One sees an especially engaging and familiar prototype of this plot structure in Shakespeare's comedies in which, of course, the true lovers are finally united and the stage is set for yet another round of procreation, earthly and political social order, and heavenly harmony. When that orderly progress toward union and harmony is interdicted, as it is in Hamlet for instance, then tragedy as a genre records the results.

It is also interesting to note that Roberts structures her plot with a series of strong oppositions: the city vs. the wilderness, the family "monster" vs. the family savior, passionate true love vs. passionate illicit obsession, father as nurturer vs. father as murderer, relative as source of security vs.