Come and Get It (1936) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie is set in the Wisconsin timber country, specifically in small towns surrounded by vast forests. The story takes place in logging camps, sawmills, and the rugged frontier environment of the late 1800s, where the logging industry dominated the economy and lifestyle.

• wisconsin
• timber country
• logging frontier
• setting
• forests

The events unfold over roughly two decades in the late 1800s, during the peak of Wisconsin's logging boom. This era of industrial expansion shapes the characters' ambitions and highlights the environmental consequences of rapid economic growth.

• late 1800s
• time period
• 1890s
• victorian era
• timber boom

The film explores several interconnected themes: relentless ambition and the cost of pursuing power, family loyalties and fractures within dynastic enterprises, the environmental impact of unchecked industrial expansion, and the complications of romantic entanglements fueled by jealousy.

• themes
• ambition
• family
• environment
• love
• jealousy

Barney Glasgow is a ruthless lumberjack foreman determined to dominate the logging industry. He strategically marries Emma Louise to secure a business partnership, sacrifices personal relationships for power, and becomes consumed by jealousy when new romantic interests threaten his control. His character embodies the destructive nature of unchecked ambition.

• barney glasgow
• character
• lumberjack
• ambition
• protagonist

Lotta appears in two generations, a mother named Lotta Morgan and her daughter Lotta Bostrom, both played by Frances Farmer. The mother had a past relationship with Barney, while the daughter becomes the object of affection for both Richard and Barney, creating a look-alike dynamic that echoes through the generations.

• lotta morgan
• lotta bostrom
• character
• love interest
• frances farmer

Richard Glasgow is Barney and Emma Louise's son who represents a younger generation questioning the old ways. He opposes his father's practice of destroying forests without replanting, challenging the environmental and ethical implications of their business. His romance with Lotta further complicates the family dynamics.

• richard glasgow
• character
• son
• environmentalist
• generation conflict

Barney Glasgow's climb to power illustrates how relentless ambition drives ruthless decision-making. He leverages family ties and marriage for strategic advantage, letting his pursuit of success override personal connections. The theme examines how far someone will go to achieve supremacy and secure a legacy, ultimately revealing the hollow nature of such gains.

• ambition
• power
• success
• ruthlessness
• career

Family loyalties and fractures drive the narrative as dynastic business goals clash with personal relationships. Emma Louise's alliance with Barney and Richard's reactions reveal the complexity of love, duty, and inheritance. The story shows how familial bonds can both propel enterprises and complicate moral choices.

• family
• dynasty
• inheritance
• loyalty
• marriage

The rise of the lumber empire is tied to the exploitation of forests, with characters prioritizing profit over preservation. Barney's refusal to replant trees symbolizes his shortsightedness, a metaphor for his approach to life and love. The theme highlights the tension between economic growth and ecological stewardship.

• environment
• forests
• logging
• deforestation
• ecology

Emma Louise Glasgow is the daughter of Jed Hewitt and wife to Barney Glasgow. She becomes a pivotal figure in the family's power dynamics, forming an alliance with Barney that stabilizes the business on the surface. Her role underscores the costs of navigating marriages of convenience within a growing industrial empire.

• emma louise glasgow
• character
• wife
• marriage convenience

The setting reflects a harsh, work-driven culture where timber and toil shape fortunes. Logging camps and sawmills define the landscape, creating a rugged frontier environment shaped by industrial expansion. The harshness of this world mirrors the moral compromises the characters make in pursuit of wealth.

• logging camps
• sawmills
• frontier
• industrial
• work culture