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On the night of Friday, August 23, 1963, Lisa Houseman and Robbie Gould met on the golf course for an intimate encounter. In accordance with the going-steady rules, Lisa was willing to go to "second base" with him -- to pet each other above their waists. However, Robbie attempted too aggressively to go already to "third base" -- to pet below their waists. He intended to get at least a handjob from her -- perhaps even a blowjob. His unexpected aggression caused her to lose her composure, and she rushed away from him. He followed her, insulting her as being childish.
Lisa's sister Baby saw Lisa rushing away from Robbie while he insulted her. Later that night, Baby learned that Penny Johnson was pregnant from Robbie.
On the morning of Saturday, August 24, Baby confronted Robbie and demanded that he help pay for Penny's abortion. Robbie rejected her demand and suggested that she read Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead. Baby rejected his suggestion.
Later during that weekend, August 24-25, Lisa and Robbie reconciled, discussing their golf-course incident. Robbie apologized to Lisa, saying that her beauty had caused him to lose his self-control. Robbie assured Lisa that he indeed did want to go steady with her and so would behave himself accordingly. Robbie offered his copy of The Fountainhead now to Lisa, explaining to her that the novel would help her to understand his attitude and philosophy. Lisa accepted his offer, perceiving the book to be also a romantic token that she could show off as public proof that she and he indeed were in a going-steady relationship.
Lisa began to read The Fountainhead -- which is 695-pages long -- on Sunday, August 25. She finished Part 1 -- which ends on page 201 -- on Thursday, August 29. While reading Part 1, Lisa recognized that the novel's male hero is Howard Roark, an architect who struggles to promote Modern Architecture. Lisa recognized also that the novel's major female character is Dominique Francon, a glamorous young woman whose father owns an architecture firm and who writes a newspaper column about interior design. During Part 1, these two characters, Howard and Dominique, do not know each other and so do not interact.
Lisa recognized also that Robbie expected Lisa to identify him with the character Howard and to identify herself with the character Dominique. As Lisa was about to begin reading the novel's Part 2, she anticipated that Howard and Dominique soon would meet and then fall in love with each other.
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During the days when she read Part 1 -- Monday through Thursday, August 26-29 -- Lisa and Robbie progressed gradually in their going-steady relationship. They stayed on "second base", petting only above the waist, but she allowed him to progress. At first, she let Robbie fondle and kiss her blouse-covered breasts -- and then her bra-covered breasts and then her bare breasts. Now Lisa had to decide whether and when to progress with Robbie to "third base" -- to petting below their waists.
Also during those days, Lisa was told by Baby that Robbie had impregnated Penny. Then when Lisa asked Robbie about this accusation, he confirmed to Lisa that he indeed had had sexual intercourse with Penny, but so had several other men. Robbie told Lisa that he always had used a condom with Penny, and so Penny must have become pregnant from another man.
This situation troubled Lisa. She did not want to be married to a man who had an illegitimate child with another woman. Lisa feared also that if she continued to control Robbie with the going-steady rules, then he might eventually dump her for another woman who would let him go right to fourth base. In particular, she feared that he might dump her for Penny, with whom he already had enjoyed sexual intercourse and with whom he might share a child soon.
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As Lisa thought about the novel's characters Howard and Dominique, she liked their apparent sexual restraint. Dominique had stated that she still was a virgin, and Howard seemed to lead a life that did not involve sexual relationships. Lisa hoped that the novel's Part 2 would tell a romantic story in which Howard and Dominique each would share their first sexual experiences and relationship with the other. In genuine love with each other, Howard and Dominique would cooperate with each other to promote Modern architecture and art.
Thinking thus about Dominique and Howard, Lisa pondered that perhaps she should terminate her relationship with Robbie. He was too sexually aggressive and experienced. Lisa thought that maybe she should look for a man more like Howard. Lisa liked that Howard delayed his own sexual gratification while pursuing his ambitions for a career in Modern architecture.
