I Will Repay

Summary

I Will Repay" unfurls a somber tableau of early 20th-century American life, tracing the grim existence of Azalea Adair, a gifted writer trapped in the suffocating grip of systemic poverty and the brutal dominion of her alcoholic spouse, Major Caswell. A seemingly innocuous business trip brings Roger Kendall, a magazine envoy, to Nashville, where his professional quest to secure Azalea's literary talents morphs into an empathetic crusade against her domestic torment. The narrative ingeniously employs a tattered dollar bill as a poignant symbolic thread, meticulously tracking the insidious cycle of exploitation wherein Azalea's meager earnings are relentlessly siphoned by Caswell, culminating in the bill's inevitable return to the oppressor's grasp via Azalea's loyal, former slave, Caesar. Kendall, a burgeoning white knight, orchestrates a clandestine uplift, leveraging his influence to amplify Azalea's financial prospects, thus offering a glimmer of hope amidst her despair. The introduction of Virginia Rodney, a compassionate confidante and the sagacious judge's daughter, further enriches the emotional landscape. The film's simmering tension erupts in a visceral act of retributive justice when Caesar, witnessing Caswell's unyielding cruelty, executes the major. This climactic intervention, swiftly concealed by Kendall and Virginia's paternal figure, liberates Azalea from her marital prison, paving the way for her sanctuary with Virginia and the blossoming romance between Kendall and Virginia, culminating in a resolution that, while born of tragedy, ultimately heralds autonomy and romantic fulfillment.

Synopsis

Roger Kendall is sent to Nashville by the editor of his magazine to sign a contract for two cents a word with a woman writer named Azalea Adair. Once there, Kendall realizes that Azalea is very poor and is also the abused wife of Major Caswell, a drunkard who takes from Azalea every cent she earns. Kendall is able to piece their story together by following the movements of a torn dollar bill, which he gives to Azalea's former slave Caesar and which eventually winds up in Caswell's hands. In order to help Azalea, Kendall convinces his editor to increase her stipend to eight cents a word and also to advance her $30. At his hotel, Kendall meets Virginia Rodney, the semi-invalid daughter of a local judge and a good friend of Azalea. Later, Caesar, seeing Caswell violently take Azalea's advance from her, strangles the major. His part in the crime is covered up by Kendall and Virginia's father, however. Now free, Azalea goes to live with Virginia, who becomes engaged to Kendall.