Character Relationship Map: From This Day Forward

Characters

• Susan (played by Joan Fontaine) — protagonist

  Bill's wife and co-protagonist, whom he marries in 1938. She works as a bookstore clerk to support the household during periods of severe financial hardship and faces humiliation due to the family's e...

• Bill Cummings (played by Mark Stevens) — protagonist

  World War II army sergeant and the film's protagonist, returning to civilian life as a blue-collar worker. He navigates unemployment, financial instability, and a wrongful prosecution during his job-s...

• Clerk (played by Charles Campbell) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Bill Cummings → Clerk (Professional Employment-Service Contact) — The Clerk represents Bill's contact with the employment-service process.

  Bill fills out forms and speaks to personnel at the United States Employment Service while seeking civilian employment.

• Bill Cummings → Susan (Family Husband) — They are married partners facing civilian hardship together.

  The plot states that Bill meets and marries Susan in 1938, and identifies her as his wife.

Story Analysis

A returning soldier confronts unemployment, poverty, and humiliation while building a hopeful family future with his wife.

Plot Progression

1. Discharge And Memory — Bill Cummings approaches discharge from World War II service and seeks civilian employment. Completing forms at the United States Employment Service triggers memories of his earlier life.
2. Marriage In Hard Times — Flashbacks show Bill meeting and marrying Susan in 1938. Their married life unfolds in a poor New York City neighborhood during the Great Depression.
3. The Cost Of Survival — Bill and Susan endure unemployment and repeated financial instability. Susan works as a bookstore clerk, while Bill feels humiliated by relying on her income.
4. Prosecution And Return — Bill is unfairly prosecuted as a pornographer, adding another crisis to the couple's difficult life. The narrative then returns to his postwar employment search.
5. A Difficult Hope — Bill receives a referral to a badly needed job interview. The revelation that Susan is pregnant closes the film with cautious hope for their family.