The Fountainhead

The Fountainhead

by

Ayn Rand

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The Fountainhead: Part 3: Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Dominique returns to New York after she gets her divorce and finds Wynand waiting for her at the train station. He tells her he loves her, and she says she is glad to be back with him, even though she hadn’t expected to be. He says they should go to the judge’s office right away, to be married, but Dominique says she wants a big wedding at a fancy hotel with crowds of people. He agrees and says it will take him a week to arrange it. She can stay at a hotel until then.
Dominique wants the wedding to be a big show because that is what will cause her to suffer the most. Wynand understands this, and still agrees to whatever she wants.
Themes
Love and Selfishness Theme Icon
Dominique and Wynand get married in front of 600 people the following week. She wears a black gown and carries jasmine, and she notices that Wynand stands as though he were alone, above the crowd. Even the “mockery of the monster reception” doesn’t affect him. He is “untouched by these guests” who have come out of boredom, envious hatred, or curiosity. Dominique wants him to reveal the soul of the Banner by taking pleasure in this, but he doesn’t. Alvah Scarret tells her that Wynand has refused to include any wedding pictures in the Banner, which surprises her. She thanks Wynand for doing this, and when they have sex later that night, she enjoys it.
Dominique thinks she will see Wynand enjoying the spectacle of their wedding, but he surprises her by being above the crowd and maintaining his dignity and integrity. She is also touched by his wish to keep her out of the Banner’s pages, understanding that this means that he truly respects and cherishes her.
Themes
Individualism Theme Icon
Integrity vs. Conformity Theme Icon
Love and Selfishness Theme Icon
Scarret gets letters from thousands of readers who are upset that there were no pictures of the wedding in the Banner, and Toohey says that this is why he was worried about Wynand marrying Dominique. Scarret asks Toohey if he is still loyal to the Banner, since he does sometimes write for New Frontiers, which has been very critical of Wynand recently. Toohey denies it, but Scarret says he doesn’t like the “new intelligentsia slang” that is being used against Wynand, like “the pirate of capitalism.” Scarret says he hears that Toohey is financing the articles against Wynand, which Toohey once again denies. However, Toohey does admit that he arranged for a share of the Banner to be sold through several proxies to Mitchell Layton, a communist sympathizer.
Scarret is still loyal to Wynand and the Banner, and is thus displeased with the rumors that Toohey is working against the paper. While Toohey denies this, he does disclose a big move he has made to put one of his men, a communist sympathizer, on the Banner’s board by making him a large shareholder.
Themes
Individualism Theme Icon
Integrity vs. Conformity Theme Icon
Religion and Morality Theme Icon