The "Moral Occult" and the Melodramatic Mode

The 'moral occult' is described by Brooks as dealing with spiritual values, and located just beneath the surface of reality. He calls it the "center of interest" (5), as it deals with the truth itself behind the layers of drama that mask it. Brooks writes that the moral occult is located and articulated through the melodramatic mode (5). Melodrama is able to so easily reveal the moral occult because of the exaggerated nature of melodrama itself. Declarations are grand, emotions are poured out, characters speak their minds and gesture meaningfully and so on. As Brooks writes, "The desire to express all seems a fundamental characteristic of the melodramatic mode" (4). This enables us to get right to the moral occult because few things are kept secretive. We know the emotions and feelings of every character the moment they begin to feel them. They make it obvious, and it is easy to find the characters' moral motivation and overall values.
Examples of this can be found within Sirk's All That Heaven Allows. Whenever there is conflict between Cary and her children, both sides speak very openly about what they believe. Her son questions her outright, in front of her new boyfriend Ron, about whether she's intentionally removed the father's presence in the house by taking down his trophy. This highlights the son's morals involved with family as well as how much he values the memory of his father. He also refers to Ron as "a nice set of muscles" when arguing with his mother, showing that he values love and believes that this new relationship is nothing in comparison to the loving one Cary had with the father.