The Pumpkin Competition story
The rich and miserly Elma Dinnock gains a secret from mysterious botanist Bertram Carver to win the Yarborough Country pumpkin-growing contest against her rival Mildred after 22 years of losing to her. Also starring Ritch Brinkley and Joshua Rudoy. Directed by: Norman Reynolds. Story by: Peter Z. Orton.
10 total · 1 choice · 8 major · 1 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| pride goes before a fall | choice | The story lead up to Elma, haughty and proud, waging her entire fortune that she would win the pumpkin contest. Obviously she did not. |
| gardening | major | The story concerns a community of pumpkin growing old ladies. |
| generous character vs. mean character | major | At the end of the story it was explained that, while Elma had grudgingly contributed for selfish reasons to the botanist's effort to end world hunger, the rest of the community had contributed as much and without reservation. |
| miserliness | major | Elma was miserly and selfish. Mildred said this was why she couldn't grow a pumpkin large enough to win the Yarborough County pumpkin-growing contest. |
| money can't buy happiness | major | Elma was exceptionally rich but obviously miserable because she kept loosing the pumpkin competition year after year. |
| rivalry | major | Elma and Mildred were caught up in a bitter rivalry over winning the annual pumpkin-growing contest. |
| selfishness | major | Elma was miserly and selfish. Mildred said this was why she couldn't grow a pumpkin large enough to win the Yarborough County pumpkin-growing contest. |
| speculative biotechnology | major | Prof. Bertram Carver invented a vegetable super-growth formula that the growers of Yarborough County used to produce truly enormous pumpkins. |
| the desire for glory | major | Elma's one purpose in life, besides making money, was to win the Yarborough County pumpkin-growing contest. She had tried and failed every year for the past two decades. |
| international issue | minor | Prof. Bertram Carver spoke of how his vegetable super-growth formula could help combat world hunger. |