Book Anatomy · Thriller and adventure
Anatomy of Kidnapped
R.L. Stevenson, 1886. Public domain in the UK and the US. The odd couple on the run; road story.
Ask Kidnapped a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
80,410 words
30 chapters
28% dialogue
21.3 words a sentence
first person
5.4 hours to read
Lessons to borrow
- Use a trusted mentor figure to validate the protagonist's journey and provide practical help at crucial moments, as Rankeillor does for David by believing his story and devising the legal strategy.
- Create a foil character whose values contrast with the protagonist's to highlight growth, as Alan's Highland honour and willingness to bend morality contrasts with David's Lowland principles and integrity.
- Embed the protagonist's external quest for material gain within an internal quest for moral maturity, so that winning the inheritance matters less than the character transformation achieved through hardship and friendship.
All 180 lenses
The 20 lenses below are the most asked for. The full set of 180 is grouped in 12 pages:
Beat positions Both
Story and structure · lens A1 · compare across books
| Beat | Where | Our reading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inciting incident | Ch 1 (I SET OFF UPON MY JOURNEY TO THE HOUSE OF SHAWS), about 1% through | David leaves home with a letter directing him to seek his uncle at the house of Shaws. | |
| First turning point | Ch 6 (CHAPTER VI), about 16% through | David is kidnapped aboard the Covenant and knocked unconscious, his life changed forever. | |
| Midpoint | Ch 17 (CHAPTER XVII), about 52% through | David witnesses the murder of the Red Fox and becomes a hunted fugitive alongside Alan. | |
| Low point | Ch 22 (CHAPTER XXII), about 70% through | David collapses into delirium from exhaustion and physical suffering during their flight through the Highlands. | |
| Climax | Ch 29 (I COME INTO MY KINGDOM), about 97% through | Alan and Rankeillor confront Ebenezer at the house of Shaws, exposing the kidnapping plot and securing David's inheritance. | |
| Resolution | Ch 30 (CHAPTER XXX), about 99% through | David settles his affairs, arranges Alan's escape, and enters Edinburgh as a man of property, though emotionally changed by his trials. |
I took my last look of Kirk Essendean, the trees about the manse, and the big rowans in the kirkyard where my father and my mother lay (Ch 1, para 22)
I saw a great flash of fire, and fell senseless (Ch 6, para 40)
And what seek ye in Aucharn?” said Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure, him they called the Red Fox (Ch 17, para 15)
I ken that fine,” said he; “but if we are driven back on Appin, we are two dead men. So now, David man, be brisk! (Ch 22, para 21)
Percent is the middle of that chapter as a share of all words. The beat labels are our AI reading of the chapter notes.
Chapter length chart Count
Pace · lens D1 · compare across books
30 chapters. Median 2,748 words, shortest 1,416, longest 4,011. Whole book 80,410 words, about 5.4 hours at 250 words a minute.
Each bar is one chapter in reading order. Hover for the title and count.
Dialogue share per chapter Count
Dialogue and voice · lens C1 · compare across books
28% of all words are dialogue. Speech tags: "said" is 68% of tag verbs we found.
Cast and presence map Count
Character · lens B1, B2 · compare across books
| Character | Role (our reading) | Share of mentions | Chapters on page | First appears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Breck Stewart | love interest | 48% | 22 of 30 | Ch 9, para 68 |
| David Balfour | lead | 12% | 23 of 30 | Ch 1, para 3 |
| Mr. Riach | ally | 5% | 7 of 30 | Ch 7, para 14 |
| Mr. Campbell | minor | 5% | 13 of 30 | Ch 1, para 2 |
| James of the Glens | ally | 4% | 10 of 30 | Ch 12, para 29 |
| Captain Hoseason | antagonist | 4% | 10 of 30 | Ch 5, para 22 |
| Mr. Rankeillor | mentor | 4% | 8 of 30 | Ch 5, para 19 |
| Colin Campbell | foil | 3% | 8 of 30 | Ch 6, para 34 |
| Cluny Macpherson | minor | 3% | 4 of 30 | Ch 22, para 41 |
| Ebenezer Balfour | antagonist | 3% | 9 of 30 | Ch 1, para 9 |
| Robin Oig MacGregor | minor | 2% | 1 of 30 | Ch 25, para 6 |
| Mr. Shuan | minor | 2% | 8 of 30 | Ch 5, para 29 |
Who is on the page, chapter by chapter
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Breck Stewart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Balfour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mr. Riach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mr. Campbell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James of the Glens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain Hoseason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mr. Rankeillor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colin Campbell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cluny Macpherson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ebenezer Balfour |
Most shared chapters: Alan Breck Stewart and David Balfour (17), Alan Breck Stewart and James of the Glens (10), David Balfour and Mr. Campbell (9), Alan Breck Stewart and Mr. Campbell (9), David Balfour and Ebenezer Balfour (8).
