Book Anatomy · The Princess and the Goblin
The Princess and the Goblin: Character
20 lenses on character for The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. 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 Irene; 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 Irene; 12 main characters. See the full lens on the book page.
B3. What does the lead want, and what do they truly need? AI
Irene wants to find her grandmother and prove she is real; Curdie wants to discover and stop the goblins' plans.. See the full lens on the book page.
B4. What false belief does the lead hold, and how is it tested? AI
Irene's false belief: she doubts herself when others disbelieve her grandmother. She tests this by trying to prove the grandmother exists (Chapters 4 to 5) and by trusting the thread despite Curdie's doubt (Chapter 21). She learns faith in what she cannot see.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 21
You don't believe me, then!' exclaimed the princess, astonished and angry, as she well might be. (Ch 4, para 23)
Not to be believed does not at all agree with princesses: for a real princess cannot tell a lie. (Ch 4, para 33)
She believed the fact that she could not otherwise convince her she was telling the truth would have much weight with her grandmother. (Ch 5, para 2)
B5. Arc type: positive, flat or negative? AI
Arc type is positive. Irene grows from doubt to faith and from isolation to partnership. Curdie grows from reason-only thinking to belief in magic. Both characters become braver and more trusting.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 32
B6. Key arc moments with chapter and line. AI
Chapter 3: Irene meets grandmother, learns she is real. Chapter 11: grandmother heals her hand and gives her the ring. Chapter 15: grandmother explains the ring's power. Chapter 21: Irene and Curdie escape caves together. Chapter 22: Curdie cannot see grandmother, tests his belief. Chapter 28: Curdie follows thread, believes at last.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 11, Ch 15, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 28
What do you think she saw? A very old lady who sat spinning. (Ch 3, para 2)
I'm your great-great-grandmother,' said the lady. (Ch 3, para 32)
I am spinning this for you, my child. (Ch 11, para 29)
B7. The antagonist: goal, methods, and when they show their hand. AI
Goblin King. See the full lens on the book page.
B8. How is each main character first shown (first line, first act)? Both
Irene first shown: Chapter 1, described as fair with eyes like night sky. Curdie first shown: Chapter 6, introduced by name as a brave miner boy. Grandmother first shown: Chapter 3, spinning in tower room. Goblin King first shown: Chapter 9, in palace hall planning invasion.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 6, Ch 9
Her face was fair and pretty, with eyes like two bits of night sky, each with a star dissolved in the blue. (Ch 1, para 3)
What do you think she saw? A very old lady who sat spinning. (Ch 3, para 2)
My name's Curdie, little princess. (Ch 6, para 68)
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 |
|---|---|
| Irene and Lootie | 18 |
| Curdie and Irene | 15 |
| Curdie and Lootie | 12 |
| Curdie and His Majesty | 12 |
| His Majesty and Irene | 7 |
| Curdie and Peter | 7 |
| His Majesty and Lootie | 6 |
| Curdie and Mrs. Peterson | 6 |
| Irene and Peter | 5 |
| His Majesty and Peter | 5 |
B10. Which relationships change most over the book? AI
Irene and Curdie's relationship changes most: from strangers (Chapter 6) to rescuer and rescued (Chapter 21) to partners (Chapter 27) to lovers (Chapter 30). Irene and Lootie's relationship changes: from trust to doubt (Chapter 4) to dismissal (Chapter 24). Curdie and his mother's relationship deepens through belief (Chapter 23).
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 6, Ch 21, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 27
B11. Foils and mirrors: who reflects the lead? AI
Curdie mirrors Irene: both doubt what they cannot see, both learn faith. Curdie's mother mirrors the grandmother: both believe in magic and guide their children. The goblin queen mirrors Irene's nurse Lootie: both disbelieve and doubt the princess.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 22, Ch 23
I doubt if the princess was very much happier even in the arms of her huge great-grandmother than Peter and Curdie were in the arms of Mrs. Peterson. (Ch 12, para 4)
That may be only because you do not understand it. If you did, you would probably find it was an explanation, and believe it thoroughly. (Ch 23, para 14)
B12. Backstory wound: how and when is it revealed? AI
Irene's backstory wound is not explicit. Her mother is dead (revealed Chapter 17 when king mentions the ring belonged to her). This explains her isolation and need for the grandmother's love. Curdie has no major wound; his family is loving and supportive from the start.
