Black Oxen story
Lee Clavering, a playwright in New York, falls in love with an Austrian countess, Madame Zatianny. Janet Oglethorpe, an animated and precocious flapper, is also in love with Lee but he hasn't noticed yet. Unbeknownst to Lee, Madame Zatianny is actually 58 years old, and has retained her youth through a rejuvenating glandular treatment and X-ray surgery. Lee's plans to marry Madame Zatianny are thwarted when one of her former admirers reveals her embarrassing secret and, in the end, Lee discovers happiness with Janet.
9 total · 7 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| anti-aging technology | major | Mary Ogden used a rejuvenating glandular treatment and X-ray surgery to look young again. |
| love triangle | major | Lee Clavering, Madame Zatianny, and Janet Oglethorpe. |
| romantic love | major | Lee Clavering fell in love with Madame Zatianny, and Janet Oglethorpe with Lee Clavering. |
| the desire to be beautiful | major | Mary Ogden used a rejuvenating glandular treatment and X-ray surgery to look young again. |
| the quest for immortality | major | Mary Ogden used a rejuvenating glandular treatment and X-ray surgery to look young again. |
| what if I could be young again | major | Mary Ogden used a rejuvenating glandular treatment and X-ray surgery to look young again. |
| youth rebellion | major | Janet Oglethorpe faced criticism over the wild flapper lifestyle she led. |
| old flames | minor | Mary Ogden and Charles Dinwiddie. |
| unrequited love | minor | Janet Oglethorpe at Lee Clavering. |