Counts use the names and aliases in our cast list. A name in narration or speech counts as a mention.
Chapter ending hooks AI
Pace · lens D8 · compare across books
Chapter endings: 10 quiet, 10 reveal, 7 cliffhanger, 3 question.
Chapters end with cliffhangers and questions that propel the narrative forward: David's kidnapping, the shipwreck, the murder, the flight, and the confrontation with Ebenezer. Quieter endings occur during recovery and reflection, allowing readers to absorb the emotional weight of events before new dangers emerge.
Every chapter ending
- Ch 1: quiet. David takes a last look at his home and the graves of his parents, then moves forward into uncertainty
I took my last look of Kirk Essendean, the trees about the manse, and the big rowans in the kirkyard where my father and my mother lay (Ch 1, para 22)
- Ch 2: cliffhanger. The man with the blunderbuss asks if David's father is dead, then agrees to let him in, leaving the reader wondering what will happen next
- Ch 3: question. David agrees to stay despite his misgivings, wondering what his uncle truly wants from him
I’ll stay awhile. It’s more just I should be helped by my own blood than strangers (Ch 3, para 61)
- Ch 4: reveal. David realizes his uncle tried to murder him and confronts him, forcing a confession for the next morning
I locked him into his room, however, and pocketed the key, and then returning to the kitchen, made up such a blaze as had not shone there for many a long year (Ch 4, para 50)
- Ch 5: cliffhanger. David boards the ship with the captain, leaving his uncle behind, unaware of the trap being set
there’s nothing that will bring me on board that Covenant (Ch 5, para 41)
- Ch 6: cliffhanger. David is knocked unconscious and kidnapped, his fate unknown
I saw a great flash of fire, and fell senseless (Ch 6, para 40)
- Ch 7: quiet. David settles into life aboard the ship, befriending the crew and learning their stories, though his future remains uncertain
There’s many a man hoeing tobacco over-seas that should be mounting his horse at his own door at home (Ch 7, para 40)
- Ch 8: quiet. David accepts his situation, though his heart sinks lower as days pass and he sees no hope of escape
as the days came and went, my heart sank lower and lower, till I was even glad of the work which kept me from thinking (Ch 8, para 29)
- Ch 9: cliffhanger. Alan and David stand ready for battle as the crew prepares to attack, with David charged to guard the skylight and rear door
That will I!” said I. “I am no thief, nor yet murderer. I’ll stand by you. (Ch 9, para 64)
- Ch 10: reveal. Alan sings a triumphant Gaelic song celebrating his sword-work, but David is haunted by the men he killed
the thought of the two men I had shot sat upon me like a nightmare; and all upon a sudden, and before I had a guess of what was coming, I began to sob and cry like any child (Ch 10, para 45)
- Ch 11: quiet. The treaty is executed and both sides can wash away the blood and return to their routines
- Ch 12: question. Alan falls into sad silence, musing on the injustice of the Red Fox's power and the patience of the oppressed
And with this Alan fell into a muse, and for a long time sate very sad and silent (Ch 12, para 56)
- Ch 13: cliffhanger. David washes ashore on a desolate island, exhausted and alone, with no sign of the ship or Alan
I cannot tell if I was more tired or more grateful. Both, at least, I was: tired as I never was before that night; and grateful to God as I trust I have been often, though never with more cause (Ch 13, para 48)
- Ch 14: reveal. David realises the island is a tidal islet and could have escaped much earlier if he had understood the tide
A sea-bred boy would not have stayed a day on Earraid; which is only what they call a tidal islet, and except in the bottom of the neaps, can be entered and left twice in every twenty-four hours (Ch 14, para 43)
- Ch 15: quiet. David rests at the inn in good spirits, having travelled nearly a hundred miles in four days and recovered his health
having travelled the greater part of that big and crooked Island of Mull, from Earraid to Torosay, fifty miles as the crow flies, and (with my wanderings) much nearer a hundred, in four days and with little fatigue (Ch 15, para 52)
- Ch 16: quiet. David accepts Henderland's sixpence and is left poorer but spiritually moved, preparing for the next stage of his journey
