Character Relationship Map: Shock

Characters

• Derek Marbury (played by Ralph Forbes) — protagonist

  A British lieutenant in World War I, Derek falls in love with Lucy Neville and hastily marries her. To spare Gilroy Hayworth's family the disgrace of his suicide, Derek takes Gilroy's dangerous reconn...

• Lucy Neville (played by Gwenllian Gill) — supporting

  Lucy is the young woman Derek Marbury falls in love with and marries during his leave. After Derek disappears, she refuses to believe Bob Hayworth's claim that her husband deserted, and raises the son...

• Bob Hayworth (played by Monroe Owsley) — supporting

  Bob is a captain who had been romantically interested in Lucy before she married Derek, and Gilroy is his brother. After Derek disappears, Bob tells Lucy that her husband probably deserted, hoping she...

• Gilroy Hayworth (played by Douglas Walton) — supporting

  Gilroy is Bob Hayworth's brother and Derek Marbury's best man. When selected for a dangerous reconnaissance mission, he is so distressed that he kills himself rather than face it. To prevent the death...

• Captain Peabody (played by Reginald Sharland) — supporting

  Captain Peabody serves with Derek after Derek returns to the front under the name John Drake. During the following year, Peabody becomes friends with him and with Alan Neville. The three plan to visit...

• Alan Neville (played by Alex Courtney) — supporting

  Alan Neville is Lucy's brother, though he and Derek do not initially know that Derek is his brother-in-law. He becomes friends with Derek, who is serving as John Drake, and Captain Peabody. Mortally w...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Alan Neville → Lucy Neville (Family Brother And Sister) — Alan's family connection links the wartime and postwar storylines.

  Alan is identified as Lucy's brother when he asks Derek to visit his sister after his fatal injury.

• Bob Hayworth → Lucy Neville (Romantic Rejected Suitor) — Bob's unreturned feelings make him a romantic rival.

  Bob had been romantically interested in Lucy before Derek married her and later tries to persuade her to leave Derek.

• Derek Marbury → Lucy Neville (Family Husband And Wife) — Their marriage is the emotional foundation of the story.

  Derek Marbury and Lucy Neville hastily marry before his leave is cancelled and he returns to the front.

• Bob Hayworth → Gilroy Hayworth (Family Brothers) — Their family connection makes Gilroy's death a potential disgrace for Bob.

  The plot identifies Gilroy Hayworth as the captain's brother, and the captain is Bob Hayworth.

Story Dynamics

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

• Derek Marbury → Alan Neville (Alliance Military Friends) — Their battlefield friendship later gains family significance.

  Derek becomes friends with Alan Neville in the aerial unit, without either initially knowing that Alan is his brother-in-law.

• Derek Marbury → Captain Peabody (Social Combat Friends) — Their friendship develops through wartime service.

  After being assigned to an aerial unit, Derek distinguishes himself in combat and becomes friends with Captain Peabody.

• Derek Marbury → Gilroy Hayworth (Social Best Man And Comrade) — Derek's loyalty to Gilroy drives a major wartime sacrifice.

  Gilroy is described as Derek's best man, and Derek volunteers to take Gilroy's reconnaissance mission after Gilroy kills himself.

• Derek Marbury → Bob Hayworth (Conflict Romantic Rivals) — Their rivalry centers on Lucy and ultimately exposes Derek's identity.

  Bob wants Lucy to divorce Derek so that Bob can marry her, and later attempts to discredit Derek.

Story Analysis

A soldier loses his identity through wartime trauma, then recovers his memory and marriage through love, loyalty, and revelation.

Plot Progression

1. A Marriage Against the War — Derek meets Lucy during leave, falls in love, and marries her hastily. Their honeymoon ends when military orders recall him for an impending German offensive.
2. The Mission and the Missing Man — Gilroy is selected for a dangerous reconnaissance mission and kills himself in despair. Derek takes the mission to protect Gilroy's family from disgrace but is injured and loses his identity.
3. A Soldier Without a Past — Derek returns to the front under an assigned identity while Bob tells Lucy that her husband probably deserted. Lucy rejects Bob's claim and remains loyal to Derek.
4. The Last Promise — Derek becomes an accomplished aerial combatant and befriends Captain Peabody and Alan Neville. After Alan is mortally wounded, he asks Derek to visit his sister after the war.
5. Recognition and Reconciliation — After the war, Derek finds Lucy and helps search for her missing husband, unaware that she recognizes him. Bob's attempt to discredit Derek reveals his real name, restoring Derek's memory and reunitin...