Book Anatomy · The Amateur Cracksman
The Amateur Cracksman: Dialogue and voice
16 lenses on dialogue and voice 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: C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
C1. Share of words in dialogue, whole book and per chapter. Count
44% dialogue. See the full lens on the book page.
C2. Each character's number of lines and share of speech. Both
A. J. Raffles speaks most, with 85% of attributed speech.
| Character | Lines | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles | 213 | 3687 | 85% |
| Lord Amersteth | 18 | 326 | 8% |
| Inspector Mackenzie | 23 | 170 | 4% |
| Crawshay | 11 | 99 | 2% |
| Sir Bernard Debenham | 7 | 68 | 2% |
Dialogue comprises 43.7 percent of the text. Raffles dominates speech, especially in chapters 8 to 9 where he narrates his Australian crime at length. Bunny speaks often but mostly in reaction. Mackenzie speaks little but with weight. Miss Werner has minimal lines but high impact.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 8, Ch 9, 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)
C3. Speech fingerprint: line length, pet words, questions, exclamations. Count
Top speaker A. J. Raffles (85%). See the full lens on the book page.
C4. Dialogue tags: "said" against other verbs, and adverbs on tags. Count
'Said' is 63% of dialogue tags. Adverbs on tags: 11 in all, most often savagely, bitterly, apologetically.
| Tag verb | Count |
|---|---|
| said | 221 |
| cried | 46 |
| whispered | 25 |
| asked | 18 |
| added | 8 |
| exclaimed | 8 |
| replied | 5 |
| continued | 5 |
| answered | 5 |
| murmured | 4 |
C5. Action beats used in place of tags. Both
65% of paragraphs with speech carry no tag verb at all. Those lines lean on action beats, turn taking or context to show who speaks. (rough estimate from word lists)
Action beats replace tags frequently: 'he murmured, holding the lantern' (chapter 2), 'he hiccoughed' (chapter 5), 'he opened his fist' (chapter 7). These show character through gesture rather than dialogue alone, especially for Raffles's confident movements.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 5, Ch 7, Ch 16
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)
Good-evening, boys," he hiccoughed. "Glad to see ye at last. Shift foot or finger, you on the left, though, and you're a dead boy. (Ch 5, para 11)
he opened his fist, to shut it next instant on the bunch of diamonds and of sapphires (Ch 7, para 66)
C6. Subtext: where people say one thing and mean another. AI
Chapter 1: Raffles seems cold but means to help. Chapter 2: Raffles says 'the equivalent from his shop' meaning burglary. Chapter 7: Raffles says he wants the necklace but 'won't play the fool.' Chapter 16: Raffles says he went to Miss Werner's cabin 'on purpose' meaning to steal the pearl, not romance.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 7, Ch 16
The equivalent--from his shop. (Ch 2, para 37)
I've been wanting it for years! But I'm not going to play the fool; honor bright, I'm not (Ch 7, para 3)
I'm ashamed to tell you, Bunny, that I went there on purpose! (Ch 16, para 2)
C7. Dialect and class markers, and how they are spelt. Both
71 spelt dialect or clipped forms in speech, such as ye, yer, o', ain't. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Form | Times |
|---|---|
| ye | 19 |
| yer | 15 |
| o' | 14 |
| ain't | 5 |
| 'ere | 3 |
| wot | 3 |
| nothin' | 2 |
| waitin' | 1 |
| watchin' | 1 |
| beggin' | 1 |
Raffles and Bunny speak standard English with occasional slang: 'cracksmen,' 'I.D.B.' (illicit diamond buyer). Rosenthall's men use rougher speech: 'Whort price thet brikewater.' Mackenzie speaks formally. Class is marked by vocabulary and accent rather than dialect spelling.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7
Whort price thet brikewater--old I.D.B.? (Ch 5, para 20)
C8. How exposition is carried in talk. AI
Exposition is carried through Raffles's long narration in chapters 8 to 9 about his Australian crime. Bunny asks questions that prompt Raffles to explain. Chapter 15 summarizes months of waiting through Bunny's reflection. Chapter 16 reveals the pearl theft plan through dialogue between Raffles and Bunny.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 15, Ch 16
C9. Longest speeches and what each one does. Both
The longest single speech runs to 305 words.
