Character Relationship Map: The Plague

Characters

• Ben (played by Everett Blunck) — protagonist

  The anxious middle school protagonist who attends a water polo summer camp seeking social acceptance. Initially participates in bullying to fit in, but later empathizes with Eli, helps him with his sk...

• Jake (played by Kayo Martin) — protagonist

  The popular, callous, and aggressive leader of the boys' social circle at the camp. He bullies Eli, spreads rumors about Ben, and engages in escalating violence that disrupts the camp's hierarchy.

• Daddy Wags (played by Joel Edgerton) — supporting

  The authoritative and eccentric coach of the water polo summer camp. He manages the boys, intervenes in conflicts, and serves as a paternal figure during moments of crisis.

• Eli (played by Kenny Rasmussen) — supporting

  An eccentric misfit suffering from a mysterious fungal skin disorder. Ambivalent about his outsider status, he endures bullying, connects with Ben, and ultimately expresses his distress through self-h...

• Jake's Brother (played by Eduard Chimac) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

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

• Jake's Brother → Jake (brother)
• Daddy Wags → Ben (Professional Coach And Camper) — Daddy Wags supervises Ben while offering limited guidance during his crisis.

  Daddy Wags leads the water polo summer camp and convinces Ben to return after Ben attempts to run away.

• Daddy Wags → Jake (Power Authority Figure) — Daddy Wags attempts to restrain Jake's conduct through camp authority.

  Daddy Wags reprimands Jake in private after Jake's behavior contributes to the escalating conflict.

Story Dynamics

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

• Daddy Wags → Eli (Social Caregiver) — Daddy Wags assumes responsibility for Eli after the self-harm incident.

  After Eli cuts off one of his fingers, he leaves for the hospital with Daddy Wags.

• Jake → Eli (Conflict Bully And Target) — Jake enforces the camp's social hierarchy through hostility toward Eli.

  Jake and his circle call Eli's skin disorder 'the plague' and repeatedly bully and exclude him.

• Ben → Eli (Alliance Emerging Ally) — Ben gradually shifts from complicity to practical support for Eli.

  Ben grows empathetic toward Eli, connects with him privately, and offers to apply clotrimazole to the rash on Eli's back.

• Ben → Jake (Social Attempted Friendship) — Ben initially seeks Jake's approval but becomes his target.

  Ben tries to befriend Jake because Jake is popular, even joining his friends in bullying and excluding Eli.

Story Analysis

A fearful camper moves from social conformity and cruelty toward empathy and uninhibited self-expression.

Plot Progression

1. Camp Hierarchy — Ben enters the water polo camp seeking acceptance from popular Jake. He participates in the exclusion of Eli, whose skin disorder is mocked as the plague.
2. The Rumor Spreads — Ben privately connects with Eli and offers help for Eli's rash. Jake then spreads the plague rumor, and Ben discovers that the disorder is spreading across his own body.
3. Violence In The Pool — Ben's humiliation drives him to attempt escape, but Daddy Wags brings him back. Jake retaliates with a cockroach trap, and their hostility culminates in a drowning attempt and Jake's expulsion.
4. The Broken Performance — At the co-ed dance, Eli dances alone with a cardboard cutout. Ben breaks it and confronts Eli, revealing how deeply he still fears social rejection.
5. Uninhibited Release — Eli cuts off one of his fingers and leaves for the hospital with Daddy Wags. Ben returns to the dance and adopts Eli's uninhibited movement, rejecting the camp's judgment.