Character Relationship Map: Why Worry?

Characters

• Harold Van Pelham (played by Harold Lloyd) — protagonist

  Harold Van Pelham is a wealthy American businessman and a hypochondriac who mistakenly believes he is gravely ill. Seeking rest in Paradiso, he becomes involved in the revolution, escapes prison with...

• Colosso (played by John Aasen) — supporting

  Colosso is a gigantic prisoner described as a wild hermit who is suffering from a terrible toothache. He escapes prison with Harold Van Pelham, whose removal of the painful tooth earns his lasting gra...

• Jim Blake (played by James Pier Mason) — supporting

  Jim Blake is a greedy American renegade who organizes and incites Paradiso's revolution to advance his own financial interests. He exploits the disorder by arranging for Harold Van Pelham to be impris...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Colosso → Jim Blake (Conflict Opposing Combatants) — Colosso becomes a direct physical opponent of Blake's revolutionary forces.

  Colosso joins Harold in defeating Blake and his forces and quelling the revolution.

• Harold Van Pelham → Jim Blake (Conflict Adversary) — Blake's revolution directly endangers Harold and places him under coercive control.

  Jim Blake organizes the uprising and arranges to have Harold thrown into the local prison.

• Harold Van Pelham → Colosso (Social Cellmate) — Their imprisonment creates the immediate circumstance for their partnership.

  After Blake has Harold imprisoned, Harold meets Colosso as a fellow prisoner in the local jail.

Story Analysis

A hypochondriacal businessman discovers courage and vitality while confronting a revolution in Paradiso.

Plot Progression

1. The Imagined Illness — Harold, a wealthy American businessman, believes he is seriously ill despite being healthy. He travels toward Paradiso seeking rest and a tropical cure.
2. Paradiso In Revolt — Harold arrives expecting seclusion but finds the island in the middle of an armed uprising. Jim Blake is revealed as the self-interested organizer.
3. The Giant In Prison — Blake has Harold imprisoned, where he meets the enormous Colosso. The two prisoners escape together, changing Harold's prospects on the island.
4. Health Against Violence — After curing Colosso's toothache, Harold gains a devoted ally. Concern for his heart motivates Harold to oppose the conflict rather than remain passive.
5. The Revolt Ends — Harold, Colosso, and the nurse defeat Blake and his forces and end the revolution. Harold discovers his own vitality before returning to the United States.