A20. Luck count: where does chance help or hurt the lead? AI
Story and structure. One line per book. Open a book for the full answer, charts and cited lines.
| Book | Genre | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Treasure Island | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps Jim: Pew is trampled (Ch 5), Ben Gunn appears (Ch 15), Hands and O'Brien fight (Ch 23), the doctor's party ambushes at the right moment (Ch 33). Luck hurts Jim: Mr. Arrow disappears (Ch 10), Tom is … |
| The Thirty-Nine Steps | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps Hannay in Chapters 4 (meeting Sir Harry), 5 (finding Turnbull), 6 (discovering the aerodrome), 7 (meeting Sir Walter), 8 (recognising the impostor), 10 (remembering the gesture). Luck hurts him in Chapter … |
| The Prisoner of Zenda | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps Rudolf in Chapter 3 (chance forest meeting), Chapter 9 (Antoinette's warning letter), and Chapter 14 (hearing the King's voice). Luck hurts him in Chapter 6 (King kidnapped), Chapter 13 (Rupert's … |
| Around the World in Eighty Days | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps Fogg: Mongolia arrives two days early (Ch 9), Carnatic delayed for repairs (Ch 18), real robber caught (Ch 36). Luck hurts: Passepartout drugged (Ch 19), Sioux attack (Ch 29), coal shortage (Ch 33). Luck … |
| King Solomon's Mines | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps: Chapter 5 (finding water at the hillock), Chapter 6 (discovering da Silvestra's body and melons), Chapter 11 (eclipse occurs on schedule), Chapter 18 (discovering the hollow stone and hidden passage). … |
| The Hound of the Baskervilles | Crime and mystery | Luck helps: Ch4 (Cartwright finds boot source by chance). Ch9 (Watson hears hound cry by chance). Ch10 (Frankland spots stranger by chance, aiding Watson). Luck hurts: Ch12 (Selden wears Sir Henry's clothes, creating … |
| A Study in Scarlet | Crime and mystery | Luck helps Holmes when the ring advertisement draws the old woman (Ch 5, though she escapes). Luck helps when the poisoned pill kills the dog, proving Holmes's theory (Ch 7). Luck hurts Ferrier when the Danite Band … |
| The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Crime and mystery | Luck helps Holmes in Chapter 2 when John Clay is caught red-handed at the bank. Luck hurts in Chapter 5 when Openshaw is killed before Holmes's plan can work. Chapter 7 relies on chance when the blue carbuncle … |
| The Moonstone | Crime and mystery | Luck hurts Franklin repeatedly: Chapter 7, the Indian jugglers arrive by chance; Chapter 15, Rachel stubbornly puts the Diamond in an unlocked cabinet; Chapter 21, Mr. Candy's illness prevents him from explaining the … |
| The Woman in White | Crime and mystery | Luck helps Walter: Pesca's gratitude secures his employment (c1); the woman in white appears by chance (c3); Marian finds Anne's letter (c7); Percival's spies reveal his guilt (c40); Fosco's fear of Pesca at the … |
| Pride and Prejudice | Romance | Luck helps: Darcy arrives early at Pemberley (Chapter 43), enabling reconciliation. Luck hurts: Lydia elopes with Wickham (Chapter 46), threatening all sisters. Luck helps: Darcy finds Wickham in London (Chapter 52), … |
| Persuasion | Romance | Chance helps Anne in Ch 3 (Admiral Croft's arrival), Ch 12 (Louisa's accident separates her from Wentworth), Ch 18 (Benwick's engagement frees Wentworth), Ch 19 (Wentworth appears in Bath street), and Ch 23 (their … |
| Emma | Romance | Luck hurts Emma when Elton proposes unexpectedly (Chapter 15), when Mrs. Churchill dies freeing Frank (Chapter 45), and when gypsies attack Harriet (Chapter 39). Luck helps when Knightley happens to visit at the … |
| Jane Eyre | Romance | Chance helps Jane in Chapter 12 when she encounters Rochester on the icy lane. Chance hurts her in Chapter 26 when Mason's arrival interrupts the wedding. Chance helps in Chapter 28 when she finds the cottage. Chance … |
| Dracula | Gothic and horror | Luck helps: The ship Demeter arrives in Whitby (Ch 7), bringing Dracula to England. Luck hurts: Mrs. Westenra removes garlic and opens the window, allowing the wolf attack (Ch 11). Luck helps: Mina's hypnotic … |
