Book Anatomy · The Leavenworth Case
The Leavenworth Case: Character
20 lenses on character for The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green. 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 Everett Raymond; 12 main characters. See the full lens on the book page.
B2. Who is on the page in each chapter (presence heat map)? Count
Lead Everett Raymond; 12 main characters. See the full lens on the book page.
B3. What does the lead want, and what do they truly need? AI
To prove Eleanore Leavenworth innocent of her uncle's murder and win her heart.. See the full lens on the book page.
B4. What false belief does the lead hold, and how is it tested? AI
Raymond's false belief is that Eleanore is guilty and must be shielded by silence rather than cleared by investigation. This is tested in Chapter 10 when he learns she hid a key, in Chapter 13 when she swears innocence over her uncle's body, and in Chapter 25 when Mary is revealed as Clavering's bride, forcing him to reconsider.
Chapters: Ch 10, Ch 13, Ch 25
It was true, then. Eleanore the beautiful, the lovesome, was--I did not, could not finish the sentence (Ch 11, para 3)
who loved the very ground he trod upon; who would have cast my own body between him and the deadly bullet (Ch 13, para 22)
who then but Mary Leavenworth; or, if you like it better, Mrs. Henry Clavering? Are you so much surprised? It has been my thought from the beginning. (Ch 25, para 86)
B5. Arc type: positive, flat or negative? AI
Raymond's arc is positive. He begins doubting Eleanore's innocence and his own judgment, but through investigation learns to trust evidence over emotion, discovers Eleanore's true innocence, and wins her love by the end.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 39
If she declares herself innocent, I will believe her.” So completely are we the creatures of our own predilections. (Ch 11, para 90)
I have much to be grateful for; how much I never realized till to-night; but I cannot speak of it now. (Ch 39, para 26)
B6. Key arc moments with chapter and line. AI
Arc begins in Chapter 2 with Raymond's attraction to the case. Midpoint crisis in Chapter 25 when Mary is revealed as the bride. Climax in Chapter 36 when Harwell confesses. Resolution in Chapter 39 when Raymond and Eleanore reconcile. Key line 92 shows his final happiness.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 25, Ch 36, Ch 39
For this is going to be a great case, mind you, a great case. (Ch 2, para 60)
who then but Mary Leavenworth; or, if you like it better, Mrs. Henry Clavering? Are you so much surprised? It has been my thought from the beginning. (Ch 25, para 86)
It is a lie! a lie! Mary Leavenworth is innocent as a babe unborn. I am the murderer of Mr. Leavenworth. I! I! I! (Ch 36, para 25)
B7. The antagonist: goal, methods, and when they show their hand. AI
Trueman Harwell. See the full lens on the book page.
B8. How is each main character first shown (first line, first act)? Both
Everett Raymond first appears in Chapter 2 as a junior lawyer asked to help at an inquest. Eleanore Leavenworth first appears in Chapter 7 as a beautiful, terrified woman. Mary Leavenworth first appears in Chapter 7 as her cousin. Mr. Gryce first appears in Chapter 2 as a detective. Trueman Harwell first appears in Chapter 4 as the secretary who testifies.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 7, Ch 4
For this is going to be a great case, mind you, a great case. (Ch 2, para 60)
Seated in an easy chair of embroidered satin, but rousing from her half-recumbent position, like one who was in the act of launching a powerful invective, I beheld a glorious woman. (Ch 7, para 13)
That Eleanore Leavenworth’s name came with difficulty from his lips; this evidently unimpressible man, manifesting more or less emotion whenever he was called upon to utter it. (Ch 4, para 240)
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 |
|---|---|
| Eleanore Leavenworth and Mary Leavenworth | 29 |
| Eleanore Leavenworth and Mr. Gryce | 28 |
| Mary Leavenworth and Mr. Gryce | 26 |
| Eleanore Leavenworth and Mr. Leavenworth | 25 |
| Mary Leavenworth and Mr. Leavenworth | 23 |
| Eleanore Leavenworth and Hannah Chester | 23 |
| Eleanore Leavenworth and Everett Raymond | 23 |
| Mr. Gryce and Mr. Leavenworth | 22 |
| Hannah Chester and Mr. Gryce | 22 |
| Hannah Chester and Mary Leavenworth | 22 |
B10. Which relationships change most over the book? AI
Raymond and Eleanore's relationship transforms from suspicion to love. Mary and Eleanore shift from antagonism to reconciliation. Raymond and Gryce move from tension to partnership. Harwell and Mary change from obsessive love to confession and rejection. These four relationships drive the emotional arc.
