Character Relationship Map: The Very Idea

Characters

• Alan Camp (played by Frank Craven) — protagonist

  Alan Camp is an eugenics author determined to test and prove his theories. He persuades his sister Edith Goodhue and her husband Gilbert to adopt a child created through his plan, selecting Joe Garvin...

• Nora (played by Sally Blane) — supporting

  Nora is the Goodhues' maid and is chosen by Alan Camp to conceive and deliver a child with Joe Garvin for Edith Goodhue and Gilbert. Although she accepts the financial agreement, she falls in love wit...

• Joe Garvin (played by Hugh Trevor) — supporting

  Joe Garvin is Alan Camp's chauffeur and is selected as the biological father in Alan's eugenics arrangement. He agrees to the payment and plan with Nora, but the two fall in love, marry, and decide to...

• Edith Goodhue (played by Doris Eaton) — supporting

  Edith Goodhue is Alan Camp's sister and Gilbert Goodhue's wife. Because she and Gilbert have been unable to have children, she accepts Alan's eugenics proposal and travels to California for a year. Af...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Edith Goodhue → Nora (Professional Employer) — Nora serves as a maid in Edith's household before the arrangement changes their positions.

  Nora is identified as the Goodhues' maid, and the Goodhues return to find her occupying their home with Joe.

• Nora → Joe Garvin (Romantic Lovers) — Their romantic attachment transforms the planned transaction into a personal relationship.

  Nora and Joe fall in love while carrying out the arrangement.

• Alan Camp → Nora (Professional Contract Sponsor) — Alan organizes and financially sponsors Nora's participation in the plan.

  Alan selects Nora for the child-producing arrangement and offers her $15,000 if she conceives and delivers a child within twelve months.

• Alan Camp → Joe Garvin (Professional Employer) — Joe works for Alan as his chauffeur.

  Joe Garvin is identified as Alan's chauffeur.

• Alan Camp → Edith Goodhue (Family Sibling) — Alan and Edith are siblings connected by family and by Alan's reproductive proposal.

  The plot explicitly identifies Edith Goodhue as Alan Camp's sister.

Story Dynamics

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

• Edith Goodhue → Joe Garvin (Unknown Adoption Counterpart) — Edith stands on the intended-adoptive side of the arrangement involving Joe.

  The plan makes Joe and Nora the biological parents while the Goodhue household is intended to adopt the child.

Story Analysis

A eugenics experiment collapses when love, parenthood, and an unexpected pregnancy overturn Alan's carefully designed plan.

Plot Progression

1. The Eugenic Proposal — Alan Camp develops a eugenics-based solution to Edith's childlessness. He recruits Joe and Nora and offers them payment for producing a child within twelve months.
2. Love Changes The Plan — The Goodhue household leaves for California while Joe and Nora carry out the arrangement. After having the baby, they fall in love and decide to keep the child.
3. The Nursery Dispute — The Goodhue household returns to find its home converted into a nursery. Nora and Joe are married and refuse to surrender the baby.
4. The Failed Replacement — Alan sends Joe to a local orphanage for a replacement baby. The substitute is rejected, leaving Alan despondent and ready to dismantle the nursery.
5. An Unexpected Resolution — Alan prepares to abandon the nursery and the failed experiment. Edith then announces that she is pregnant, resolving the original crisis.