The Journals of Ayn Rand Read Online Free PDF Page A

From his carelessness, an accident occurs that almost costs the life of Buddy O‘Brien, his new friend. Buddy is saved only by Dick Saunders, who dashes up in time to rescue him. In spite of himself, Bill admires his enemy.
    That night, going home, Bill gives his word to Buddy that he will never drink again.
    In two weeks’ time, the workers can hardly recognize the young bum. Bill’s whole appearance has changed and his energy makes him one of the best workers. He is enthusiastic about his work. He cannot resist the influence of the skyscraper. Slowly, it makes a man out of him.
    From her store window, Hetty watches Bill’s tall, strong figure across the street and wonders whether her love for him is really dead.
    When Bill gets his first pay-check, Tom Webbs invites him to the joint. Bill refuses. He is proud of his earned money and he makes a confession to Webbs: on his way to New York he committed his only real crime—he stole a wallet from a passenger on the train. He has not spent all the money. Now he asks Webbs to take it to the police station, for he does not dare to do it himself. Webbs agrees to do it. However, he keeps the wallet to himself.

    [The scenario stops here. In the following notes, AR begins another scenario with the same title. I have identified a few paragraphs that were written in Russian; the rest was written in English.]
    [In Russian:] The main thing—the building of the skyscraper, no matter what. Plot-line: victory over obstacles. They try to prevent him from building. He sacrifices everything for the sake of the building. How can he sacrifice or lose the woman for the sake of his work? His private life is in conflict with his work.
    The story of a Man. “The Man and the Building.”
    Francis Gonda. Something in the past of the man. His passion for the building. “The basement” calls for him—down.
    The victory of a man over the town, rising above it, to the sky. The spirit of Calumet “K. ” [Calumet “K,” by Samuel Merwin and Henry Webster, was AR’s favorite popular novel. It is the story of a hero’s triumph over all obstacles in the construction of a grain elevator. ]
    The building rises in the night as a white column, with drops of water rolling like tears on the joyously glistening walls, in the rays of spotlights. On top of the building, a man is standing, his head thrown far back—just a man looking at the sky.
    [In Russian:] The basic plot—the building of a skyscraper. The line is man’s strength. How can strength be expressed? The ability to bear calmly an enormous disaster.
    [In Russian:] Question of interest: will Francis triumph over the city or not?
    “It’s a challenge we have thrown to the city! It’s a war declared! We are going to build the greatest of buildings. We are going to rise higher [than anyone before]!”
    Francis Gonda—“The Man Victorious,” the Master Builder.
    [A fantasy poster sketch with the words: ]
    Cecil B. DeMille presents
THE SKYSCRAPER
by Ayn Rand
from a story by Dudley Murphy
with William Boyd and Lena Malena
    Francis Gonda. “The Skyscraper.” An epic of construction.
    The active power —Francis’ ambition, his passion for building (and his passion for the woman).
    [Characters:] Francis Gonda, a steel foreman, a typical worker, the roof dancer, a bank owner, and John [Scott].

    [In the scenario that follows, the name of the hero is changed from Francis Gonda to Howard Kane.]
    Howard Kane is the hero of New York. He is a young architect, who has won a big competition arranged by a newspaper, and is now building a skyscraper that is expected to be one of the highest and most unusual in the city. He is architect and superintendent of the construction. John Scott, a famous established architect, had hoped to win the competition. Now he is madly jealous of Howard Kane, who had formerly been employed on his buildings, starting as a simple worker at the very bottom.
    Howard is not popular among the workers. They resent his