to marry Katie, although his mother disapproves of this decision and encourages him to marry Dominique instead to further his career. Keating and Katie agree to postpone their marriage until he can stabilize his job.
Expressing his admiration of the Heller house, Jimmy Gowan approaches Roark with the task of designing a gas station for him. Roark accepts, but continues to decline requests for classicism from clients. Sanborn is the next to desire Roark's services. He had originally wanted Henry Cameron to design his country home. Due to Cameron's retirement he is unavailable and Sanborn proposes it to Roark, who accepts. Sanborn is pleased with the results, though his family is unsatisfied. His wife goes to the extent of refusing to live in the house, while his son chooses to remain by himself in the new house.
Cosmo-Slotnick holds a contest to design a building. Keating is aware that if he is successful in the contest it will secure his job. He becomes frustrated with his failed design and asks for the help of Roark. He enters with the design edited by Roark. After winning the competition, Keating tries to blackmail Lucius Heyer into retirement. Heyer unrelentingly refuses until the stress of their argument induces another stroke on Heyer. Heyer was already suffering from failing health, so the effects of the stroke were extreme, resulting in his death. Keating is consequently promoted to the position of partner and the company is renamed Francon & Keating.
Cameron's health has continued to deteriorate. Roark visits him before his death and receives a word of encouragement to pursue his career. Having a building personally designed is an expensive process and those who could afford it we rarely interested in modernist designs. Consenquently Roark has very few clients. Keating feels somewhat guilty for all the success Roark's aid has brought him and decides to offer Roark money to secure that this knowledge will remain only between the two. Roark refuses the bribe, angering Keating, though he ensures that it will remain secret. A bank was seriously considering hiring Roark, however he rejects their offer when they insist on including some classical elements in the design. This job was much needed by Roark, but he still chooses the alternative to close his office. Roark resorts to requesting Mike's help to find him new employment. Mike is disappointed and enraged that he is giving in to society's opposition of his work, but refers him to work in one of Francon's granite quarries in Connecticut.
Keating befriends Davis, a coworker. Keating continuously offers to help Davis out by completing his work for him. This manipulative plan eventually results in all of Davis's work actually being produced by Keating. Davis then becomes useless to the company and is fired. Keating is informed that Ellsworth Toohey, a popular columnist with the Banner, is the uncle of Katie, his girlfriend. Keating knows he has a tendency to manipulate people, so he refuses to let Katie introduce him to Toohey, fearing that he will be using her to befriend him. Soon afterwards, Toohey also publishes his first book on architecture titled Sermons in Stone, which proves very successful.
Francon & Heyer are offered a designing job. Francon views this as a good opportunity to progress his company and has confidence that Keating will be able to fulfill it. Stengel's design impressed the client so Keating convinces him to take on the job solely and abandon the company. Keating is thus promoted to the position of head designer, replacing Stengel. Keating is given his first designing task and is unhappy with his progress. He then seeks Roark's help to improve his work and Roark allows him to be accredited for his work.
Roark had begun working with Henry Cameron, who shares his views of modernism in architecture. However, Cameron suffers from heath issues due to the stress of his failing business, so he decides to retire in New Jersey with his sister not long after. He instructs Roark to close the company and destroy all their previous work.
Peter purchases his own apartment on Park Avenue and brings his mother to New York to live with him. His mom suggests that he court Dominique, Francon's daughter, to gain Francon's favor and further his position in the company. Despite his mother's stubborn urgings, Katie and Peter spontaneously decide to get engaged.
Keating recommends that Francon hire Roark when he learns of his recent unemployment. Roark accepts on the condition that he will not be employed for designing. Keating enjoys the power his higher position in the company allows him to impose on Roark. Roark, however, remains indifferent and this displeases Keating. The only pleasure Roark finds in his new job are the opportunities to inspect construction sites. Here he meets Mike, an electrician, who he befriends. Francon requests that Roark redesigns the Dana building, one of Cameron's creations, in a more classical style for a client. Roark suggests that such radical changes wouldn't be honorable to Cameron's work. Unacquainted with rejection, Francon fires Roark for his disobedience.
Roark encounters difficulty in his job search, but is eventually hired by John Eric Snyte. Snyte coordinates his designing projects by requiring each architect at the firm to produce a design in the style that they specialize in. Meanwhile the Building-Trade Union goes on strike for higher wages. Although Wynand, owner of the Banner newspaper, opposes the strikes, his employee Toohey decides to publicly give a speech expressing his support. Wynand gives Toohey a raise insisting it is not a bribe to keep his opinions to himself.
Austin Heller is interested in hiring Snyte's company to design his house. Roark's original design was the only one that appealed to Heller. Roark is then prompted to edit the final image, removing the aspects of the project. Heller then hires Roark to complete the project individually. With his income from Heller's project Roark opens his own office. Keating is the first one to visit his new office, praising his success with an undertone of resentment. Roark soon discovers that Mike is working on the construction of the Heller project. Once the house is completed Heller highly approves the work, though society disagrees. The Heller house receives very little publicity.
Dominique, meanwhile, is assigned to do a report on the living conditions of the slums. She obtains her information through her experiences of the two weeks she lives there. She insults both the owners of the buildings, stating the horrible conditions they keep them in, and those living there, describing them as greedy. She had also completed a negative review of one of Francon & Heyer's buildings. Francon eventually decides to introduce Keating to Dominique at a formal party. As they become more acquainted Keating begins to believe he is falling in love with her. At the same time he agrees to marry Katie, although his mother disapproves of this decision and encourages him to marry Dominique instead to further his career. Keating and Katie agree to postpone their marriage until he can stabilize his job.
Expressing his admiration of the Heller house, Jimmy Gowan approaches Roark with the task of designing a gas station for him. Roark accepts, but continues to decline requests for classicism from clients. Sanborn is the next to desire Roark's services. He had originally wanted Henry Cameron to design his country home. Due to Cameron's retirement he is unavailable and Sanborn proposes it to Roark, who accepts. Sanborn is pleased with the results, though his family is unsatisfied. His wife goes to the extent of refusing to live in the house, while his son chooses to remain by himself in the new house.
Cosmo-Slotnick holds a contest to design a building. Keating is aware that if he is successful in the contest it will secure his job. He becomes frustrated with his failed design and asks for the help of Roark. He enters with the design edited by Roark. After winning the competition, Keating tries to blackmail Lucius Heyer into retirement. Heyer unrelentingly refuses until the stress of their argument induces another stroke on Heyer. Heyer was already suffering from failing health, so the effects of the stroke were extreme, resulting in his death. Keating is consequently promoted to the position of partner and the company is renamed Francon & Keating.
Cameron's health has continued to deteriorate. Roark visits him before his death and receives a word of encouragement to pursue his career. Having a building personally designed is an expensive process and those who could afford it we rarely interested in modernist designs. Consenquently Roark has very few clients. Keating feels somewhat guilty for all the success Roark's aid has brought him and decides to offer Roark money to secure that this knowledge will remain only between the two. Roark refuses the bribe, angering Keating, though he ensures that it will remain secret. A bank was seriously considering hiring Roark, however he rejects their offer when they insist on including some classical elements in the design. This job was much needed by Roark, but he still chooses the alternative to close his office. Roark resorts to requesting Mike's help to find him new employment. Mike is disappointed and enraged that he is giving in to society's opposition of his work, but refers him to work in one of Francon's granite quarries in Connecticut.