facing financial ruin theme
A character runs low on money to such an extent that a radical change in life style will imminently be forced upon them. Typically, a previously poor character faces financial ruin when they loose their source of income and must starve or become a charity case. A formerly rich character may face financial ruin when their due debts exceed their liquid assets, and bankruptcy proceedings are imminent.
Examples
In nightgallery2x13b "The Painted Mirror", old lady Ellen was desperately pawning her last prized possessions in order to pay her day-to-day expenses. Meanwhile, Frank was bough out by his unscrupulous partner and faced the prospect of unemployment in an apparently harsh economy.
72 total · 1 choice · 50 major · 21 minor
| Story | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| movie: Pather Panchali (1955) | choice | Apu's family was very nearly broke and their poverty was much the cause of Durga's death |
| ahh1x27 | major | Al came crawling to his wealthy father for money, but to no avail. |
| ahh3x24 | major | Mary took her own life after losing her life savings. |
| ahh3x26 | major | Paul needed to come up with $150,000 or he and his family would be effectively ruined. |
| ahp1x19 | major | Ralph was so hard up for money that he couldn't afford to pay up when his silent business partner came knocking. Later, two vagrants nearly blackmailed Ralph into the poorhouse. |
| ahp1x29 | major | Laurence was close to loosing his cherished antique shop because he owed his supplier $11,000. |
| ahp2x04 | major | Fitzhugh and Katherine had nothing left but the house and an insurance policy, we heard. |
| ahp3x35 | major | Mr. Botibol gambled away he and his wife's $15,000 in vacation money which they planned to spend once in Europe. |
| ahp5x32 | major | Joe and Irene Helmet were in dire financial straits owing to Joe being unemployed. |
| ahp7x37 | major | Mitch and Judy were living hand-to-mouth and were on the verge of going hungry, and being evicted because she couldn't pay the rent. |