Pommel

Description

Told entirely from the perspective of the youngest of two brothers who are pitted against each other by their domineering coach. The youngest suffers under the harsh treatment from his resentful older brother as the two boys vie for recognition from their coach and their father. The two boys struggle in this physically and psychologically brutal world of constant training, being pushed beyond their limits in every way with the youngest desperately seeking the approval and love of his older brother. In this atmosphere of brutal competition the older brother fights to contain his hatred and jealousy for his brother ultimately giving in to his baser emotions and betraying him.

Biblical Connection

Pommel explores the theme of brotherly jealousy and resentment from the tale of Cain and Abel in a modern setting. In this telling, the brothers' God are the strong and imposing male figures whose approval they desperately seek; their cold and demanding father and their tyrannical coach. When the eldest brother is denied the recognition he thinks he deserves his resentment towards his brother soon turns to hatred. Like Cain he is faced with a choice, will he do the right thing or betray his brother? Genesis was chosen as the inspiration as the stories often deal with basic emotions, such as jealously and resentment, that can translate easily to a modern audience. In the early stories in Genesis , the stakes are high and the relationships intense, these were the first brothers, the first families. Though this is a modern telling, setting the story in the confines of the extreme world of competitive athletics will create a sense of a world within a world, and deliver this same heightened atmosphere that will deliver the drama from the original story.