Summary
In the somber aftermath of familial tragedy, the young Southern scion, Barbara King, finds her nascent life abruptly transplanted into the austere dominion of her uncle, Rufus Jamison. This formidable guardian, a man whose very presence seems to embody a bitter repudiation of artistic endeavor, views Barbara's deceased artist-father as the architect of her mother's perceived 'wasted' existence. Under Rufus’s oppressive roof, Barbara is relegated to a life of arduous domesticity, a stark and unyielding regimen designed to subsidize his own meager comfort. Yet, within the confines of this stifling environment, Barbara harbors a clandestine world of creative expression. In a testament to her inherent artistic spirit and a poignant homage to her father’s legacy, she meticulously crafts and conceals sculptures in a hidden attic studio. Driven by an audacious spirit, she ventures forth to exhibit her father’s latest, unheralded work, a journey that unexpectedly introduces her to the sophisticated world of artist Gordon Carroll and his influential father, the governor. This fleeting taste of recognition and connection stands in stark contrast to the grim reality awaiting her. When Uncle Rufus, a relentless specter of artistic suppression, unearths Barbara's secret sanctuary, his rage erupts in a devastating act of iconoclasm, shattering a statue of her revered father. In a moment of visceral, desperate defense against this profound violation of her soul and heritage, Barbara retaliates with tragic finality, fatally striking Rufus with a candlestick. The subsequent narrative unfolds with the inexorable machinery of justice, culminating in Barbara’s conviction, sentencing, and eventual incarceration, a poignant testament to a young life irrevocably altered by circumstance, artistic passion, and a single, desperate act.
After her parents death, young southerner, Barbara King, must now live with her uncle Rufus Jamison, who reminds the girl of her mother wasted life when she married an artist. Rufus forces Barbara to do housework to support himself. One day, Barbara sneaks away to exhibit her father's latest work, she meets the artist Gordon Carroll and his father, the governor. When Uncle Rufus discovers Barbara's secret studio in the attic, he destroys the statue of his father, and Barbara then fatally stabs him with a candlestick. Barbara is convicted, sentenced, and sent to a prison.