There are two things that men should never weary of, goodness and humility; we get none too much of them in this rough world among cold, proud people (Ch 16, para 43)
- Ch 17: cliffhanger. David and Alan collapse in exhaustion in the wood of Lettermore, having just escaped the soldiers, with David horrified at what he has witnessed and his new status as a hunted man
Just inside the shelter of the trees I found Alan Breck standing, with a fishing-rod. He gave me no salutation; indeed it was no time for civilities; only “Come!” says he (Ch 17, para 45)
- Ch 18: reveal. Alan swears on the Holy Iron that he had no hand in the murder, and David accepts this, shaking hands on their partnership and agreement to flee together
Alan,” said I, “I’ll not say it’s the good Christianity as I understand it, but it’s good enough. And here I offer ye my hand for the second time. (Ch 18, para 31)
- Ch 19: quiet. Mrs. Stewart blesses David and they depart into the night, with Alan whistling and David reflecting on the complexity of Highland loyalty and survival
- Ch 20: quiet. As night falls, Alan whistles tunes and David walks in fear of falling, but they continue on, with Alan showing confidence in their direction
throughout the rest of our night-march he beguiled the way with whistling of many tunes, warlike, merry, plaintive; reel tunes that made the foot go faster (Ch 20, para 51)
- Ch 21: reveal. John Breck delivers money and a wanted bill describing both David and Alan, forcing them to realize they must separate or both will be captured
Alan and I (getting our chattels together) struck into another to resume our flight. (Ch 21, para 49)
- Ch 22: reveal. David collapses into a state of delirium and is carried by Cluny's men into Ben Alder, barely conscious and unable to distinguish reality from dream
I saw Alan knitting his brows at me, and supposed it was in anger; and that gave me a pang of light-headed fear, like what a child may have. (Ch 22, para 48)
- Ch 23: quiet. Cluny's gracious acceptance of David's principles ends the chapter with restored dignity rather than dramatic revelation
Say nae mair, say nae mair,” said Cluny, and pointed me to a bed of heather in a corner of the Cage (Ch 23, para 28)
- Ch 24: reveal. Alan's true affection emerges when David admits he is dying, transforming their quarrel into tenderness
Alan!” I said; “if ye cannae help me, I must just die here. (Ch 24, para 60)
- Ch 25: quiet. The quarrel dissolves into celebration and music, suggesting harmony restored through art
- Ch 26: reveal. The lass's selfless kindness and courage emerge as she rows away silently, her character revealed through action
she had set us on the Lothian shore not far from Carriden, had shaken hands with us, and was out again at sea and rowing for Limekilns, before there was one word said either of her service or our gratitude (Ch 26, para 92)
- Ch 27: reveal. Rankeillor's kindness and understanding emerge as he provides David with clean clothes and dinner, signalling acceptance
- Ch 28: cliffhanger. Alan knocks on the door of the house of Shaws at night, setting up the confrontation to come
and as soon as we were in our places, Alan strode to the door without concealment and began to knock. (Ch 28, para 38)
- Ch 29: reveal. The sudden appearance of the lawyer and witnesses transforms the scene from negotiation to exposure; David's triumph is bittersweet as he lies awake planning his future
I gave him twenty pound. But I’ll be perfec’ly honest with ye: forby that, he was to have the selling of the lad in Caroliny, whilk would be as muckle mair, but no from my pocket, ye see. (Ch 29, para 57)
- Ch 30: question. David drifts into Edinburgh, thinking of Alan and feeling lost despite his new wealth; Providence guides him to the bank, suggesting his journey continues
Well, good-bye,” said Alan, and held out his left hand. (Ch 30, para 15)
Viewpoint per chapter Both
Viewpoint and narration · lens E2 · compare across books
Counted: the narration is mostly first person (first person words per 1,000 outside speech: 61.3).
The entire novel is narrated in first person by David Balfour, giving readers intimate access to his thoughts, fears, and moral struggles. This perspective makes his growth and transformation deeply personal, though it limits knowledge of other characters' true motivations.