Chapters: Ch 17
It was your queen-mamma's once,' he said. (Ch 17, para 5)
Because she's gone where all those rings are made. (Ch 17, para 9)
B13. Agency: how often does the lead act rather than react? AI
Irene acts often: explores stairs (Chapter 2), seeks grandmother (Chapters 3 to 5), uses thread (Chapter 20), rescues Curdie (Chapter 21), dismisses nurse (Chapter 24). Curdie acts often: investigates goblins (Chapters 7 to 9), fights in palace (Chapter 18), fights in house (Chapter 27), warns king (Chapter 31). Both leads drive action more than react.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 7, Ch 18, Ch 20, Ch 21
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 |
|---|---|
| Curdie | 49 |
| Irene | 48 |
| Lootie | 13 |
| Sir Walter | 6 |
| Harelip | 5 |
| Peter | 4 |
| Mrs. Peterson | 3 |
| His Majesty | 2 |
Irene: fair face, eyes like night sky with star (Chapter 1). Curdie: brave, strong, miner boy (Chapter 6). Grandmother: old, spinning, golden hair when magical (Chapter 15). Goblin queen: broad nose, perpendicular eyes, six toes (Chapter 18). Physical traits repeat: Irene's eyes, grandmother's hair, goblin feet.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 6, Ch 15, Ch 18
Her face was fair and pretty, with eyes like two bits of night sky, each with a star dissolved in the blue. (Ch 1, para 3)
Just imagine! the ends of her feet were split up into five or six thin pieces! (Ch 8, para 37)
Her grandmother was dressed in the loveliest pale blue velvet, over which her hair, no longer white, but of a rich golden colour, streamed like a cataract (Ch 15, para 7)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Curdie | Curdie (313), Curdie Peterson (1) | 55 / 68 / 191 |
| Irene | Irene (182), Princess (7), Princess Irene (4) | 47 / 95 / 51 |
| Lootie | Lootie (101), Nurse (3) | 39 / 29 / 36 |
| His Majesty | His Majesty (14), King (3), The King (1) | 11 / 4 / 3 |
| Peter | Peter (13), Peter Peterson (1), Curdie's father (1) | 5 / 1 / 9 |
| Harelip | Harelip (13) | 0 / 7 / 6 |
| Mrs. Peterson | Curdie's mother (5), Mrs. Peterson (4) | 0 / 5 / 4 |
| Sir Walter | Sir Walter (8) | 0 / 0 / 8 |
B16. Mentors and sidekicks: their role and how they exit. AI
Grandmother is mentor: appears in Chapter 3, gives ring in Chapter 15, heals Irene in Chapter 22, guides Curdie via thread in Chapter 28. She exits by fading from perception but remains present through magic. Lootie is sidekick: serves Irene from start, doubts her, is dismissed in Chapter 24, reappears at end in Chapter 32.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 15, Ch 22, Ch 24, Ch 28, Ch 32
Come in, Irene,' said the sweet voice. (Ch 11, para 9)
I am spinning this for you, my child. (Ch 11, para 29)
Of one thing you may be sure, that while you hold it, I hold it too. (Ch 15, para 81)
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 |
|---|---|
| Curdie | shook 1 |
| Irene | none |
| Lootie | none |
| His Majesty | none |
| Peter | none |
| Harelip | none |
| Mrs. Peterson | none |
| Sir Walter | none |
Irene: repeated tag 'the princess', repeated action of climbing stairs, repeated phrase about grandmother. Curdie: repeated action of listening and investigating, repeated phrase about goblins' feet. Grandmother: repeated action of spinning, repeated phrase about faith. Goblin queen: repeated action of attacking, repeated description of her feet.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 18, Ch 19
B18. Moral choices that define the lead. AI
Irene's moral choice: Chapter 24, she asserts her authority and removes herself from Lootie's care, choosing truth over obedience. Curdie's moral choice: Chapter 27, he fights goblins to protect the household despite being wounded and imprisoned. Both choose courage and honesty over safety.
Chapters: Ch 24, Ch 27
I do not think my papa would wish me to have a nurse who spoke to me as Lootie does. If she thinks I tell lies, she had better either say so to my papa, or go away. (Ch 24, para 22)
One, two, Hit and hew! Three, four, Blast and bore! (Ch 27, para 10)
B19. Balance of speaking parts by gender. Count
Not enough in the text to answer this one yet.
B20. Who changes and who stays fixed? AI
Irene changes: grows from doubt to faith, from isolation to partnership. Curdie changes: grows from reason-only to belief in magic. Grandmother stays fixed: always wise, always loving, always magical. Goblin King stays fixed: always evil, always plotting. Lootie changes slightly: becomes remorseful but remains skeptical.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 32
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