The Prodigal Son : personnages, chronologie et lieux

Thora prepares to attend the sheep-gathering with Oscar despite Aunt Margret’s warnings about her promise to Magnus.

Magnus overhears Thora admitting her love for Oscar and decides he must step aside.

Magnus releases Thora from their engagement and makes her write an acceptance of Oscar’s proposal.

Oscar composes with Helga’s encouragement while Thora becomes increasingly excluded from their musical partnership.

Thora marries Oscar in a crowded cathedral, then sees Magnus singing sorrowfully in the choir.

After severe delirium, Thora gives birth to a girl, bringing relief to the household.

While Thora sleeps under a drug’s effects, Anna removes the baby and Oscar carries her away.

Aunt Margret lets Thora hold and feed her baby, then Thora escapes with the child.

Oscar returns to Government House, where Magnus reveals Thora dead beside her living baby.

Oscar admits forging signatures to obtain money for his Monte Carlo debts.

The Governor tells Oscar that saving him requires mortgaging the family property and orders him to leave Iceland.

An opera revives Oscar’s musical ambition, but he refuses permission to recover compositions from Thora’s grave.

After a bitter public quarrel and disabling seizures, the Governor dies as bells greet an arriving steamer.

Oscar accepts rigged gambling winnings, Helga leaves with Finsen, and the manager sends Oscar away under a false suicide report.

Oscar accepts the report of his death as a chance to begin again and adopts the name Christian Christiansson.

Magnus brings Elin to the farm and tells Anna that a newspaper reports Oscar’s death.

Christian Christiansson sails toward Iceland as a wealthy, famous composer while concealing his identity as Oscar.

Learning that the family farm faces auction the next morning, Christian withdraws two hundred thousand crowns.

Elin tells Christian that Magnus fills a father’s place, while unknowingly admiring her absent father’s music.

Christian offers to pay the overdue interest if he can adopt Elin, but she chooses to remain with her family.

Christian accepts Elin’s loyalty to Magnus and gives her a pocketbook to deliver to the Sheriff.

Visitors reveal the stranger’s identity, the Sheriff discovers his gift, and the auction does not take place.

Christian crosses Hengel toward Eyrarbakki, loses the marked path, and experiences a vision of heavenly welcome as the mountain shakes.