By Thursday, August 29, Lisa thought that maybe she should dump Robbie before she advanced to "third base" with him. She still felt squeamish about third-base activities and felt pressured by Robbie. She feared that he might dump her soon if she hesitated to advance, so maybe she should dump him now.
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On the evening of Thursday, August 29, 1963, Lisa is entering the resort hotel's main building to play bingo. A waiter offers to dance with her later that evening. Lisa responds coyly that he indeed should ask her to dance later that evening.
WaiterLisa did dance with this suitor later that night. She realized, however, that he did not attract her as much as Robbie did.
Hey, how about a dance later?
Lisa Houseman
Could be. Who knows?
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On the morning of Friday August 30, the Houseman family ate breakfast together in the restaurant. At this point, Lisa had been reading The Fountainhead for four or five days. Now she has read almost to the end of Part 1.
During that breakfast, Lisa remarked that she has been intending to perform in the talent show that is scheduled for Sunday, September 1. She still was choosing between two songs -- "I Feel Pretty" and "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" These two songs are from romantic musicals, respectively West Side Story and Camelot.
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The song "I Feel Pretty" includes the following key stanza, expressing Lisa's own female feelings about her going-steady relationship with Robbie:
Modest and pure,
Polite and refined,
Well-bred and mature --
And out of her mind!
As the female in a going-steady relationship, Lisa was supposed to be pretty, so that Robbie would be proud of being her boyfriend. She also was supposed to control his sexual aggression, even though she herself likewise felt much sexual desire.
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The song "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" includes the following key stanza.
They find relief in quite a clever way
When they're sorely pressed,
They whistle for a spell
And whistling seems to brighten up their day.
And that's what simple folk do.
As the female in a going-steady relationship, Lisa was supposed to control her male partner's pressure to advance their sexual interactions. These lyrics suggested to Lisa that she should simply maintain her composure as she resisted Robbie's pressure.
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After breakfast, the Houseman family went together to their cabin and relaxed. A rainstorm began. Lisa felt moody. She remarked:
God, I am so sick of this rain. Remind me not to take my honeymoon at Niagara Falls.
She was thinking about whether she should continue her relationship with Robbie. She did want to get married eventually, but maybe she should dump him now and look for another man.
Despite the rainstorm, Baby headed out the door, saying that she was going to the hotel lobby to join in a game of charades.
As soon as Baby departed from the cabin, Lisa took out the novel The Fountainhead and read the final pages of Part 1. Howard Roark had turned down an architecture project because he would not be allowed to design entirely in Modern architecture. In order to make a living now, he traveled to Connecticut to work in a stone quarry.
As soon as Baby departed from the cabin, Lisa took out the novel The Fountainhead and read the final pages of Part 1. Howard Roark had turned down an architecture project because he would not be allowed to design entirely in Modern architecture. In order to make a living now, he traveled to Connecticut to work in a stone quarry.
Lisa turned to Page 202, the beginning Part 2 -- titled "Ellsworth M. Toohey". That page began with a description of Howard using a power drill. The description evoked in Lisa a mental image of Howard copulating enthusiastically and forcefully:
.... to feel the drill trembling in a long, convulsive shudder -- to feel his stomach trembling, his lungs trembling ... to fill the drill and his body gathered into a single will of pressure, that a shaft of steel might sink slowly into granite -- this was all of life for Howard Roark ...... the drive of each blow .... the tension of the sound cutting through nerves ... as if the quivering tool were shattering slowly both the stone and the man ...
Lisa never had read such a sophisticated and sexual novel. She appreciated that Robbie was introducing her to more adult thinking and experience. She expected that the characters Howard and Dominique would begin to interact romantically and then sexually in the novel's Part 2. Lisa hoped that the novel would clarify her thinking about Robbie and would help her to talk with Robbie more intelligently and effectively about sex.
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Continued in Part 16
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Where do you get from how far Lisa had read The Fountainhead?
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