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The Goblin by SYNOPSIS
This is a supernatural tale, based on a short story by Charles Dickens. ‘The Story of the Goblins who Stole a Sexton’ was written before Dickens’ famous ‘A Christmas Carol’ and shares the same themes of the later tale. In this screenplay the main character, Travis Black, is taken back to revisit his past, starting with a childhood tragedy when his parents were brutally murdered by a gang of thieves; through his time in an orphanage; his harsh labour experiences under the tyrant factory owner Mr. Holmes; his adoption by several families and by a well-meaning and kind gravedigger; and a week in the town slums where Travis was put to work by a terrible criminal. The goblin also shows Travis that his policing methods leave a lot to be desired and that he has unjustly and cruelly imprisoned many innocent people. The goblin shows Travis that he is not alone in his suffering. There are others in the town who suffer, yet are able to remain happy and comforted – a sick child and his family, a widower, two homeless street urchins, and innocent prisoners in the town jail. The goblin wishes to show Travis that while his life has been difficult and unfair, Travis is the unnecessary cause of much pain, misery and injustice to others, and that despite the adversity they may face, everyone in the town is still able to be happy and content. While Travis revisits his past he sees things he has long tried to forget but he is now forced to confront them, and they change his life forever. He gains a new insight into what is really going on in the town. And Travis will find that the goblin’s visit will help him solve a vicious feud between two of the town’s most vengeful criminals – Matches McGinny and The Impaler. At the end of the story, Travis emerges a changed man and, after disappearing in shame for a year, returns to the town in disguise and sets about remedying suffering, difficulty and injustice, some of which he has caused. |