Character Relationship Map: David Harum

Characters

• David Harum (played by Will Rogers) — protagonist

  A banker from Homeville and the story's central figure, David is skilled at bargaining, especially over horses. After General Woolsey tricks him into buying a balking horse, David trades it to Deacon...

• Ann (played by Evelyn Venable) — supporting

  Ann comes from an aristocratic family that spends summers in Homeville, where David taught her to ride. She wants John to court her, and David arranges a carriage ride that gives them a chance to beco...

• John (played by Kent Taylor) — supporting

  John arrives from New York to work at David's bank and quickly makes a favorable impression on both David and Ann. He becomes the object of Ann's romantic hopes, though he hesitates to marry because h...

• Sylvester (played by Stepin Fetchit) — supporting

  Sylvester is the horse's groom, whom General Woolsey includes in the deal when David buys the balking horse. He is repeatedly passed along when the horse is sold or traded. Though he often appears lis...

• Woolsey (played by Noah Beery) — supporting

  General Woolsey is an aristocrat whom David visits in New York. He recommends John for a job at David's bank and takes revenge for an earlier horse deal by selling David a balking horse for $100. He e...

Canonical Relationships

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

• David Harum → Sylvester (Power Horse Owner And Groom) — Sylvester is treated as the horse's groom within the bargaining transactions.

  Woolsey throws Sylvester in with the horse deal, and Sylvester is repeatedly included whenever the horse is sold or traded.

• Ann → John (Romantic Courtship) — Ann and John develop a tentative romantic relationship.

  Ann wants John to propose, and David's carriage scheme gives them a chance to become better acquainted.

• David Harum → John (Professional Employer) — David employs John at his bank.

  John arrives in Homeville from New York to start working for David.

Story Dynamics

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

• David Harum → Ann (Social Close Friend) — David and Ann share a longstanding, trusting friendship.

  Ann's family spends summers in Homeville, where David taught her how to ride, and the two have a close, friendly relationship.

• David Harum → Woolsey (Conflict Horse-Trading Rival) — They engage in a playful but competitive contest of bargaining skill.

  Woolsey sells David a balking horse for $100 as revenge for an earlier horse deal in which David gained the advantage.

Story Analysis

A witty banker manipulates horse deals and a comic race to help a young couple overcome romantic and financial obstacles.

Plot Progression

1. A Costly Horse Joke — David visits Woolsey in New York and is out-traded with a balking horse. Woolsey also recommends John for a position at David's bank.
2. Homeville's New Arrival — Ann returns to the Homeville social circle, and John arrives from New York. Ann becomes interested in John while David considers how to encourage their acquaintance.
3. The Balking Courtship — David reacquires the horse and uses its predictable balking to engineer a carriage ride for Ann and John. Their relationship begins, and Ann buys the horse in gratitude.
4. Love Versus Suspicion — John mistakes Ann's purchase for evidence that she was deceived. The misunderstanding passes, but John's inability to support a wife remains a serious obstacle.
5. The Singing Race — Ann discovers that singing keeps the horse from balking. David stakes John's savings on a harness race, where music and singing become essential to the comic climax.