| Frankenstein | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts Victor: Henry arrives by chance to nurse him (Ch 9, helps); Walton rescues him by chance (Ch 4, 28, helps); creature frames Justine by chance (Ch 11, hurts); creature finds Victor's family by chance (Ch … |
| Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts Utterson: Enfield happens to tell him the story (Ch 1), he happens to see Hyde (Ch 2), the cane is one he gave Jekyll (Ch 4). Luck helps: the maid witnesses the murder (Ch 4), Lanyon's letter survives (Ch 8). |
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | Gothic and horror | Luck helps Dorian: Ch 15 to 16 (James Vane mistakes his youth for innocence). Ch 18 (James Vane is accidentally shot by a beater, removing the threat). Luck hurts Dorian: Ch 7 (Sibyl's poor performance triggers the … |
| Wuthering Heights | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts the lead repeatedly: Lockwood's nightmare (Ch 3) reveals Catherine's ghost by chance. Heathcliff's return (Ch 10) is unplanned by Catherine. Young Catherine's accidental meeting with Heathcliff (Ch 21) … |
| The Turn of the Screw | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts the governess: Miles's letter is intercepted (Chapter 16), Flora denies seeing Jessel (Chapter 20), Mrs. Grose cannot see the apparition (Chapter 20). Luck helps: Mrs. Grose identifies Quint (Chapter 5), … |
| The Time Machine | Science fiction | Luck helps: Weena rescues him (Ch 8), he finds matches in the museum (Ch 11), forest fire drives Morlocks back (Ch 12). Luck hurts: machine is stolen (Ch 7), Weena is lost in fire (Ch 12), Morlocks set trap at sphinx … |
| The War of the Worlds | Science fiction | Luck helps: Chapter 10, the narrator survives the crash by chance. Chapter 12, one Martian is killed by artillery. Chapter 25, Martians are killed by bacteria (pure chance). Luck hurts: Chapter 9, the narrator is … |
| The Invisible Man | Science fiction | Luck hurts Griffin repeatedly: dog bites him (Ch 3), Cuss witnesses invisible hand (Ch 4), Henfrey spreads suspicion (Ch 2), Marvel is spotted by Huxter (Ch 10), Kemp happens to be home when Griffin arrives (Ch 17), … |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps Alice in Chapter 1 (finding the bottle and cake), Chapter 4 (finding the mushroom), Chapter 5 (the Caterpillar's advice), and Chapter 7 (finding the door to the garden). Luck hurts her in Chapter 2 … |
| The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps: cyclone carries her (Ch 1), house lands gently (Ch 2), Scarecrow rescued by Stork (Ch 8), mice save Lion (Ch 9), Golden Cap found (Ch 14), Winged Monkeys obey (Ch 14, 22). Luck hurts: Toto chases away … |
| The Secret Garden | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps Mary: the robin leads her to the key (ch 7), the wind blows ivy aside to reveal the door (ch 8), she overhears Martha's stories about Dickon (ch 4). Luck helps Colin: Mary hears his crying by chance (ch … |
| The Wind in the Willows | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps Toad: the gaoler's daughter aids his escape (chapter 8), Rat rescues him from the river (chapter 10). Luck hurts him: the motor car crashes into his caravan (chapter 2), he is caught stealing a car … |
| Great Expectations | Literary | Luck helps Pip: Chapter 4, soldiers arrive and distract from stolen pie. Chapter 10, mysterious stranger appears with money. Chapter 21, Herbert turns out to be the pale young gentleman. Luck hurts Pip: Chapter 15, … |
| A Christmas Carol | Literary | Luck helps Scrooge throughout. Marley's ghost appears by chance (or fate). The spirits visit unbidden. Scrooge wakes on Christmas morning by grace, not effort. He encounters the gentleman seeking charity and Fred by … |
| The Great Gatsby | Literary | Chance harms Gatsby repeatedly: Myrtle runs into the road by accident (Ch 7), Wilson randomly traces the car to Gatsby (Ch 8). Luck never helps him; fate closes in. |
| Heart of Darkness | Literary | Chance events hurt Marlow: the helmsman is killed by a spear in Chapter 2, and Kurtz dies before Marlow can fully understand him in Chapter 3. Luck aids him: the Russian trader appears to explain Kurtz, and Marlow … |
