Granite Quarry

Howard Roark goes to work at a granite quarry after he is forced to close his office. It is there that he meets Dominique for the first time. Stone and granite form an important motif throughout the text, and when the novel opens, Roark is standing on a granite cliff. They represent strength, integrity, and cold pureness. Rand associates the stone and granite with strength of character. Roark is very often seen in parallel with these objects, although he is actually even stronger than granite—in one particular scene, he is seen breaking the granite.

Architectural School

Architectural school is the starting point for both Peter Keating and Howard Roark. It is the first institution to be mentioned in the text, and in an unflattering light because it stands for old traditionalist principles and people who value conformity more than they value ingenuity.

The Yacht “I do”