Who here likes literary analysis? Because I wrote a somewhat dense, 3000+ word essay on Raffles and the destruction of self. Think of it as a pre-Easter present
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"the beautiful brokenness that is Raffles’ and Bunny’s relationship" - sigh, beautifully put.
I enjoyed your essay very much, especially the argument that Bunny gains power by his control of Raffles' biography. Not sure I agree about Bunny's name being suppressed. He is routinely, iirc referred to by other characters as Manders or Mr Manders. Men in that era did not use personal names when referring to or addressing each other. Perhaps that is why Raffles uses a nickname, not 'Harry', to reflect their intimacy, and Bunny's permanent immaturity.
How much, too, of the subservience you find is Bunny being politely self-deprecating?
I also like your analysis of Raffles' character as manipulative and unable to connect with others, even Bunny - in that description I recognise a man to whom I could be the Bunny you describe, and it makes me wonder how much my feelings towards him are conditioned by having admired Raffles from a formative age
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- He is routinely, iirc referred to by other characters as Manders or Mr Manders.
Actually, that drove me crazy. I swear I went through the stories line by line, I did a CTRL+F through all of Project Gutenberg, and not once did I see anyone call Bunny by his name. But I know his name is Manders because that's what everyone on the Internet says! Where the heck did you people see that?!
But anyway. Yes, I know Raffles using Bunny's school nickname isn't necessarily derogatory. I know Bunny calls Raffles "Raffles" (or A.J., on special occasions) but Raffles is under no obligation to call him "Manders," as if they were Holmes and Watson. Still. I think using the nickname to not just reflect, but enforce "Bunny's permanent immaturity" comes closer to the truth. There's the infantilization of the nickname itself (I mean, good grief, not just a rabbit but a young one), but also the...let's call it the "affectionate disdain" with which Raffles seems to hold the nickname. Whenever Bunny's being (to Raffles' mind) unusually slow-witted, he
( ... )
Bunny's last name is only used in Mr. Justice Raffles, first by Camilla Belsize and then at the very end by Teddy Garland. He's only even called Harry in one place, at the end of A Thief in the Night, in the letter from his ex-sorta-fiancée. However, by the time both of those were written he was already named Harry Manders in the stage play written by Hornung and Eugene Presbrey that premiered in 1903.
There is one other reason that Raffles always calls him by a nickname. It allows Bunny to avoid giving the reader his real name. He always glosses over it in introductions to other people, handing Bennett Addenbrooke his card in Nine Points of the Law, for example. Bunny won't tell us the names of his ex or the doctor relative that supposedly sends him the telegram in No Sinecure because he wants to protect their reputation from association with his crimes. Evidently he doesn't want to connect his own name with his record either. He doesn't sign his series of articles on prison life, and essentially he doesn't sign these
( ... )
Ahem. Thank you for clearing up where "Manders" comes from! I haven't read the novel, or even heard about the play, so it's a relief to know it's out there somewhere. (I'd heard his name was "Manders" from the internet, so I swear I went through all the short stories thinking at any minute someone was going to say his last name...Shoot, I was as tense as a soap opera fan waiting for the baby daddy to be revealed.)
And excellent point about how he doesn't sign his written pieces either -- I hadn't thought of that. *tips hat*
"Unhealthy romantic relationships" -- yes. I just wiki'd Mr. Justice Raffles (because you mentioned it, and I'm trying to make up my mind whether to read it), and the article says, "Its reception was mixed, with some fans lamenting the loss of the carefree gentlemen thief of the early stories." What? "Carefree"? Raffles was never "carefree." The stories start with a suicide attempt, and that threat of self-destruction never, ever goes away. If anyone thinks the Raffles stories are light
( ... )
I enjoyed reading this, and laughed out loud at the idea of Bunny nostalgically identifying himself with a stuffed bird. I agree with your analysis of Raffles' excitement about having a secret life he conceals from those around him, but he also needs Bunny as an audience; someone needs to know how clever he is, or he misses out on the admiration he feels he's due. And as you say, he likes the idea of Bunny writing his biography (once he's safely dead), so that the admiring audience can grow. So maybe he knows all along, at the back of his mind, that how he's remembered depends on Bunny.
