Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Plot Reference

1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Plot Reference By: Sierra Cave

2. Introduction • A Senator dies • Governor of state has to appoint a new Senator • Jim Taylor has the Governor and Senator Paine on his pay role • The boys recommend Jefferson Smith, a ditzy boy scouts leader • Jefferson Smith is the new Senator of the state

3. Rising Action • Jefferson Smith is absent for 5 hours due to his amazement of the American mementos of Washington • Smith is made a fool by the papers and looks to be unfit for a role in the Senate • Senator Paine and Jim Taylor are committing graft • Jefferson Smith presents a bill for a boys’ camp, requiring the land that Paine and Taylor are using to commit graft • Paine accuses Jefferson of graft and accuses him of already owning the land for the boys’ camp to make personal profit • Taylor threatens Jefferson and asks him to join the Taylor machine, but Jefferson turns him down • Smith was put on trial to discuss the matter, and Jefferson Smith walked out without testifying after Taylor paid people to testify against him

4. Climax • Jefferson Smith calls a quorum • Saunders, Jefferson Smith’s secretary told him to fight • Jefferson Smith begins a filibuster the next day in the Senate with the help of Saunders • Smith is asked to yield multiple times, but would only yield for a question so that he would get it right back • Another Senator asked for him to recess knowing that he would lose his place in the senate by the morning; Smith denied this offer • Newspapers were sent out to Smith’s home town to ask of their support, the Taylor machine stops this from happening and injures the many young boys that provided this support

5. Falling Action • Paine has the page boys bring papers that the Taylor machine had been printing during his 24 hour filibuster to make him lose hope • Jefferson Smith decides to fight for “the lost cause” because it was one of importance (quoting Paine’s advice prior) • Jefferson passes out • Paine runs out of the Senate and attempts to commit suicide due to his guilt

6. Conclusion • Paine runs back in confessing and told the entire Senate that every word Jefferson Smith spoke was the truth including Taylor’s political machine/graft • Paine resign from the Senate stating that he is not fit to be a Senator and that his state is corrupt • Jefferson remains a part of the Senate though he was not conscious to take credit for his win • The entire Senate is in an uproar and rejoices in the truth