Character Relationship Map: 1922

Characters

• Wilfred James (played by Thomas Jane) — protagonist

  Wilfred is a Nebraska farmer whose refusal to sell the family land leads him to murder his wife with his son's help. Haunted by rats and guilt, he loses his hand, abandons the farm, and writes a confe...

• Arlette James (played by Molly Parker) — protagonist

  Arlette is Wilfred's wife and Henry's mother. After inheriting additional land, she wants the family to sell their livestock operation and move to Omaha, threatening divorce when Wilfred objects. He a...

• Henry James (played by Dylan Schmid) — supporting

  Henry is Wilfred and Arlette's fourteen-year-old son. Persuaded by Wilfred to help murder his mother because he fears losing Shannon and remaining on the farm, Henry later becomes a robber with Shanno...

• Shannon Cotterie (played by Kaitlyn Bernard) — supporting

  Shannon is the daughter of a neighboring farmer and Henry's love interest. After becoming pregnant, she runs away with Henry when her parents plan to send her to a Catholic institution. Their life as...

• Harlan Cotterie (played by Neal McDonough) — supporting

  Harlan is Shannon's father and a neighboring farmer. After Shannon's disappearance and death, he refuses Wilfred's attempt to sell him the land and tells Wilfred never to return. His rejection reflect...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Harlan Cotterie → Shannon Cotterie (Family Father) — Harlan participates in decisions affecting Shannon's life and pregnancy.

  Shannon's parents decide to send her to a Catholic institution, and Harlan is later identified as her father.

• Henry James → Shannon Cotterie (Romantic Partner) — Their romance motivates Henry's participation in the murder and his escape.

  Henry is in love with Shannon, and the two later run away together after Shannon becomes pregnant.

• Arlette James → Henry James (Family Mother) — Her relationship with Henry becomes the emotional center of the murder plot.

  Arlette is described as Henry's mother, and her planned divorce would involve taking Henry with her.

• Wilfred James → Henry James (Family Father) — Wilfred's fatherhood is corrupted by manipulation and criminal complicity.

  Wilfred lives with his fourteen-year-old son Henry and later persuades him to help murder Arlette.

• Wilfred James → Arlette James (Family Husband) — Their marriage becomes the central source of conflict.

  The plot identifies Wilfred and Arlette as married farmers living together with their son.

Story Dynamics

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

• Harlan Cotterie → Wilfred James (Unknown Land Negotiator) — Their land dealings become hostile after the deaths surrounding both families.

  Wilfred attempts to sell his land to Shannon's father, but Harlan tells him never to come back.

Story Analysis

A farmer's attempt to preserve his land through murder destroys his family and leaves him trapped in guilt, decay, and supernatural punishment.

Plot Progression

1. Land Against Marriage — Wilfred and Arlette disagree over inherited land, selling the farm, and moving to Omaha. Arlette threatens divorce and plans to take Henry with her.
2. The Well Takes Arlette — Wilfred manipulates Henry into helping murder Arlette. They hide her body in a dry well and attempt to disguise the crime with a dead cow.
3. Flight Into Crime — Henry and pregnant Shannon flee together after her family plans institutional confinement. Their escape becomes a robbery partnership known as the Sweetheart Bandits.
4. Rats And Ruin — Wilfred's farm deteriorates as he drinks, sees rats, and suffers an infected bite. Shannon is shot during a robbery, loses her baby, and dies, followed by Henry's suicide.
5. Confession And Judgment — Wilfred loses his hand, abandons the farm, and moves to Omaha, but the rats continue to follow him. Years later, his confession ends with the apparitions of Arlette, Henry, and Shannon.