- Ch 1 to 30: David Balfour
Want and need of the lead AI
Character · lens B3 · compare across books
| Lead | David Balfour |
|---|---|
| Wants | To claim his rightful inheritance and escape the schemes of his wicked uncle Ebenezer. |
| Needs | To learn loyalty, courage, and moral integrity through hardship and friendship with Alan. |
| False belief | That he can recover his inheritance through legal means alone without understanding Highland honour and clan loyalty. |
| Arc | positive. David transforms from an innocent, naive boy into a man of principle and courage, learning to value friendship and loyalty above material gain. |
Scene log AI
Story and structure · lens A4 · compare across books
One line per chapter: goal, conflict, outcome
| Ch | Summary | Goal | Conflict | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Balfour leaves his home in Essendean with a letter from his dead father directing him to seek his uncle at the house of Shaws. | David wants to leave home and discover his family inheritance | He must travel to an unknown place and meet a stranger uncle | He sets off with gifts from Mr. Campbell and heads toward Cramond |
| 2 | David arrives near Cramond and learns disturbing rumours about the house of Shaws and his uncle Ebenezer before finally seeing the ruined house. | David wants to find the house of Shaws and meet his uncle | Locals warn him away with dark hints; the house appears derelict and cursed | David reaches the house at dusk and knocks on the door, confronted by a man with a blunderbuss |
| 3 | David meets his uncle Ebenezer at the house of Shaws, discovers his father was the elder brother, and begins to suspect his uncle of harbouring dark secrets. | David wants to understand his uncle and claim his rightful place in the family | Ebenezer is miserly, evasive, and behaves strangely; he locks David in a damp bedroom without light | David stands up to his uncle and forces him to treat him with basic respect, though tension remains |
| 4 | David discovers a clue about his father's handwriting, confronts his uncle about being twins, and is sent on a dangerous errand up an unfinished staircase where he nearly falls to his death. | David wants to understand his uncle's secrets and prove his worth | Ebenezer sends him up a dark, incomplete staircase without light; the stairs end in a deadly drop | David survives by crawling carefully and discovers his uncle intended to kill him; Ebenezer panics when thunder sounds |
| 5 | David forces his uncle to take him to the Queen's Ferry to meet a ship captain, hoping to escape and find a lawyer; he learns from an innkeeper that his father was the elder son and rightful heir. | David wants to escape his uncle and reach a lawyer to verify his inheritance | His uncle takes him to meet Captain Hoseason; David learns his father was murdered for the inheritance | David agrees to board the ship, unaware of the danger he is walking into |
| 6 | David boards the Covenant with Captain Hoseason, learns from the innkeeper that his father was the rightful heir, and is suddenly kidnapped and knocked unconscious. | David wants to see the ship and then visit the lawyer with his uncle | Captain Hoseason tricks him into boarding; his uncle abandons him in the boat | David is struck on the head and kidnapped, losing consciousness |
| 7 | David wakes bound in the ship's hold, suffering from a head wound; Mr. Riach, the second mate, tends to him and eventually moves him to the forecastle where he recovers and befriends the crew. | David wants to survive and escape his captors | He is imprisoned in the hold, injured and sick; Captain Hoseason refuses to move him despite his condition | Mr. Riach defies the captain and moves David to the forecastle, where he recovers and learns of the kidnapping trade |
| 8 | David is moved to the round-house to serve the officers; Mr. Shuan kills Ransome in a drunken rage; David serves the officers while living under the shadow of the murder and the knowledge of his grim future. | David wants to survive his captivity and find a way to escape | He witnesses a murder, serves brutal men, and sees no way out of his enslavement | David settles into a grim routine, serving the officers while plotting his escape |
| 9 | A Jacobite fugitive named Alan Breck is rescued from the sea after the Covenant runs down his boat, and David agrees to help him escape the ship's treacherous crew. | Alan wants safe passage to Scotland; the captain wants to capture him for reward money | The crew plans to ambush Alan while David must choose between loyalty to the ship or to a stranger | David warns Alan and they barricade themselves in the round-house to prepare for siege |
| 10 | Alan and David defend the round-house against the ship's crew in a fierce battle, killing several men and forcing the rest to retreat. | The crew wants to kill Alan and take his gold; Alan and David want to survive and hold the round-house | Fifteen armed sailors attack from multiple directions while two men defend with limited ammunition | Alan kills several men with his sword, David shoots attackers through the skylight, the crew retreats in defeat |
