The Root of All Evil

Jeckie Farnish grows up in poverty with little prospect of improvement. The film establishes her ambition and the social limits of her environment. Her early life sets the stage for her later ruthlessness.

As an adult, Jeckie falls for Joe Bartle, the local grocer’s son who adores her. She treats his devotion as if it lacks ambition and underestimates his importance. The relationship hints at a possible steady partnership she later rejects.

Jeckie pursues Albert Grice, believing they share an understanding due to his wealth. She is horrified when he goes on holiday and returns married to another woman. This heartbreak becomes the turning point that drives her to escape poverty by any means.

Jeckie sues Albert for breach of promise and emotional distress. With the help of a local lawyer, she presents herself as a spurned victim and wins a substantial out-of-court settlement. The windfall gives her a new sense of power and independence.

Using the windfall, she launches her own grocery store opposite the Grice emporium. She undercuts prices and offers perks to attract customers from her rival. The town begins to take notice as her profits start to rise.

Jeckie’s business acumen converts profit into wealth, changing her status in the town. She buys better comforts and imagines a bigger future. Her confidence grows as she becomes a force in the local economy.

A handsome stranger, Charles Mortimer, arrives with news of oil deposits on the town's edge. He seeks a backer to exploit the land's riches. Jeckie sees a chance to transcend ordinary wealth and seizes upon the opportunity.

Jeckie agrees to back Charles in exchange for a share of the oil venture. The oil rights lie beneath land belonging to an elderly man named Scholes, who believes the plot is barren and sells it for a fair price. The deal marks a dramatic shift from retail to large-scale money.

Oil operations prove explosively profitable, turning Jeckie into a true landowner and social elite. She buys the grandest house in the area and lives a life of luxury she had only dreamed of. She also falls for Charles, though she remains unaware of his hidden marriage.

Jeckie learns Charles is actually married and has misled her about his intentions. She orders him to leave and refuses to share any future profits with him. The revelation shatters the partnership she hoped would secure her future.

Scholes, furious at being swindled, acts on his resentment by burning down the refinery. The blaze devastates the oil operation and puts the entire venture at risk. Jeckie fights to salvage what remains, but the loss hits hard.

Facing ruin, Jeckie starts to analyze her ruthlessness and avarice. She realizes that she has many enemies and few true friends. The crisis prompts a reckoning with her choices and their human cost.

Throughout it all, Joe Bartle never judges her and stays loyal. His steadfastness makes Jeckie see that he was the one who truly cared for her. In the end, she recognizes that he might be the man for her after all.