Moral Occult

In the Melodramatic Imagination by Peter Brooks, the theme of the "moral occult" is very frequent and used throughout many melodramas. Peter Brooks defines the moral occult as "the domain of operative spiritual values which are both indicated within and masked by the surface of reality." (Pg 5) Moral occult is such a valuable tool used in melodrama because it shows true emotion to the audience hiding little information. "They tend toward intense, excessive representations of life which strip the facade of manners to reveal the essential conflicts at work- moments of symbolic confrontation which fully articulate the terms of drama." (Pg 3)

The moral occult has been seen in many pieces of literature we have spoken about in class. For example, in All That Heaven Allows, directed by Douglas Sirk, Cary utilizes the moral occult while trying to determine her fate. She knows that she wants to live the rest of her life with Ron, but her children and many other social pressures pushes her away from him. There is very little information that is withheld from us because even though the characters don't know everything, the audience knows the whole story.