| Words | Where | Opens with |
|---|---|---|
| 305 | c9p45 | The thing should have ended with an exciting chase I know but somehow it ... |
| 271 | c12p29 | having the very devil of a time Not a word till I tell you ... |
| 219 | c11p64 | you have the privilege of knowing one of the most complete young black guards ... |
| 213 | c10p99 | He's made my life a hell these weeks and months past You may know ... |
| 212 | c5p51 | I had the luck to get clear away through knowing every brick of those ... |
| 206 | c3p33 | What did he not say He boasted of his rise he bragged of his ... |
Ch 9, para 45: "I'm sorry to say it is," said Raffles apologetically. "The thing should have ended with an exciting chase, I know, but somehow it didn't. I suppose they thought …
Ch 12, para 29: "I'm fairly on the rush," he panted; "having the very devil of a time! Not a word till I tell you all I've done. I settled my plan …
Ch 11, para 64: "Then," said he, "you have the privilege of knowing one of the most complete young black-guards about town, and the fons et origo of the whole trouble. As …
Ch 10, para 99: "Shall I tell you how it happened?" he went passionately on. "He's made my life a hell these weeks and months past. You may know that. A perfect …
Ch 5, para 51: "Purely by luck," said Raffles. "I had the luck to get clear away through knowing every brick of those back-garden walls, and the double luck to have these …
Ch 3, para 33: "Say?" cried Raffles. "What did he not say! He boasted of his rise, he bragged of his riches, and he blackguarded society for taking him up for his …
Raffles's longest speech is in chapter 8 narrating his Australian bank robbery, establishing his criminal history. His speech in chapter 16 explaining the pearl theft plan shows his ingenuity. Bunny's longest speeches are confessions of guilt and jealousy. These speeches reveal character and advance plot.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 16
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)
I'm ashamed to tell you, Bunny, that I went there on purpose! (Ch 16, para 2)
C10. Who wins each argument, and how power shifts in talk. AI
Raffles wins most arguments through confidence and logic. In chapter 1, he persuades Bunny to commit crime. In chapter 11, he persuades Rutter not to confess. In chapter 17, Mackenzie wins by boarding the ship, forcing Raffles to jump. Power shifts from Raffles to Mackenzie in the final chapter.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 11, Ch 17
No, not even at that," I declared; "name your crime, and I'm your man. (Ch 1, para 66)
That's all rot," said Raffles, speaking after a pause; "we sha'n't let you give yourself up. (Ch 11, para 4)
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)
C11. Banter and humour patterns. AI
Banter is light and frequent between Raffles and Bunny, using cricket metaphors and wordplay. Chapter 2 opens with 'The Ides of March' joke. Chapter 4 uses cricket strategy as metaphor for crime. Chapter 6 uses cricket week as cover for robbery. Humour eases tension and bonds the criminals.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 4, Ch 6
March 15th. 'The Ides of March, the Ides of March, remember.' Eh, Bunny, my boy? (Ch 2, para 8)
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)
Gentlemen and Players at single wicket, by Jove! (Ch 6, para 71)
C12. Blind test: can you tell who speaks without the tag? AI
Raffles is distinctive: confident, uses cricket metaphors, speaks in measured tones. Bunny is anxious, self-doubting, confessional. Mackenzie is formal and methodical. Miss Werner is romantic and brief. Most dialogue is attributable by voice and manner.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 6, 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)
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)
C13. Catchphrases and verbal tics. Count
Phrases of three or four words repeated most often inside speech.
| Phrase | Times |
|---|---|
| my dear bunny | 10 |
| matter of fact | 7 |
| a matter of fact | 7 |
| i'll tell you | 6 |
| i've been thinking | 5 |
| i've got a | 5 |
| i'm going to | 5 |
| the strong room | 5 |
| it's no use | 4 |
| my dear chap | 4 |
C14. Interruptions, silences and broken off lines. Count
19 spoken lines break off with a dash or dots: 18.96 per 1,000 paragraphs of speech.
C15. Voice in letters, diaries and documents. Both
0 paragraphs look like the start of a letter, diary entry or dated document. (rough estimate from word lists)
The book contains no letters, diaries or documents. All narrative is first-person reflection by Bunny or dialogue. Chapter 8 to 9 is Raffles narrating his past to Bunny. No written forms are used.
C16. Forms of address between characters and how they change. Both
Forms of address in speech by third of the book: 13, 11, 12.
| Form | Times |
|---|---|
| my dear | 18 |
| sir | 18 |
Raffles calls Bunny 'my boy' and 'old Bunny,' showing affection and mentorship. Bunny calls Raffles by his surname, showing respect and distance. Mackenzie uses formal titles. Miss Werner is called 'Miss Werner' formally and 'Amy' by Raffles intimately. Forms of address mark power and intimacy.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 6, Ch 16, 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)
I want a change myself, and you shall come with me as my guest. We'll spend July in the Mediterranean. (Ch 15, para 33)
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