| 11 | After their victory, Alan and David negotiate with the captain, who agrees to land Alan on the Scottish coast in exchange for sixty guineas and a bottle of brandy. | Alan wants to be set ashore in his own country; the captain wants payment and safe passage | The captain fears the dangerous coast and has lost his first officer; Alan refuses to accept less favourable terms | They strike a bargain: sixty guineas for landing Alan in Appin, and brandy for the crew |
| 12 | As the ship sails toward the Scottish coast, Alan tells David about the Highland clans, his exiled chief Ardshiel, and his bitter hatred of the Red Fox, Colin Roy Campbell. | Alan wants David to understand Highland politics and his mission to help his chief | David is a Whig and cannot fully understand Alan's passionate clan loyalty and desire for vengeance | David learns of the Red Fox's cruelty and Alan's determination to see him punished |
| 13 | The Covenant strikes rocks near Mull in dangerous waters, and David is swept overboard into the sea during the evacuation, losing sight of Alan and the ship. | The crew wants to escape the reef and save the ship; David wants to survive in the sea | The ship is wrecked on the Torran Rocks and David is cast into the water during the chaos | David clings to a spar and drifts to the island of Earraid; the ship's fate is unknown |
| 14 | David survives alone on the tidal island of Earraid for nearly four days, starving and suffering from cold and sickness, until fishermen finally help him escape. | David wants to survive and escape the island; the island's harsh conditions want to kill him | David has no food, shelter, or knowledge of the island's nature; he is too weak to swim or climb | Fishermen return and signal that the creek is fordable at low tide, allowing David to reach the mainland |
| 15 | David crosses Mull seeking Alan, encountering kind Highland folk, dishonest guides, and a dangerous blind catechist before reaching the inn at Torosay. | David wants to find Alan and reach Torosay; various Highlanders want his money or to mislead him | David is weak, poor, and ignorant of the language and terrain; he meets cheaters and a possibly murderous catechist | David reaches Torosay and learns that Alan has passed through safely, heading toward his own country |
| 16 | David crosses to the mainland and meets Neil Roy Macrob, who gives him directions to James of the Glens, then encounters the catechist Henderland and learns about the Red Fox and local tensions. | David needs to reach Alan's kinsman James of the Glens safely | David must navigate Highland politics, avoid suspicion, and learn the dangerous landscape | David receives clear directions and shelter from Henderland, gaining insight into the coming conflict |
| 17 | David witnesses the murder of the Red Fox on the road, is falsely accused of complicity, and flees into the heather with Alan Breck Stewart. | David seeks to reach Aucharn; Colin Campbell seeks to evict tenants | An unknown assassin shoots Campbell; David is blamed and hunted by soldiers | David escapes with Alan into the mountains, becoming a fugitive |
| 18 | David and Alan rest in the wood; David accuses Alan of the murder, but Alan swears his innocence and explains why they must both flee to the Lowlands. | David wants to know if Alan killed the Red Fox; Alan wants David to trust him and flee | David's horror at the murder and suspicion of Alan versus Alan's claims of innocence and moral reasoning | David accepts Alan's oath and agrees to flee with him to the Lowlands |
| 19 | David and Alan arrive at James of the Glens' house, where they find the family in panic, hiding weapons and burning papers; they are equipped for flight and given money. | Alan needs to reach his kinsman James to get clothes, arms, and money; James needs to protect his family | James is terrified of being implicated in the murder and wants to distance himself from Alan; David must be described in a wanted bill | They are equipped and given money, but James must issue a warrant against them to protect himself |
| 20 | David and Alan flee across the moor and mountains, hiding from soldiers, enduring extreme heat and thirst on a rock, then crawling through the heather to escape a cavalry patrol. | David and Alan must reach Ben Alder before being caught by soldiers | Soldiers are everywhere; the terrain is exposed; David is exhausted and afraid | They escape the soldiers and reach safety in the heather, though barely |
| 21 | David and Alan reach the Heugh of Corrynakiegh, a hidden mountain cleft where they rest, fish, and Alan sends a coded message via a fiery cross to summon help and money. | Alan needs to get word to James and obtain money for their escape to the Lowlands | They are trapped in a remote location; they cannot write; they must trust a stranger with a dangerous message | Alan creates a clever coded message using a fiery cross and button; John Breck delivers money and news |
