Character Relationship Map: Accepted

Characters

• Bartleby Gaines (played by Justin Long) — protagonist

  High school senior and fake ID creator who is rejected from all colleges. To appease his demanding father, he invents a fake college, S.H.I.T., renovates an abandoned hospital, and designs its curricu...

• Sherman Schrader (played by Jonah Hill) — protagonist

  Bartleby's best friend who helps create S.H.I.T. and builds its website. Initially coerced by a fraternity to expose the school as a fake, he later uncovers Harmon College's corruption and files for S...

• Monica Moreland (played by Blake Lively) — supporting

  Former girlfriend of Hoyt Ambrose. After breaking up with Hoyt due to his infidelity, she begins dating Bartleby and eventually enrolls as a student at South Harmon Institute of Technology.

• Glen (played by Adam Herschman) — supporting

  An academic outcast with a low GPA who failed his SAT for forgetting to sign his name. He joins Bartleby's group and becomes a student at the newly formed S.H.I.T.

• Hands (played by Columbus Short) — supporting

  Darryl Holloway, a former athlete who lost his scholarship due to an injury. He is part of the initial group of college rejects that Bartleby gathers to form S.H.I.T.

• Rory (played by Maria Thayer) — supporting

  A student who exclusively applied to Yale University but was rejected because of legacy admissions preferences. He joins the core group of friends who co-found the fake college.

• Hoyt Ambrose (played by Travis Van Winkle) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Hoyt Ambrose → Sherman Schrader (Power Coercer) — Hoyt's faction uses pressure to obtain the school's records.

  Hoyt's fraternity repeatedly humiliates Sherman and coerces him into handing over South Harmon's files.

• Monica Moreland → Hoyt Ambrose (Romantic Former Girlfriend) — Their failed relationship fuels later personal tension.

  The plot identifies Monica as Hoyt's former girlfriend and says she breaks up with him after catching him with another woman.

• Bartleby Gaines → Monica Moreland (Romantic Partner) — Their relationship becomes Bartleby's central romantic connection.

  After Monica breaks up with Hoyt, she begins dating Bartleby.

Story Dynamics

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

• Bartleby Gaines → Hoyt Ambrose (Conflict Personal Rival) — Romantic rivalry develops into an institutional conflict.

  Bartleby has been competing for Monica's affection, while Hoyt attempts to expose South Harmon as a fake institution.

• Hands → Glen (Alliance Teammate) — They collaborate within the school's original community.

  Hands and Glen are both gathered into Bartleby's initial group for establishing South Harmon.

• Rory → Glen (Alliance Teammate) — They share membership in the founding student group.

  Rory and Glen join the same core group of rejected students at South Harmon.

• Rory → Hands (Alliance Teammate) — Both support the school's early formation.

  Rory and Hands are included among the rejected students who co-found the fake college.

• Bartleby Gaines → Glen (Alliance Co-Founder) — Glen becomes one of the school's earliest members.

  Glen joins Bartleby's group after his low GPA and failed SAT prevent normal college admission.

• Bartleby Gaines → Hands (Alliance Co-Founder) — Hands contributes to the school's original student group.

  Hands joins the group Bartleby gathers to form South Harmon after losing his athletic scholarship.

• Sherman Schrader → Rory (Alliance Teammate) — They cooperate within Bartleby's founding circle.

  Sherman and Rory are both part of the core group that helps establish South Harmon.

• Sherman Schrader → Hands (Alliance Teammate) — They share the school's founding effort.

  Sherman and Hands belong to the initial group of rejected students forming the college.

• Sherman Schrader → Glen (Alliance Teammate) — They cooperate as members of the founding team.

  Sherman and Glen participate in the group that creates and develops South Harmon.

• Bartleby Gaines → Rory (Alliance Co-Founder) — Rory becomes part of Bartleby's founding team.

  Rory joins Bartleby and the other rejected students in forming the fake college.

• Bartleby Gaines → Sherman Schrader (Social Best Friend) — Their longstanding friendship anchors the founding group.

  The plot identifies Sherman as Bartleby's best friend and shows him helping create South Harmon Institute of Technology.

Story Analysis

A rejected student transforms an invented college into a legitimate alternative to conventional education.

Plot Progression

1. Rejected and Reimagined — Bartleby is rejected by every college and invents South Harmon to satisfy his demanding father. He recruits fellow rejects and creates the appearance of a real institution.
2. A School Without Rules — The fake website unexpectedly enrolls hundreds of students. Bartleby chooses empathy over confession and lets students design a radically unconventional curriculum.
3. The Campus Under Siege — South Harmon develops its own identity while Harmon College pursues nearby property for a prestigious gateway. Hoyt's property campaign becomes personal through his rivalry with Bartleby.
4. Exposure and Renewal — Sherman is pressured into surrendering the school's files, allowing Hoyt to expose the fraud and force South Harmon to close. Sherman files for accreditation, and Bartleby wins probationary approval t...