Father and Son story

ahp2x36 · 1957-06-02

London, 1912. Shop owner Joe Saunders refuses to give any more money to his spendthrift son, Sam. Sam spies Joe hiding his friend and wanted fugitive, Gus, in the shop cellar; hoping to collect a reward, Sam calls it in to the police. Gus manages to escape after Sam's lady friend, Mae, calls Joe to warn him. Joe is hurt when he learns what Sam did, but Sam still takes the reward money from the police. Directed by: Herschel Daugherty. Story by: Thomas Burke, James Cavanagh.

14 total · 1 choice · 6 major · 7 minor

ThemeLevelMotivation
father and son choice The story follows a spendthrift son's efforts to squeeze money out of his father. The eponymous theme of the story.
betrayal major Sam betrayed his own father, Joe, to the police in exchange for a £50 reward from the police.
compromising one's ethical principles for personal advantage major Sam struggle with the decision of whether to betray his father for £50 that Sam thought he sorely needed to start his life over (or something).
coping with a moocher major Joe put his foot down and refused to give his spendthrift son, Sam, anymore money.
loser character major Sam was a 35 year old spendthrift who went begging to his father for money because he couldn't hold down a job.
personally irresponsible character major Sam was a 35 year old spendthrift who went begging to his father for money because he couldn't hold down a job.
wicked character vs. virtuous character major Lazy, unfaithful, good-for-nothing Sam was pointedly compared and contrasted with various dutiful and upstanding characters, notably his own father.
alcohol abuse minor Sam accused his father of being a boozer in no uncertain terms.
being on the run from the law minor Gus was hiding out from the police in Joe's shop cellar.
friendship minor Joe was hiding his friend of 40 years and wanted fugitive, Gus, in his shop cellar.