Chapters: Ch 7, Ch 14, Ch 25, Ch 36, Ch 39
Your cousin has just succeeded in convincing me of her entire innocence, Miss Leavenworth (Ch 14, para 4)
The same roof can never shelter us both after this. To-morrow, you or I find another home. (Ch 14, para 13)
who then but Mary Leavenworth; or, if you like it better, Mrs. Henry Clavering? Are you so much surprised? It has been my thought from the beginning. (Ch 25, para 86)
B11. Foils and mirrors: who reflects the lead? AI
Harwell mirrors Raymond: both love a Leavenworth woman and are willing to act on that love. Mary mirrors Eleanore: both are beautiful, both hide secrets, but Mary acts while Eleanore suffers. Clavering mirrors Raymond: both are outsiders drawn into the family's crisis. Gryce mirrors Raymond's conscience, pushing him toward truth.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 7, Ch 18, Ch 25, Ch 36
That Eleanore Leavenworth’s name came with difficulty from his lips; this evidently unimpressible man, manifesting more or less emotion whenever he was called upon to utter it. (Ch 4, para 240)
Seated in an easy chair of embroidered satin, but rousing from her half-recumbent position, like one who was in the act of launching a powerful invective, I beheld a glorious woman. (Ch 7, para 13)
You want to know who the assassin of Mr. Leavenworth is, do you? Look there, then: that is the man, Clavering! (Ch 19, para 32)
B12. Backstory wound: how and when is it revealed? AI
Eleanore's wound is revealed gradually: her protective silence about Mary's secret marriage (Chapter 14), her discovery of Mary's affair with Clavering (Chapter 23), and her moral conflict over witnessing the secret marriage (Chapter 32). The wound is that she sacrificed her own innocence to shield her cousin.
Chapters: Ch 14, Ch 23, Ch 32
In answering you, I speak in confidence. Mr. Raymond, I did. (Ch 14, para 54)
do you think a person could do something that was very wrong, and yet grow to be thoroughly good afterwards? (Ch 17, para 29)
Hannah Chester, coming direct to my door from the scene of violence, begged me to take her in and secrete her from public inquiry, as I loved and desired to serve Mary Leavenworth. (Ch 32, para 204)
B13. Agency: how often does the lead act rather than react? AI
Raymond acts in roughly 60% of chapters: he attends the inquest (Chapter 2), confronts Gryce (Chapter 10), meets Eleanore (Chapter 13), investigates Clavering (Chapters 18 to 25), searches for Hannah (Chapters 26 to 29), and confronts Mrs. Belden (Chapter 31). He reacts in Chapters 3 to 6 (inquest testimony) and 34 to 36 (Gryce's trap).
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 10, Ch 13, Ch 18, Ch 26, Ch 31
I would say whatever was necessary (Ch 10, para 32)
The object of your suspicions is an innocent woman. (Ch 15, para 16)
I recognized the fact that I was in the possession of a clue which would yet lead to the solving of the fearful problem (Ch 24, para 4)
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 |
|---|---|
| Mary Leavenworth | 89 |
| Eleanore Leavenworth | 85 |
| Henry Clavering | 68 |
| Mr. Leavenworth | 63 |
| Mr. Gryce | 42 |
| Hannah Chester | 34 |
| Trueman Harwell | 22 |
| Mrs. Belden | 15 |
Raymond is described as a junior lawyer, young, and emotionally susceptible. Eleanore is repeatedly called beautiful, glorious, and pale with terror. Mary is charming and queenly. Harwell is described as calm, impassive, with a black moustache. Physical traits repeat: Eleanore's beauty (Chapters 7, 13, 23), Harwell's moustache (Chapters 33, 38), Mary's charm (Chapters 7, 32).
