Literary plot genre Drama | Low Town, Montana, 2022
Main characters.
John Ford is the sheriff of Low Town, a small Montana community. Jerry Malone, on the other hand, is the local doctor. The two were great friends until the day when, while hiking in the mountains with their respective wives, a tragic accident killed them both. From that moment on, each closed in on his or her own grief, blaming each other for the tragedy. Natalie and Max are the only children of the two men. They were dating at the time of the tragedy and now, years later, love each other, but are forced to hide their relationship.
The call to adventure
Natalie becomes pregnant with Max and, one freezing December night, decides to confront her father John by telling the truth. She tells him she is expecting and confides her desire to marry the young man. John's reaction is furious: he goes to Jerry and Max's house, starting a fight with the doctor. He gets the better of both and not satisfied calls for reinforcements and arrests the young man for assault.
The conflict
The county judge is a wise man and well understands the underlying causes of the conflict between the two families. He releases the boy on bail and tries to fix the situation without success. When Max returns home he must listen to his father's anger. The man asks him not to recognize his son and to abandon the idea of marriage. However, the two young people manage to communicate and make the decision to elope. On a freezing night, they face the blizzard that has isolated the village and head off into the nearby town.
The key
When John discovers his daughter's escape, he organizes a manhunt accusing Max of kidnapping her. John's and Jerry's hatred involves the entire community, which witnesses the events stunned. However, no one is concerned about the feelings of the two boys and especially their safety in such a difficult situation. Not even in the face of the snowstorm do John and Jerry manage to cooperate. But when they find the bodies of the two young men frozen, they understand that they have lost everything.
The alternatives
It is a plot with no happy ending, no chance for the characters to redeem themselves. It is born to leave a bitter taste in the mouth and to understand that taking certain dark alleys of our soul can only lead to the abyss. Here hatred overcomes everything, yet it is of great teaching to those who watch as they can understand that there is no hope without forgiveness.
By tapping into this core, the story can be easily modified, both in terms of location, characters, and background. Of course, one can also work on the ending and push it toward a happy ending.
Comments