A determined woman pivots through various roles to significantly contribute to the World War II effort.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
The Crash and Career Shift
Dixie attempts to aid the war effort as a taxi driver but crashes into Roger Hudson. Determined to serve better, she takes a civil service exam.
Key Events
WWII Mobilization Context — Dixie joins the war effort as a taxi driver. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: USA
Taxi Driving Mishap — Dixie's poor driving skills cause traffic issues. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: City Streets
Collision with Roger Hudson — Dixie crashes her taxi into Roger Hudson's car. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: Intersection
Post-Crash Assessment — They assess damages and exchange initial impressions. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: Crash Site
Decision to Serve Further — Dixie resolves to contribute more effectively to the war. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: Dixie's Home
Office Dynamics and New Mission
Dixie becomes Roger's secretary and is redirected to conduct a survey on women's barriers to defense work. She begins field interviews.
Key Events
Decision to Serve Further — Dixie resolves to contribute more effectively to the war. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: Dixie's Home
Civil Service Examination — Dixie takes the civil service exam to secure a government role. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: Testing Center
Office Employment — Dixie is hired as Roger's secretary after passing the exam. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: Roger's Office
Office Redirection — Roger seeks a productive task to move Dixie out of the office. Characters: Roger Hudson, Dixie DuganLocation: Office
Survey Assignment — Roger tasks Dixie with surveying women about defense work barriers. Characters: Roger Hudson, Dixie DuganLocation: Office
Field Investigation — Dixie conducts interviews with women across various locations. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: Community Centers
Validation and Hero Status
The survey proves highly valuable, earning Dixie recognition as a hero. Roger decides to expand the project internationally.
Key Events
Field Investigation — Dixie conducts interviews with women across various locations. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: Community Centers
Data Compilation — Dixie organizes the collected responses into actionable insights. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: Office
Survey Validation — Roger reviews the data and confirms its extreme usefulness. Characters: Roger Hudson, Dixie DuganLocation: Office
Hero Recognition — Dixie is celebrated for her successful survey and contribution. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: Office
England Expansion Plan — Roger proposes replicating the survey in England. Characters: Roger Hudson, Dixie DuganLocation: Office
Transatlantic Journey — The pair travels overseas to begin the international survey. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: Ocean / Air
Transatlantic Expansion
Dixie and Roger travel to England to replicate the survey. Their partnership solidifies as they successfully gather crucial data overseas.
Key Events
Transatlantic Journey — The pair travels overseas to begin the international survey. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: Ocean / Air
English Community Outreach — They conduct the same survey among English women. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: England
Cross-Cultural Insights — Dixie gathers valuable data on British women's employment barriers. Characters: Dixie DuganLocation: England
International Success — The England survey yields equally useful results. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: England
Partnership Solidification — Their professional bond deepens through shared success. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: England
War Effort Legacy — Both characters reflect on their meaningful contributions to the war. Characters: Dixie Dugan, Roger HudsonLocation: England
Story Breakdown
War Effort Mobilization — Dixie initially seeks to aid the war by becoming a taxi driver, but her lack of experience leads to complications.
Taxi Driving Attempt — Dixie takes up taxi driving to support national defense efforts despite her poor skills.
Crash Incident — Her driving mistake results in a collision with businessman Roger Hudson, altering her path.
Career Transition — Seeking a more stable way to serve, Dixie pursues government employment and enters Roger's office.
Civil Service Exam — Dixie studies and takes the civil service examination to secure a legitimate government position.
Secretary Role — She successfully passes the exam and is hired as Roger Hudson's personal secretary.
Survey Initiative — Roger redirects Dixie's efforts toward a critical research project focusing on women's employment barriers.
Project Assignment — Roger tasks Dixie with investigating what prevents women from participating in defense work.
Field Interviews — Dixie conducts extensive surveys across communities to gather firsthand accounts and data.
Data Validation — The collected information proves highly valuable, transforming Dixie's standing and earning her acclaim.
Result Compilation — Dixie organizes the survey responses into clear, actionable reports for Roger's review.
Hero Recognition — Roger and the organization acknowledge the survey's extreme usefulness, elevating Dixie to hero status.
International Expansion — Building on domestic success, the team decides to replicate the survey across the Atlantic.
England Journey — Roger and Dixie travel overseas to begin the next phase of their collaborative mission.
Cross-Cultural Survey — They conduct identical interviews with English women to identify similar employment obstacles.
Partnership Evolution — Their professional relationship matures through shared challenges and successful international outcomes.
Professional Bond — Working closely together fosters mutual respect and a strong collaborative dynamic.
Shared Success — The England survey yields equally valuable results, cementing their partnership and legacy.
Legacy and Resolution — The narrative concludes with both characters reflecting on their meaningful contributions to the war.
War Contribution — Their combined efforts directly support national defense by optimizing women's workforce participation.
Future Outlook — Dixie and Roger look forward to continued service and professional growth beyond the war.
Roger Hudson, a wealthy businessman who has moved to Washington to work for the government as a "dollar a year man," is late for a radio broadcast about his new department, the Mobilization of Woman Power for War. He takes a cab driven by Dixie Dugan, who hopes that being a cabbie while the country's men are away fighting will help the war effort. Her incompetent driving, however, results in an accident for which Roger must take responsibility in order to reach the radio station in time. Dixie then returns home, where she lives with her father Timothy, who is constantly practicing his air raid warden duties, her mother Gladys, an aspiring Red Cross worker, and cousin Imogene, who studies incessantly to become a "quiz kid." The Dugans rent out their spare rooms to Dixie's fiancé, Matt Hogan, and to blustering Judge J. J. Lawson. Matt, who works in a munitions factory, wants Dixie to settle down and marry him, but Dixie is determined to help her country.
