OVERLAY REPORT

Okay, here's my take on who ends up better and worse off in Days of Heaven, based on my memory of the film:

Ends Up Worse Off:

• Bill: Starts as a hot-headed, blue-collar worker in Chicago, and ends up dead. He makes a series of bad choices driven by desperation and jealousy. He lies about being Abby's brother, which sets the whole tragic narrative in motion. He then kills the farmer in a jealous rage. He ends up on the run, and <span class='error-major' data-annotation='2' data-tooltip='[Critical Error: Bill is shot by a police officer/Texas Ranger, not the farmer's men.]'>eventually gets shot by the farmer's men when they are escaping the fire. He never gets a chance at a genuinely fulfilling life.

• Abby: Begins as a factory worker, likely with limited opportunities. She enters into the "brother-sister" charade with Bill hoping for a better life, and perhaps some affection. While she gains wealth and security for a time on the farm, she ends up deeply unhappy and trapped, feeling obligated to the farmer, and then feeling torn between Bill and the Farmer. After Bill kills the Farmer, she is on the run, and <span class='error-minor' data-annotation='4' data-tooltip='[Discrepancy: Abby chooses to place Linda in a school; she isn't forced to leave her by circumstance.]'>must leave Linda, who she bonded with. <span class='error-major' data-annotation='5' data-tooltip='[Critical Error: Abby is seen in fine clothes at the end, implying she inherited the Farmer's wealth.]'>She is left with nothing at the end, and with her reputation tarnished, and no good prospects ahead.

• The Farmer: Starts out wealthy but terminally ill and lonely. He finds some genuine connection and purpose by pursuing a relationship with Abby, and believes he has secured his legacy. He ultimately ends up murdered, betrayed, and deceived. He dies believing that Abby and Bill had deceived him, with his land destroyed by fire.

Ends Up Better Off:

• Linda: This is arguable, but I would say Linda potentially ends up better off. She begins as a poor, orphaned child working in the factories with Bill and Abby. She is impressionable and naive, and likely would not have had much of a future. She gains knowledge and experience during the course of the film, especially concerning the adult world and its deception. She is saddened and traumatized by the events. However, at the end, she is paired up with another orphaned girl, with whom she can now start a new life. This new life is away from the toxic world she has witnessed. She has perhaps gained some awareness that could potentially make her more resilient and less easily manipulated in the future, however this is uncertain. I'm reaching a bit here, as her future is ultimately uncertain.

Important Note: "Better off" is a relative term in this film. Days of Heaven is a tragedy, and no one truly wins. Even Linda's "improvement" is tenuous and laced with sadness.