Character Relationship Map: The Spell

Characters

• Rita (played by Susan Myers) — protagonist

  Rita is a shy, overweight fifteen-year-old girl who is bullied at school and rejected by her family. After Jackie dies during a gym accident, Rita becomes involved in dangerous chanting with Jo and us...

• Jo Standish (played by Lelia Goldoni) — supporting

  Jo is Rita's school gym teacher and secret supernatural associate. She chants with Rita and deliberately causes a series of accidents so Rita can take revenge on people who have mistreated her. Jo pla...

• Glenn (played by James Olson) — supporting

  Glenn is Rita's father, from whom she is emotionally distant. He regards Rita negatively because of her appearance and later tells her that she will be sent away to a private school in London. He near...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Rita → Jo Standish (Professional Occult Apprentice) — Jo acts as Rita's instructor and guide in dangerous supernatural practices.

  Rita visits Jo Standish, and the two chant together while discussing the recent supernatural accidents.

• Rita → Glenn (Family Daughter And Father) — Their strained parent-child relationship becomes more hostile as Glenn attempts to control Rita's future.

  The plot states that Rita is not close to her father, and later shows him deciding that she will attend a private school in London.

Story Dynamics

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

• Jo Standish → Glenn (Conflict Indirect Adversary) — Jo targets Glenn indirectly by enabling supernatural revenge against him.

  Jo admits that she caused the accidents so Rita could seek revenge, including the incident in which Glenn is nearly killed by a hit-and-run.

Story Analysis

A bullied girl turns to supernatural power for revenge before a final family confrontation ends the cycle of violence.

Plot Progression

1. The Fatal Gym Challenge — Rita is bullied during a rope-climbing exercise and fixates on a classmate whose fall results in death. The incident establishes the destructive force surrounding Rita's resentment.
2. A House of Resentment — Rita's unhappy family life deepens her isolation and anger. After an argument, her behavior changes and chanting begins.
3. Accidents Without Answers — A series of apparent accidents threatens people connected to Rita's family. Suspicion grows as Rita's secret visits and chanting with Jo are uncovered.
4. The Mentor's Reckoning — Rita follows Jo's supernatural agenda until Jo reveals that she caused the accidents for revenge. Rita rejects the planned expansion of their power and turns against her mentor.
5. Power Ends at Home — The family confrontation exposes another source of supernatural power. Rita is defeated, and the story closes with her mother comforting her.