| Kidnapped | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps: Alan rescued from sea (Ch 9), fishermen find David (Ch 14), Cluny's men capture David (Ch 22, turns out to be allies), serving lass steals boat (Ch 26). Luck hurts: shipwreck separates David and Alan (Ch … |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps Dantès: Faria tunnels to his cell (Ch 15, chance); smugglers rescue him (Ch 21, chance); treasure is intact (Ch 24, chance); Morrel's ship returns (Ch 30, orchestrated but appears lucky). Luck hurts: … |
| The Three Musketeers | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps D'Artagnan repeatedly: he glimpses the man of Meung by chance (Chapter 3); Porthos and Aramis are separated by circumstance (Chapters 25 to 26); Planchet traces Milady by accident (Chapter 64). Luck hurts … |
| The Riddle of the Sands | Thriller and adventure | Luck aids Carruthers repeatedly: fog enables the Memmert infiltration (Ch 21), the prowler's visit confirms they are watched (Ch 14), Clara's unexpected visit reveals her distress (Ch 19), and the tug grounds at the … |
| The Scarlet Pimpernel | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps the lead multiple times: the storm at Dover delays Chauvelin (Chapter 21); Percy's pepper-snuff trick allows escape (Chapter 25); Marguerite's scream happens at the exact moment to warn fugitives (Chapter … |
| The Lost World | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps: Malone's clever letter gains Challenger interview (ch 2). Luck hurts: Gomez's sabotage traps expedition (ch 9). Luck helps: Indian messenger finds Malone (ch 12). Luck helps: Young Indian chief provides … |
| Captain Blood | Thriller and adventure | Luck helps: Spanish attack Barbados (Chapter 7, enables escape); storm separates Levasseur (Chapter 14); Arabella is aboard captured ship (Chapter 19); Willoughby and Kuylen are rescued (Chapter 29). Luck hurts: … |
| Lady Audley's Secret | Crime and mystery | Luck helps Robert: George's glove left in Lady Audley's room (Chapter 9); Luke's deathbed confession (Chapter 39); George's survival and return (Chapter 39). Luck hurts Robert: George's disappearance without … |
| The Murders in the Rue Morgue | Crime and mystery | Luck aids Dupin when the sailor responds to his advertisement in Section 4. Luck harms the innocent Le Bon when he is arrested by chance in Section 2. Dupin's superior intellect, not chance, solves the crime. |
| The Innocence of Father Brown | Crime and mystery | Luck rarely helps Father Brown. He solves through deduction, not chance. Flambeau's arrest (Chapter 3) relies on Brown's planning, not luck. Valentin's suicide (Chapter 5) is inevitable, not accidental. Brown creates … |
| The Big Bow Mystery | Crime and mystery | Luck hurts Mortlake repeatedly: Jessie's disappearance (Ch 5, motive planted), Wimp's arrest (Ch 9, bad timing), jury conviction (Ch 10, weak alibi). Luck saves him: Grodman's confession (Ch 12, chance timing), cable … |
| The Leavenworth Case | Crime and mystery | Luck helps Raymond when Fobbs finds the broken key in Chapter 10, when Timothy Cook identifies Mary in Chapter 25, and when Raymond discovers Hannah's stockings in Chapter 28. Luck hurts when Hannah dies in Chapter … |
| The Red Thumb Mark | Crime and mystery | Luck helps: Chapter 3 (Juliet volunteers information), Chapter 4 (Thumbograph becomes available), Chapter 11 (Jervis's presence prevents assassination). Luck hurts: Chapter 8 (Thorndyke's accident on London Bridge), … |
| The Amateur Cracksman | Crime and mystery | Chapter 5: Rosenthall's trap catches Bunny but Raffles escapes by luck of police arriving as cover. Chapter 7: Mackenzie is shot by the gang, giving Raffles time to steal the necklace. Chapter 10: Baird is already … |
| The Secret Agent | Crime and mystery | Chance harms Verloc repeatedly: the bomb detonates prematurely (Chapter 4), killing him instead of the Observatory. Heat finds Stevie's overcoat by accident (Chapter 9). Winnie encounters Ossipon by chance (Chapter … |
| Sense and Sensibility | Romance | Luck helps Elinor when Colonel Brandon offers Edward the Delaford living (Ch 39), enabling his ordination and eventual freedom. Luck hurts when Marianne catches a cold from imprudent walks (Ch 42), nearly killing … |
