Book Anatomy · The Amateur Cracksman
The Amateur Cracksman: Character
20 lenses on character for The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10 B11 B12 B13 B14 B15 B16 B17 B18 B19 B20
B1. Cast list with first appearance and share of mentions. Count
Lead A. J. Raffles; 14 main characters. See the full lens on the book page.
B2. Who is on the page in each chapter (presence heat map)? Count
Lead A. J. Raffles; 14 main characters. See the full lens on the book page.
B3. What does the lead want, and what do they truly need? AI
To steal valuable items and live a life of crime without being caught by the police.. See the full lens on the book page.
B4. What false belief does the lead hold, and how is it tested? AI
Raffles believes crime is a game he can play indefinitely without serious consequences. This is tested repeatedly: arrest in chapter 5, murder involvement in chapter 10, Mackenzie's relentless pursuit in chapters 13 to 17. By chapter 17, he is cornered and must jump overboard.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 5, Ch 10, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 17
you're far too fond of the uphill game; you will eventually fall a victim to the sporting spirit (Ch 7, para 1)
Simply that he's been on my track for some time, probably ever since friend Crawshay slipped clean through his fingers last November. (Ch 17, para 32)
B5. Arc type: positive, flat or negative? AI
Negative arc. Bunny begins desperate but honest, crosses into crime in chapter 2, deepens his involvement through chapters 3 to 14, and ends imprisoned in chapter 17. Raffles begins confident and free, ends hunted and forced to jump overboard.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 17
Raffles was a burglar. I had helped him to commit one burglary, therefore I was a burglar, too. (Ch 3, para 5)
B6. Key arc moments with chapter and line. AI
Chapter 1 (line 50): Raffles reveals 'I have nothing but my wits to live on.' Chapter 2 (line 49): Bunny accepts crime with 'Good old Bunny.' Chapter 10 (line 22): Raffles declares murder intent. Chapter 14 (line 110): Raffles appears dead. Chapter 17 (line 71): Raffles reveals the pearl and jumps.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 10, Ch 14, Ch 17
I have nothing but my wits to live on--absolutely nothing else. (Ch 1, para 50)
Good old Bunny," he murmured, holding the lantern for one moment to my face; the next he was explaining his plans, and I was nodding, as though we had been fellow-cracksmen all our days. (Ch 2, para 49)
I know very well I'm going to commit one to-night! (Ch 10, para 22)
B7. The antagonist: goal, methods, and when they show their hand. AI
Inspector Mackenzie. See the full lens on the book page.
B8. How is each main character first shown (first line, first act)? Both
Bunny is first shown arriving at Raffles's rooms at midnight, desperate and ashamed, confessing his debts. Raffles is first shown arching his eyebrows at Bunny's arrival, seeming cold but then revealing his own financial need. Both are introduced in crisis.
Chapters: Ch 1
You know I dropped over two hundred just now? (Ch 1, para 11)
It was the look that came instead which held my hand. Neither fear nor horror were in it; only wonder, admiration, and such a measure of pleased expectancy (Ch 1, para 42)
B9. Who appears with whom? Network chart of shared scenes. Count
Pairs who share the most paragraphs. Counted where both names appear in one paragraph.
| Pair | Paragraphs together |
|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles and Bunny | 17 |
| A. J. Raffles and Inspector Mackenzie | 6 |
| Bunny and Inspector Mackenzie | 6 |
| Bunny and Reuben Rosenthall | 5 |
| A. J. Raffles and Reuben Rosenthall | 5 |
| Bunny and Jack Rutter | 4 |
| A. J. Raffles and Jack Rutter | 4 |
| A. J. Raffles and Lady Melrose | 4 |
| Bunny and Lady Melrose | 4 |
| A. J. Raffles and Crawshay | 4 |
B10. Which relationships change most over the book? AI
Bunny and Raffles's relationship deepens from desperation to loyalty through shared crime, but is tested by jealousy over Miss Werner in chapters 15 to 16. Bunny's relationship with Mackenzie shifts from unknown to hunted. Raffles's relationship with Bunny shifts from mentor to equal partner to man he may have lost.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 10, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17
B11. Foils and mirrors: who reflects the lead? AI
Jack Rutter mirrors Raffles: both are criminals forced to flee. Rutter kills in self-defence; Raffles plans murder. Mackenzie mirrors Bunny's moral struggle: both pursue justice but are drawn into compromise. Miss Werner mirrors Bunny's jealousy and loyalty.