| 22 | David and Alan cross the open moor in daylight, hide from dragoons, crawl through burned heather all night, and collapse from exhaustion before being captured by Cluny Macpherson's men. | David and Alan must cross the moor and reach Ben Alder before being caught | Dragoons patrol the moor; David is exhausted beyond endurance; they must move in daylight and darkness | They escape the dragoons but are captured by Cluny's sentries, who turn out to be allies |
| 23 | David and Alan reach Cluny's hidden refuge in the mountains, where David falls ill and Alan loses their money at cards, creating tension between them. | Find shelter and recover from illness | David's fever, Alan's gambling losses, and moral disagreements over card playing | David recovers but Alan has gambled away their funds; Cluny generously returns the money |
| 24 | Alan and David travel through harsh Highland terrain, their friendship fractures over Alan's gambling debt, they quarrel bitterly, but reconcile when David falls gravely ill. | Reach safety in the Lowlands | David's anger at Alan's betrayal, harsh weather, David's illness, and their mutual pride | They nearly fight but reconcile when David's illness becomes critical |
| 25 | David recovers at a Maclaren household in Balquhidder while Alan hides nearby; Robin Oig MacGregor visits and nearly fights Alan, but they resolve their quarrel through a piping contest. | Recover from illness in safety | Alan must hide from authorities; Robin Oig's unexpected visit threatens discovery and violence | Robin and Alan become friends through music rather than swords |
| 26 | David and Alan attempt to cross the Forth to reach the Lowlands and safety; they use Alan's charm to persuade a serving lass to steal a boat and help them escape. | Cross the Forth and reach Mr. Rankeillor's house | The bridge is guarded; they lack money and means; the firth must be crossed by boat | A kind lass steals a boat and rows them across to Lothian shore |
| 27 | David meets Mr. Rankeillor in Queensferry and tells him his story; the lawyer believes him and agrees to help recover his inheritance from his uncle. | Convince Rankeillor of David's identity and gain his legal help | David's ragged appearance and lack of proof; Rankeillor's need for verification | Rankeillor accepts David's story and becomes his advocate |
| 28 | Rankeillor explains the history of David's father and uncle's rivalry over a woman, and devises a plan to confront Ebenezer about the kidnapping; David, Rankeillor, and Alan prepare to visit the house of Shaws. | Prepare to confront Ebenezer and recover David's inheritance | Need to prove the kidnapping without exposing Alan to legal danger | Rankeillor and David devise a plan; they set out with Alan to the house of Shaws at night |
| 29 | Alan confronts Ebenezer at his door, revealing he holds David captive and demanding payment, until the lawyer and witnesses emerge to expose the kidnapping plot. | Alan to extract payment from Ebenezer for keeping David; Ebenezer to avoid paying or admitting guilt | Ebenezer denies caring about David and refuses ransom; Alan threatens and manipulates; the truth of the kidnapping emerges | Ebenezer confesses to paying Hoseason twenty pounds; the lawyer produces witnesses; Ebenezer is forced to sign an agreement giving David two thirds of Shaws income |
| 30 | David settles his affairs at Shaws with Rankeillor's help, arranges Alan's escape, and parts from his friend at Rest-and-be-Thankful before entering Edinburgh alone. | David to help Alan escape and address the matter of James of the Glens; to take possession of his inheritance | Rankeillor warns that interfering in James's case could lead to David's own trial and execution; David and Alan must part ways | Rankeillor provides letters of credit and introduction; Alan and David arrange a meeting place and signals; they part at Rest-and-be-Thankful; David enters Edinburgh alone |
Setups and payoffs AI
Story and structure · lens A8 · compare across books
| Planted | Pays off | |
|---|---|---|
| The letter to Ebenezer Balfour at the house of Shaws, David's inheritance (Ch 1) | Rankeillor uses the letter to prove David's identity and claim to the estate (Ch 27) | |
| David's father was the elder brother, making David the rightful heir (Ch 3) | Rankeillor confirms this and helps David recover his inheritance from Ebenezer (Ch 29) | |
| The unfinished staircase designed to kill David in darkness (Ch 4) | The staircase becomes evidence of Ebenezer's attempted murder when confronted by the lawyer (Ch 29) | |
| Alan's belt of gold guineas meant for his exiled chief Ardshiel (Ch 9) | The gold enables Alan and David's escape and survival in the Highlands (Ch 21) | |
| The Red Fox's campaign to evict Highland tenants and starve Ardshiel (Ch 12) | The Red Fox is murdered, removing the threat to the clan and creating David's fugitive status (Ch 17) | |
| Alan's silver button as a sign of their friendship and trust (Ch 14) | The button proves David's connection to Alan and his story to Rankeillor (Ch 27) | |
| David's moral scruples about gambling and dishonest gain (Ch 23) | David's integrity earns the trust of Rankeillor and the serving lass, enabling his recovery of his inheritance (Ch 27) | |
| Rankeillor's deliberate forgetting of his spectacles to avoid identifying Alan (Ch 27) | The lawyer's strategy protects Alan from legal identification during the confrontation with Ebenezer (Ch 29) |