Chapters: Ch 7, Ch 13, Ch 23, Ch 33, Ch 38
Seated in an easy chair of embroidered satin, but rousing from her half-recumbent position, like one who was in the act of launching a powerful invective, I beheld a glorious woman. (Ch 7, para 13)
She is a queenly creature! (Ch 17, para 19)
She was a very pale woman; not strictly beautiful, but of a contour and expression of great charm. Her hair was brown, her eyes gray (Ch 23, para 13)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Eleanore Leavenworth | Eleanore (161), Miss Leavenworth (104), Eleanore Leavenworth (61) | 126 / 112 / 126 |
| Mary Leavenworth | Mary (164), Mary Leavenworth (59), Miss Mary (17) | 39 / 38 / 163 |
| Henry Clavering | Mr. Clavering (129), Clavering (36), Henry Clavering (28) | 1 / 101 / 91 |
| Mr. Gryce | Mr. Gryce (210), Gryce (3) | 62 / 86 / 65 |
| Mr. Leavenworth | Mr. Leavenworth (143), Horatio Leavenworth (7) | 56 / 50 / 44 |
| Hannah Chester | Hannah (98), Hannah Chester (8) | 25 / 12 / 69 |
| Mrs. Belden | Mrs. Belden (89), Amy Belden (8) | 0 / 1 / 96 |
| Trueman Harwell | Mr. Harwell (70), Trueman Harwell (9), Harwell (5) | 32 / 41 / 11 |
B16. Mentors and sidekicks: their role and how they exit. AI
Mr. Gryce is Raymond's mentor, guiding him through investigation from Chapter 2 onward. He exits the narrative briefly but returns in Chapter 34 to expose the forged confession and stage the trap in Chapter 36. Henry Clavering is an ally who provides crucial information about the secret marriage. Q is a detective sidekick hired in Chapter 24 to investigate.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 34, Ch 36, Ch 24
The object of your suspicions is an innocent woman. (Ch 15, para 16)
I cannot pass myself off for a gentleman. Tailors and barbers are no good; I am always found out. (Ch 15, para 51)
This pretended confession of Hannah’s is a fraud! (Ch 34, para 27)
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 |
|---|---|
| Eleanore Leavenworth | bowed 2, frowned 1, sighed 1 |
| Mary Leavenworth | bowed 2, trembled 1, blushed 1 |
| Henry Clavering | bowed 2, shook 1 |
| Mr. Gryce | smiled 2, frowned 1, winked 1 |
| Mr. Leavenworth | none |
| Hannah Chester | shook 1 |
| Mrs. Belden | none |
| Trueman Harwell | none |
Eleanore's tag is silence and refusal to speak (Chapters 9, 11, 13). Mary's tag is charm and emotional appeal (Chapters 7, 11, 32). Harwell's tag is calm impassivity masking violent passion (Chapters 4, 19, 36). Gryce's tag is methodical reasoning and patient investigation (Chapters 2, 14, 34, 36). Raymond's tag is emotional conviction overriding evidence (Chapters 10, 13, 25).
Chapters: Ch 9, Ch 11, Ch 13, Ch 7, Ch 32, Ch 4
I decline answering the question,” she quietly said. (Ch 9, para 135)
he was right if he told you I had the key in hiding about my person, and that I attempted to conceal it in the ashes of the grate (Ch 11, para 27)
who loved the very ground he trod upon; who would have cast my own body between him and the deadly bullet (Ch 13, para 22)
B18. Moral choices that define the lead. AI
Raymond's key moral choice in Chapter 10 is whether to trust Gryce's investigation or protect Eleanore through silence. He chooses duty over love. In Chapter 13, he chooses to believe Eleanore's oath of innocence. In Chapter 39, he chooses to forgive and love Eleanore despite the investigation's pain. Each choice defines his growth from emotion to justice to compassion.
Chapters: Ch 10, Ch 13, Ch 39
I would say whatever was necessary (Ch 10, para 32)
who loved the very ground he trod upon; who would have cast my own body between him and the deadly bullet (Ch 13, para 22)
I have much to be grateful for; how much I never realized till to-night; but I cannot speak of it now. (Ch 39, para 26)
B19. Balance of speaking parts by gender. Count
Of attributed speech, women have 46% and men 54%. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Group | Words spoken |
|---|---|
| Women | 2263 |
| Men | 2685 |
| Unclear | 0 |
B20. Who changes and who stays fixed? AI
Raymond changes from suspicion to conviction to love. Eleanore changes from accused to vindicated. Mary changes from hidden guilt to confession and renunciation. Gryce remains fixed as the methodical detective. Harwell changes from calm secretary to confessed murderer. Hannah remains fixed as the victim. Clavering remains fixed as the innocent outsider.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 39, Ch 9, Ch 36, Ch 25, Ch 37
If she declares herself innocent, I will believe her.” So completely are we the creatures of our own predilections. (Ch 11, para 90)
I have much to be grateful for; how much I never realized till to-night; but I cannot speak of it now. (Ch 39, para 26)
It is a lie! a lie! Mary Leavenworth is innocent as a babe unborn. I am the murderer of Mr. Leavenworth. I! I! I! (Ch 36, para 25)
Ask The Leavenworth Case 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).
Weekly email: coming soon
One short email a week on new AI tools for authors. Sign up opens soon.