| North and South | Romance | Luck helps: Thornton happens to be at station when Frederick escapes (32), Higgins reveals Frederick's identity to Thornton (50). Luck hurts: Leonards recognises Frederick (32), police inspector questions Margaret … |
| Far from the Madding Crowd | Romance | Luck hurts Gabriel: his dog destroys his flock (5). Luck helps Gabriel: he discovers the rick fire and reunites with Bathsheba (6). Luck hurts Bathsheba: the valentine reaches Boldwood (13). Luck helps Bathsheba: … |
| The Enchanted April | Romance | Luck helps: Chapter 1, Mrs. Wilkins impulsively meets Mrs. Arbuthnot (chance encounter); Chapter 3, Mr. Briggs accepts their terms (good fortune); Chapter 5, they arrive safely despite the late train (luck); Chapter … |
| The Sheik | Romance | Luck hurts Diana in Chapter 2 when her guide is shot and she is abducted. Luck helps Ahmed in Chapter 8 when he arrives in time to rescue Diana. Luck helps both in Chapter 10 when Diana's suicide attempt forces … |
| Daddy Long Legs | Romance | Luck helps Jerusha in Chapter 1 (anonymous benefactor appears), Chapter 3 (flowers arrive during illness), Chapter 4 (Lock Willow summer opportunity), Chapter 6 (short-story contest win). Luck hurts her in Chapter 10 … |
| Carmilla | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts Laura: the carriage accident brings Carmilla to her home (ch 2). Luck helps: the General arrives unexpectedly (ch 9), the portrait is restored revealing Carmilla's identity (ch 5), and Carmilla's locked … |
| The Castle of Otranto | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts Manfred repeatedly. The helmet kills Conrad by chance (Ch 1). Supernatural portents block his pursuit (Ch 1 to 2). Frederic's arrival is fortuitous (Ch 3). Matilda's presence at the tomb at the wrong moment … |
| The Phantom of the Opera | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts Raoul when Christine vanishes during Faust (14), when the Persian arrives to warn him (15), and when the safety-pin scheme fails (17). Luck helps when the water floods instead of exploding (25) and when … |
| The Great God Pan | Gothic and horror | Luck hurts Villiers: he finds the sketch by chance (Ch4), discovers Meyrick's drawings (Ch5), and witnesses Crashaw's departure (Ch6), but all lead to Helen's advantage. Helen dies by her own choice before Villiers … |
| The Yellow Wallpaper | Gothic and horror | Chance plays no significant role. The narrator's breakdown is caused by her circumstances and John's control, not by luck. Her discovery by John at the end is inevitable, not accidental. |
| The Call of Cthulhu | Gothic and horror | Chance helps the narrator: Wilcox's dreams coincide with his investigation (Section 1), Legrasse's account surfaces (Section 2), the derelict yacht is found (Section 3), Johansen's manuscript is located (Section 4). … |
| The Island of Doctor Moreau | Science fiction | Luck helps: rescue by Ipecacuanha (1), rescue by islanders (6). Luck hurts: captain's drunken cruelty (5), puma's escape (17), Montgomery's self-destruction (19). Prendick's agency increases as luck decreases, … |
| Journey to the Centre of the Earth | Science fiction | Luck helps: Hans finds water (Ch 20), acoustic properties allow rescue communication (Ch 25), fossil wood enables raft (Ch 28), geyser provides navigation clue (Ch 31). Luck hurts: sand storm on Sneffels (Ch 12), … |
| A Princess of Mars | Science fiction | Luck helps Carter in Chapter 6 when Woola sacrifices itself. Luck helps in Chapter 19 when Kantos Kan stages his fake death. Luck hurts in Chapter 17 when he is separated from Dejah Thoris. Luck helps in Chapter 24 … |
| Herland | Science fiction | Luck hurts the men: they are captured by chance in Chapter 2 when the women spot their aircraft. Luck helps Van: he meets Ellador by chance and she becomes his guide to understanding Herland's values. Terry's luck … |
| Flatland | Science fiction | Luck helps: the Sphere arrives by chance on the last day of 1999 (chapter 16). Luck hurts: the grandson hears the Council's proclamation by chance (chapter 24), turning him against the Square's teaching. Luck hurts: … |
| Erewhon | Science fiction | Luck helps: the narrator finds a pass through the mountains (Ch 4). Luck helps: he is treated kindly by Erewhonians (Ch 6). Luck hurts: his watch is confiscated (Ch 7). Luck helps: Yram falls in love with him (Ch 8). … |