Chapters: Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 17
I've killed a robber; that's all. I've killed a robber, a usurer, a jackal, a blackmailer (Ch 10, para 97)
That's all rot," said Raffles, speaking after a pause; "we sha'n't let you give yourself up. (Ch 11, para 4)
B12. Backstory wound: how and when is it revealed? AI
Raffles's backstory wound is revealed in chapters 8 to 9: he committed his first crime in Australia out of desperation, mistaken for another man. This establishes his pattern of using deception and quick thinking to survive. The wound is that he discovered crime works.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 9
You're A. J. Raffles,' he said. (Ch 8, para 13)
W. F. Raffles! We had mistaken EACH OTHER for W. F. Raffles (Ch 8, para 40)
B13. Agency: how often does the lead act rather than react? AI
Raffles acts in most chapters: he initiates crimes, plans escapes, helps Rutter flee, steals the pearl. Bunny reacts more often: he follows Raffles's lead, is arrested, is jealous of Miss Werner. Raffles drives the plot; Bunny is swept along.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 10
No, not even at that," I declared; "name your crime, and I'm your man. (Ch 1, para 66)
Good old Bunny," he murmured, holding the lantern for one moment to my face; the next he was explaining his plans, and I was nodding, as though we had been fellow-cracksmen all our days. (Ch 2, para 49)
B14. Physical description: how much, when, which traits repeat. Both
Looks words (eyes, hair, face and so on) in paragraphs that name each character. A rough guide to who gets described most. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Character | Looks words nearby |
|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles | 80 |
| Bunny | 21 |
| Reuben Rosenthall | 12 |
| Inspector Mackenzie | 9 |
| Captain von Heumann | 5 |
| Crawshay | 4 |
| Sir Bernard Debenham | 3 |
| Lord Amersteth | 2 |
Physical description is sparse. Raffles is described as athletic (cricket player), quick-moving, with expressive eyebrows and hands. Bunny is younger, less confident. Mackenzie is methodical and persistent. Miss Werner is beautiful enough to inspire jealousy. Most characters lack detailed physical traits.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 16, Ch 17
It was the look that came instead which held my hand. Neither fear nor horror were in it; only wonder, admiration, and such a measure of pleased expectancy (Ch 1, para 42)
B15. Names, nicknames and titles, and how their use shifts. Count
The forms of each name used most, and how often the name comes up in each third of the book.
| Character | Most used forms | Mentions by third |
|---|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles | Raffles (344), Mr. Raffles (12), A. J. Raffles (8) | 128 / 108 / 128 |
| Bunny | Bunny (137) | 53 / 40 / 44 |
| Inspector Mackenzie | Mackenzie (54), Inspector Mackenzie (2) | 14 / 0 / 42 |
| Reuben Rosenthall | Rosenthall (20), Reuben Rosenthall (6) | 25 / 1 / 0 |
| Lord Amersteth | Lord Amersteth (23), Amersteth (1) | 24 / 0 / 0 |
| Crawshay | Crawshay (24) | 0 / 0 / 24 |
| Captain von Heumann | von Heumann (15), Heumann (4), Captain von Heumann (2) | 0 / 0 / 21 |
| Sir Bernard Debenham | Sir Bernard (9), Debenham (5), Sir Bernard Debenham (4) | 0 / 14 / 4 |
B16. Mentors and sidekicks: their role and how they exit. AI
Raffles is Bunny's mentor and partner, teaching him crime and loyalty. He exits by jumping overboard in chapter 17, leaving Bunny imprisoned and uncertain of his survival. Addenbrooke is a minor ally who commissions the Velasquez theft in chapter 12. Mackenzie is the antagonist who pursues throughout and boards the ship in chapter 17.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 12, Ch 17
Good old Bunny," he murmured, holding the lantern for one moment to my face; the next he was explaining his plans, and I was nodding, as though we had been fellow-cracksmen all our days. (Ch 2, para 49)
Simply that he's been on my track for some time, probably ever since friend Crawshay slipped clean through his fingers last November. (Ch 17, para 32)
B17. Repeated tags, gestures and tics per character. Both
Gestures that come in the same sentence as each name. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Character | Top gestures |
|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles | shook 6, nodded 3, smiled 3 |
| Bunny | none |
| Inspector Mackenzie | shook 4, laughed 1 |
| Reuben Rosenthall | shook 1 |
| Lord Amersteth | shrugged 1, bowed 1 |
| Crawshay | none |
| Captain von Heumann | none |
| Sir Bernard Debenham | none |
Raffles: arches eyebrows, speaks in cricket metaphors, uses disguises, moves with quick grace. Bunny: expresses jealousy, follows Raffles, narrates with guilt. Mackenzie: appears at key moments, persistent, methodical. Miss Werner: inspires romantic attention and jealousy.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 16, Ch 17
It was the look that came instead which held my hand. Neither fear nor horror were in it; only wonder, admiration, and such a measure of pleased expectancy (Ch 1, para 42)
There's nothing like putting the nervous players in first; it's the sitting with their pads on that upsets their applecart (Ch 4, para 27)
B18. Moral choices that define the lead. AI
Chapter 1: Bunny chooses crime over honest ruin. Chapter 2: He commits his first burglary. Chapter 10: He helps Raffles plan murder. Chapter 11: He helps Rutter escape instead of confessing. Chapter 13: He steals the Velasquez. Chapter 17: He is captured while Raffles escapes. Each choice deepens his moral compromise.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 13, Ch 17
No, not even at that," I declared; "name your crime, and I'm your man. (Ch 1, para 66)
Raffles was a burglar. I had helped him to commit one burglary, therefore I was a burglar, too. (Ch 3, para 5)
I know very well I'm going to commit one to-night! (Ch 10, para 22)
B19. Balance of speaking parts by gender. Count
Of attributed speech, women have 0% and men 100%. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Group | Words spoken |
|---|---|
| Women | 0 |
| Men | 4350 |
| Unclear | 0 |
B20. Who changes and who stays fixed? AI
Bunny changes from honest desperation to criminal complicity to imprisoned uncertainty. Raffles changes from confident thief to hunted fugitive forced to jump overboard. Mackenzie stays fixed as relentless pursuer. Miss Werner stays fixed as romantic interest. Jack Rutter exits the story after chapter 11.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 17
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