give my boy this letter into his hand, and start him off to the house of Shaws, not far from Cramond (Ch 1, para 6)
It was a word that seemed to surprise those of whom I sought my way (Ch 2, para 3)
I wouldnae like the Balfours to be humbled before a wheen Hieland Campbells, and I’ll ask you to keep your tongue within your teeth (Ch 3, para 43)
Speech fingerprints Count
Dialogue and voice · lens C3 · compare across books
| Character | Share of attributed speech | Lines | Words a line | Questions per 100 lines | Exclaims per 100 | Pet words |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Breck Stewart | 66% | 334 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 22.5 | it's, david, that's, name, mind, shall |
| James of the Glens | 6% | 23 | 22.4 | 21.7 | 34.8 | alan, it's, paper, accident, sure, appin |
| Mr. Campbell | 6% | 10 | 47.6 | 20.0 | 0.0 | davie, house, campbell, father, letter, it's |
| Mr. Rankeillor | 5% | 14 | 29.1 | 21.4 | 0.0 | thomson, name, those, friend, knew, money |
| Cluny Macpherson | 5% | 17 | 23.9 | 29.4 | 35.3 | it's, house, mine, gentlemen, step, make |
| Captain Hoseason | 5% | 32 | 11.7 | 18.8 | 21.9 | shuan, where, we'll, crack, sail, seaman |
| Ebenezer Balfour | 3% | 26 | 9.7 | 30.8 | 26.9 | fine, food, hoot, toot, dinnae, we'll |
| Mr. Riach | 3% | 24 | 8.8 | 12.5 | 25.0 | david, give, leave, head, that's, true |
| Robin Oig MacGregor | 1% | 12 | 7.1 | 16.7 | 8.3 | stewart, father, yourself, thinking, country, mean |
| David Balfour | 0% | 6 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ardshiel, captain, clan |
We give a line to a speaker only when one cast name appears in the narration of that paragraph, so many lines stay unattributed. Treat the figures as a sample.
Sentence length per chapter Count
Pace · lens D2 · compare across books
Mean sentence 21.3 words, median 18.0. 28% of sentences are under 10 words and 25% over 30. In the last fifth of the book, chapters run at 99% and sentences at 92% of the earlier average.
Emotional arc shape Count
Pace · lens D7 · compare across books
Computed shape: Man in a hole (fall then rise) (fit 0.67 on a scale of 0 to 1).
We score the mood of each paragraph with a standard word list, then average across 20 equal slices of the book and smooth it. It is a rough reading of word mood, not of plot, and old styles of English can fool it. Shapes follow Reagan and others (2016).
When the lead and the first dialogue arrive Count
Openings and endings · lens F3, F4 · compare across books
First line of dialogue: after 142 words (Ch 1, para 3), 0.2% into the book.
The lead, David Balfour, is first named after 143 words (Ch 1, para 3). In a first person book the narrator may be on the page from the first line before we learn the name.
Mystery clue list AI
Genre craft · lens G4 · compare across books
| Clue | Kind | Laid | Explained | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennet Clouston's curse mentions blood building and blood stopping the building | clue | Ch 2 | Ch 4 | |
| The book inscription suggests David's father wrote it before age five, which is impossible | clue | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | |
| The staircase is deliberately incomplete, designed to kill anyone climbing it in darkness | clue | Ch 4 | Ch 4 | |
| The innkeeper says Ebenezer killed David's father to get the place | clue | Ch 5 | Ch 27 | |
| A man in a black coat with a long fowling-piece fires the shot that kills the Red Fox | clue | Ch 17 | ||
| Alan is conveniently in the wood with a fishing rod when the murder occurs | red herring | Ch 17 | Ch 18 | |
| Alan swears on the Holy Iron he had no art or part in the murder | clue | Ch 18 | Ch 18 | |
| Rankeillor already knows of David's existence and the kidnapping plot | clue | Ch 27 | Ch 27 | |
| Rankeillor deliberately forgets his spectacles to avoid identifying Alan | clue | Ch 27 | Ch 29 | |
| Ebenezer's immediate fear and hesitation when Alan mentions David's name | clue | Ch 29 | Ch 29 |
Blood built it; blood stopped the building of it; blood shall bring it down (Ch 2, para 19)
To my brother Ebenezer on his fifth birthday (Ch 4, para 2)
ye have a kind of gliff of Mr. Alexander (Ch 6, para 14)
Antagonist AI
Character · lens B7 · compare across books
| Who | Ebenezer Balfour |
|---|---|
| Goal | To keep David's inheritance and prevent his nephew from claiming the house of Shaws. |
| Methods | He arranges David's kidnapping through Captain Hoseason, attempts to murder him on the unfinished staircase, and lies about his father's death. |
| Shows their hand | Ch 4 |
| Our note | Ebenezer's guilt and fear drive him to increasingly desperate acts, culminating in his confession when confronted by the lawyer. |
Tension curve AI
Pace · lens D6 · compare across books
Tension score per chapter, 1 to 5 (our AI reading). The novel moves rapidly through action and danger in the first half, slowing during David's recovery and the Highland flight to allow character development and emotional depth. The final chapters accelerate again toward the climactic confrontation and resolution.
