To me, the procedures of sonata form strongly resemble a courtroom trial. The opening themes (especially if the work is in a minor key) may be heard as arguments of the prosecution and defense; the development tends to sound like arguments, objections, cross-examinations, and frequently, the presentation of new evidence; the recapitulation is the summing up and final statements; the coda is the announcement of the verdict and sentencing. As in real life, this outline is very compelling and it's a powerful way to get to the heart (or truth) of an infinity of human dramas.