The "tragedy" is the starting point, but the "triumph" is the ending. Whether it is the mother protecting her child within the cell or the eventual daylight of a rescue, the narrative serves as a grim testament to the fact that even in the most fiendish of circumstances, the will to live and the instinct to protect can remain unbroken.
If the tragedy is fiendish, its resolution must be heroic — but not magical. Change is possible, but it requires recognizing three truths.