Subplot thread map Both
Story and structure · lens A7 · compare across books
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David's quest for his inheritance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David's kidnapping and enslavement | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David and Alan's flight and friendship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Red Fox's murder and its consequences | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highland clan politics and loyalty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David's survival and recovery |
- David's quest for his inheritance: David seeks to claim his rightful inheritance from his uncle Ebenezer, discovering the house of Shaws is a ruin and his uncle is wicked before being kidnapped.
- David's kidnapping and enslavement: David is kidnapped aboard the Covenant and experiences the brutality of the ship before being shipwrecked and separated from Alan.
- David and Alan's flight and friendship: David and Alan become fugitives after witnessing the Red Fox's murder, fleeing through the Highlands and developing a deep bond tested by hardship and separation.
- The Red Fox's murder and its consequences: The murder of Colin Campbell creates a manhunt that makes David and Alan fugitives and threatens James of the Glens with legal prosecution.
- Highland clan politics and loyalty: David learns about the tension between Highland clans and Lowland authority, the Disarming Act, and the bonds of kinship that drive Alan and James.
- David's survival and recovery: David survives shipwreck, starvation, illness, and exhaustion, gradually recovering his strength and health through the kindness of Highland folk and Alan's care.
Motif tracker AI
Theme and motif · lens J3 · compare across books
- Inheritance and family secrets (Ch 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 27, 28, 29): David's quest to claim his rightful inheritance reveals the dark secrets of his family and his uncle's murderous guilt.
- Journey and departure (Ch 1, 5, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 26, 30): David's physical journey from home to the Highlands and back to the Lowlands mirrors his emotional journey from innocence to maturity.
- Isolation and confinement (Ch 3, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 23): David experiences isolation in his uncle's house, on the ship, on the island, and in the mountains, each confinement testing his character and resolve.
- Highland honour and loyalty (Ch 9, 12, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28): Alan and the Highland clans operate by codes of honour and kinship that contrast with Lowland law and morality, teaching David the value of loyalty.
- Betrayal and deception (Ch 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 17, 26, 29): David is repeatedly betrayed by those he trusts, from his uncle to Captain Hoseason, learning to discern true character from false appearances.
- The sea as danger and separator (Ch 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 26): The sea kidnaps David, separates him from Alan, and tests his courage, serving as both literal and symbolic barrier between his old and new life.
I am come of kings; I bear a king’s name. My badge is the oak. Do ye see my sword? (Ch 10, para 5)
If ye were the Red Fox...” And at that name, his teeth shut together, and he ceased speaking. I have seen many a grim face, but never a grimmer than Alan’s (Ch 12, para 32)
All the time of my troubles I wept only twice. Once, when I could not reach the yard, and now, the second time, when these fishers turned a deaf ear to my cries (Ch 14, para 28)
There’s something fine about it; no perhaps Christian, but humanly fine. Even Alan Breck, by all that I hear, is a chield to be respected. (Ch 16, para 29)
Signature words Count
Prose style · lens H3 · compare across books
Words this book uses far more than the other books on our shelf (log odds, at least 8 uses). Names often top the list.
Commercial facts card Research
Commercial facts · lens L1, L2, L4 · compare across books
| First published | 1886 |
|---|---|
| Author died | 1894 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the UK (author died 1894, so life plus 70 years has passed) and in the US (first published 1886, before 1931). |
| Length | 80,410 words in 30 chapters; about 5.4 hours to read |
| Genre | Thriller and adventure |
| Sales and adaptations | Coming in a later phase, with sources. |
Method: counts come from a clean public domain plain text, split into chapters and paragraphs with stable IDs (for example c3p12 is chapter 3, paragraph 12, in reading order). Lenses marked AI are our AI reading of each chapter, made once and stored. Every quote shown was checked word for word against the text; 14 AI quotes for this book failed that check and were dropped.
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