| The Last Man | Science fiction | Luck helps Lionel when Adrian arrives unexpectedly (Chapter 2) and when Idris flees to him (Chapter 5). Luck hurts when plague reaches Constantinople (Chapter 12), when Idris dies despite recovery (Chapter 21), and … |
| Through the Looking Glass | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps Alice: Chapter 3, the Fawn helps her recover her name. Chapter 5, the Sheep appears to sell her an egg. Chapter 8, the White Knight rescues her from the Red Knight. Luck hurts: Chapter 4, the crow … |
| A Little Princess | Fantasy and children's | Luck hurts Sara: her father's death (Ch 7) is pure misfortune. Luck helps: she finds a fourpenny piece (Ch 15), the baker woman shows kindness (Ch 15), Ram Dass respects her (Ch 12), the monkey leads her to Mr. … |
| The Jungle Book | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps Mowgli when Bagheera warns him (chapter 2) and when Gray Brother aids him (chapter 7). Luck hurts him when the villagers reject him despite his victory (chapter 8). Kotick's luck: finding Sea Cow (chapter … |
| Five Children and It | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps the children repeatedly: the vicar forgives them (Chapter 5), the castle vanishes at sunset (Chapter 7), Robert escapes the fair (Chapter 8). Luck hurts them when Jane carelessly wishes for the jewels … |
| The Railway Children | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps: old gentleman appears (Ch 3), Russian's wife found (Ch 7), Jim's grandfather is old gentleman (Ch 13). Luck hurts: Father imprisoned (Ch 1), Peter's injury (Ch 10), Jim's broken leg (Ch 11). Roughly equal … |
| The Princess and the Goblin | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps: grandmother's lamp guides Irene (Chapter 14). Luck helps: Curdie overhears goblin plans (Chapter 9). Luck hurts: Curdie is shot by guards (Chapter 25). Luck helps: thread leads Curdie to princess (Chapter … |
| Peter and Wendy | Fantasy and children's | |
| The Worm Ouroboros | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps: La Fireez's arrival frees Juss (13); the martlet guides Juss (1, 22, 27); Mivarsh's theft forces the hippogriff quest (27). Luck hurts: the magical storm wrecks the fleet (16); Corund's siege traps them … |
| Anne of Green Gables | Fantasy and children's | Luck helps Anne: Matthew happens to bring her home (Chapter 2), Mrs. Blewett's harshness makes Marilla keep her (Chapter 6), she knows croup treatment by chance (Chapter 18), Miss Barry forgives her (Chapter 19), … |
| Black Beauty | Fantasy and children's | Luck hurts: ch 2 (hunt tragedy kills Rob Roy), ch 25 (loose nail causes accident), ch 40 (Ginger's death). Luck helps: ch 12 (bridge refusal saves lives), ch 16 (fire rescue by James), ch 32 (kind man with gray eyes … |
| Middlemarch | Literary | Chance helps: Lydgate's successful treatment of Fred (ch 27) gains him reputation. Chance hurts: Raffles's unexpected return (ch 42, 54) threatens Bulstrode. Chance helps: Dorothea's encounter with Will in the … |
| Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Literary | Luck harms Tess repeatedly: Prince's death (Chapter 4), the mail-cart's timing, Alec's presence at the fair (Chapter 10), Angel's absence when she tries to confess (Chapters 28 to 33), her father's death (Chapter 50), … |
| Mrs Dalloway | Literary | Luck is minimal. Peter's chance encounter with Clarissa (Section 5) stirs emotion but does not alter her path. Septimus's chance observation of the motor car and aeroplane (Section 2) triggers his crisis. Clarissa's … |
| To the Lighthouse | Literary | Luck hurts the lead: chapter 1 (weather prevents trip), chapter 19 (Mrs. Ramsay dies unexpectedly). Luck helps: chapter 31 (wind rises to move the boat), chapter 37 (Mr. Ramsay praises James, easing tension). Chance … |
| Anna Karenina | Literary | Chance events significantly affect the lead: the railway guard's death (Chapter 18) foreshadows Anna's fate; Levin's chance meeting with Kitty at the skating rink (Chapter 9) initiates courtship; Stepan's dinner … |
