Character Relationship Map: Prodigal Daughters

Characters

• Swifty Forbes (played by Gloria Swanson) — protagonist

  The central protagonist who indulges in a reckless flapper lifestyle after her father's wartime wealth. She navigates romantic entanglements with aviator Roger Corbin and gambler Stanley Garside. Afte...

• Roger Corbin (played by Ralph Graves) — protagonist

  A young aviator who falls in love with Swifty. Tasked by the desperate J.D. Forbes to manage the family business, he later rescues Swifty following a tragic accident and marries her.

• Marjory Forbes (played by Vera Reynolds) — supporting

  Swifty's sister who emulates her sister's wild lifestyle and joins her in leaving home to live independently in Greenwich Village after their father objects.

• J.D. Forbes (played by Theodore Roberts) — supporting

  The wealthy patriarch whose wartime riches enable his daughters' extravagant lives. He protests their reckless behavior, eventually entrusting his business to Corbin out of despair, and later faces a...

• Stanley Garside (played by Charles Clary) — minor

  A gambler and Swifty's romantic rival. He allows Swifty to gamble away her debts, forcing her into a marriage contract. He is inadvertently killed during a locomotive accident, clearing the path for S...

Canonical Relationships

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

• J.D. Forbes → Roger Corbin (Professional Business Trustee) — J.D. entrusts Roger with control of the family business.

  In despair, Forbes leaves the business in the hands of the young Corbin.

• Swifty Forbes → Stanley Garside (Romantic Rivalry) — Garside's romantic interest in Swifty becomes an oppressive alternative to Roger's love.

  Swifty is loved by Stanley Garside, but her relationship with him becomes tied to a forced marriage after she loses a card-game debt.

• Swifty Forbes → Roger Corbin (Romantic Love Interest) — Roger is Swifty's devoted romantic partner and eventual husband.

  Roger Corbin, an aviator, is described as loving Swifty, later rescuing her, and marrying her.

• Swifty Forbes → Marjory Forbes (Family Sisters) — The sisters share both family ties and similar rebellious choices.

  The plot explicitly calls Marjory Swifty's sister and states that Marjory follows Swifty's lifestyle.

• J.D. Forbes → Marjory Forbes (Family Father) — J.D. is also Marjory's father.

  Marjory is described as Swifty's sister, while J.D. Forbes is identified as their father and protests the daughters' behavior.

• J.D. Forbes → Swifty Forbes (Family Father) — J.D. is Swifty's wealthy but disapproving father.

  The review identifies J.D. Forbes as Swifty's father and says that he protests her reckless lifestyle.

Story Dynamics

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

• Roger Corbin → Stanley Garside (Conflict Romantic Rivals) — The two men oppose one another as competing suitors for Swifty.

  Roger and Garside both love Swifty, while Garside's marriage demand conflicts with Roger's later union with her.

Story Analysis

A wealthy family's rebellion leads through romantic rivalry, gambling debt, and danger toward rescue and marriage.

Plot Progression

1. Fortune And Rebellion — J.D. Forbes becomes wealthy during the War, and Swifty embraces an extravagant flapper lifestyle. Marjory follows her example until their father protests.
2. The Daughters Depart — Swifty and Marjory leave home for Greenwich Village after J.D.'s objections. J.D. falls into despair and entrusts his business to Roger Corbin.
3. The Gambling Debt — Swifty loses all her money in Garside's card room. She then stakes marriage against cancellation of the debt and loses, creating a sixty-day deadline.
4. The Fatal Locomotive — Swifty is in the cabin of a new locomotive produced at her father's works when it starts. Garside is killed while in an automobile.
5. Rescue And Marriage — Swifty ends up needing rescue after the accident. Roger pursues her by airplane, rescues her, and marries her.