Character Relationship Map: You and Me

Characters

• Helen Roberts (played by Sylvia Sidney) — protagonist

  Helen Roberts is Joe Dennis's fellow employee and romantic partner. She secretly marries him, understands the restrictions imposed by parole, and warns Mr. Morris when she discovers the planned store...

• Joe Dennis (played by George Raft) — supporting

  Joe Dennis is a department-store employee with a violent criminal past who is leaving for California because he feels unworthy of Helen Roberts. He secretly marries her, becomes involved with criminal...

• Mr. Morris (played by Harry Carey) — supporting

  Mr. Morris owns the large department store where Joe Dennis and Helen Roberts work. He secretly hires parolees to give them opportunities for rehabilitation and becomes the target of the planned robbe...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Mr. Morris → Helen Roberts (Professional Employer) — Morris and Helen are connected through the department store workplace.

  Helen is a fellow employee at Morris's department store, where Morris's rehabilitation policy is kept secret from other staff.

• Mr. Morris → Joe Dennis (Professional Employer) — Morris gives Joe legitimate employment as part of his rehabilitation policy.

  Mr. Morris owns the department store and hires released offenders such as Joe to give them a chance to rehabilitate.

• Helen Roberts → Joe Dennis (Romantic Partners) — Their mutual affection drives Joe's attempt to leave and Helen's determination to stay with him.

  Helen and Joe develop a close friendship at work, spend a final evening together, and Helen tells him that she would accept his marriage proposal.

Story Analysis

A former offender's struggle between criminal habits and a redemptive marriage reaches resolution through accountability, separation, and a valid second chance.

Plot Progression

1. A Chance for Renewal — Mr. Morris secretly employs released offenders in his department store. Joe Dennis tries to leave for California because he believes his violent past makes him unworthy of Helen Roberts.
2. A Secret Wedding — Helen tells Joe she would accept his proposal, and they rush into an instant marriage. They conceal the marriage because of workplace and parole restrictions.
3. Jealousy and Temptation — Joe mistakes Helen's parole cards for love letters and becomes jealous. He reconnects with criminals from his past and joins their plan to rob Morris's store.
4. The Store Ambush — Helen recognizes a disguised warning call and informs Morris about the robbery. The robbers enter the store and are surrounded by armed guards.
5. The Cost of Crime — Helen calculates the operation's costs and meager returns on a blackboard. Joe rejects reconciliation, so Helen leaves and disappears.
6. A Valid Second Chance — Joe and the gang search for Helen until they realize she may be in a hospital. Joe finds her there, and the couple enters a second, valid marriage.