| Crime and Punishment | Literary | Luck hurts: Chapter 5, Lizaveta's unexpected arrival forces him to kill her too. Luck helps: Chapter 25, Nikolay's false confession temporarily frees him. Luck hurts: Chapter 33, Porfiry directly accuses him. Luck … |
| Madame Bovary | Literary | Chance hurts Emma repeatedly. The Viscount's cigar case (Ch 9) fuels her fantasies. Rodolphe's arrival (Ch 16) offers false hope. The opera in Rouen (Ch 24) reunites her with Léon. Lheureux's credit (Ch 14) traps her … |
| The Age of Innocence | Literary | Luck hurts Newland: Beaufort's interruption at Skuytercliff (Ch 15), May's pregnancy announcement (Ch 33). Luck helps briefly: M. Rivière's moral change (Ch 25) supports Ellen's refusal to return to her husband. … |
| Silas Marner | Literary | Luck hurts Silas: Dunstan randomly discovers his cottage empty (Ch 4). Luck helps Silas: Eppie randomly wanders into his cottage (Ch 12). Luck helps Godfrey: Dunstan's body is found, freeing him from blackmail (Ch … |
| Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Literary | Luck helps: Chapter 9 (bread with quicksilver found), Chapter 11 (dead man's supplies), Chapter 14 (ferry captain believes lie), Chapter 30 (real Wilks brothers arrive). Luck hurts: Chapter 16 (fog separates them), … |
| Hamlet | Plays | Luck helps: pirates capture Hamlet's ship, allowing his escape (Scene 17). Luck hurts: Hamlet kills Polonius by chance (Scene 11); poisoned sword wounds both Hamlet and Laertes by accident (Scene 20); Gertrude drinks … |
| Macbeth | Plays | Luck hurts Macbeth: Fleance escapes the murderers (scene 14); the witches' prophecies are ambiguous (scene 18); Birnam wood moves by chance when soldiers carry boughs (scene 24). Luck helps Malcolm: the English king … |
| Romeo and Juliet | Plays | Luck hurts the lead repeatedly: Tybalt recognises Romeo at the feast (chapter 6); Mercutio is killed instead of Romeo (chapter 13); the Prince banishes Romeo (chapter 13); the letter fails to reach Romeo due to … |
| Othello | Plays | Luck hurts Othello when the storm destroys the Turkish fleet, removing external threat and leaving him vulnerable to Iago (scene 4). Luck hurts him when Emilia finds the handkerchief and gives it to Iago (scene 8). … |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Plays | Luck hurts Puck in scene 4 when he anoints the wrong lover by mistake. Luck helps in scene 7 when Theseus happens to find the sleeping lovers and overrules Egeus. Chance drives the plot more than Puck's agency. |
| Twelfth Night | Plays | Plot chapters (scenes with major action or revelation): 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 (11 scenes). Breather chapters (quieter exposition or planning): 1, 3, 6, 9, 13, 16 (6 scenes). Ratio roughly 2:1 plot to … |
| Doctor Faustus | Plays | Luck hurts Faustus throughout. He cannot escape his pact; the Old Man's grace is offered but rejected. Robin's theft of the book and the Horse-courser's tricks are minor comic reversals, not salvation. |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Plays | Luck helps Jack twice: Algernon's arrival as Ernest creates the crisis that forces confession (Act II), and Miss Prism's chance appearance reveals the hand-bag mystery (Act III). Luck also hurts Jack when Lady … |
| A Doll's House | Plays | Luck hurts Nora: Krogstad posts the letter before Mrs Linde can stop him (Act II). Luck helps briefly: Krogstad withdraws his threat when Mrs Linde agrees to stay with him (Act III), but Nora has already decided to … |
| Hedda Gabler | Plays | Chance hurts Hedda when Tesman finds Lovborg's manuscript by accident, giving her the opportunity to burn it. Chance hurts her when Lovborg dies sordidly rather than beautifully. Brack's discovery of the pistol's … |
| Pygmalion | Plays | Luck helps Eliza when Freddy falls in love with her at the garden party, offering an escape route. Luck hurts her when Doolittle's unexpected wealth removes her father as a potential ally. Luck helps her when … |
| The School for Scandal | Plays | Luck helps Charles when Sir Oliver is moved by his refusal to sell the portrait (chapter 9, quote 26). Luck hurts Joseph when Charles accidentally pulls down the screen revealing his seduction of Lady Teazle (chapter … |
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