You also reminded me of my reaction to the use of Dukas' music for The Sorceror's Apprentice for the television pilot which was my first encounter with the pair back in 1975. (I was very disappointed by the dull signature tune commissioned for the full series.) I had always been irritated by The Sorceror's Apprentice, one of those pieces considered suitable for children's musical education because of the story about the broom. But once I heard it
( ... )
Oh goodness, that reminds of that Doctor Who quote: "I am being extremely clever up here and there's no one to stand around looking impressed! What's the point in having you all?"
- So maybe he knows all along, at the back of his mind, that how he's remembered depends on Bunny.
I like this very much and am adding it to my head canon.
More seriously: yes, Raffles loves an audience...but he's not completely vain. He does work solo for years before The Ides of March, and again the whole time he's in Italy; he claims to want a quiet, respectable retirement. (He really doesn't, of course, but I think he at least wants to want it.) In A Jubilee Present Bunny notes Raffles' "...infatuation for the cup was, as he declared, a very pure passion, since the circumstances debarred him from the chief joy of the average collector, that of showing his treasure to his friends." Raffles is capable of enjoying a thing in solitude. He'd just rather not
( ... )
He does work solo for years before The Ides of March, and again the whole time he's in Italy
And clearly he gets bored after years without an admirer. He snaps up Bunny when he first appears, and then risks jail by trekking across Europe and living under considerable restraints in order to get him back. So he does have one friend to admire the cup while he has it.
Yeah...one of those bittersweet things. Bunny thinks £4000's more than enough for them to restart as honest men -- you get the feeling Raffles gained that amount from whatever unspeakable things he did in Italy, if he could drop £1000 on Theobald at a moment's notice -- so it's a shame that after fetching Bunny they couldn't just...run off and be emu farmers in Australia, or something. I mean what the heck, Raffles. What's keeping you?
He snaps up Bunny when he first appears -- Hehe, yes...quite so. :)
Comments 12
I enjoyed your essay very much, especially the argument that Bunny gains power by his control of Raffles' biography.
Not sure I agree about Bunny's name being suppressed. He is routinely, iirc referred to by other characters as Manders or Mr Manders. Men in that era did not use personal names when referring to or addressing each other. Perhaps that is why Raffles uses a nickname, not 'Harry', to reflect their intimacy, and Bunny's permanent immaturity.
How much, too, of the subservience you find is Bunny being politely self-deprecating?
I also like your analysis of Raffles' character as manipulative and unable to connect with others, even Bunny - in that description I recognise a man to whom I could be the Bunny you describe, and it makes me wonder how much my feelings towards him are conditioned by having admired Raffles from a formative age ( ... )
Reply
Actually, that drove me crazy. I swear I went through the stories line by line, I did a CTRL+F through all of Project Gutenberg, and not once did I see anyone call Bunny by his name. But I know his name is Manders because that's what everyone on the Internet says! Where the heck did you people see that?!
But anyway. Yes, I know Raffles using Bunny's school nickname isn't necessarily derogatory. I know Bunny calls Raffles "Raffles" (or A.J., on special occasions) but Raffles is under no obligation to call him "Manders," as if they were Holmes and Watson. Still. I think using the nickname to not just reflect, but enforce "Bunny's permanent immaturity" comes closer to the truth. There's the infantilization of the nickname itself (I mean, good grief, not just a rabbit but a young one), but also the...let's call it the "affectionate disdain" with which Raffles seems to hold the nickname. Whenever Bunny's being (to Raffles' mind) unusually slow-witted, he ( ... )
Reply
There is one other reason that Raffles always calls him by a nickname. It allows Bunny to avoid giving the reader his real name. He always glosses over it in introductions to other people, handing Bennett Addenbrooke his card in Nine Points of the Law, for example. Bunny won't tell us the names of his ex or the doctor relative that supposedly sends him the telegram in No Sinecure because he wants to protect their reputation from association with his crimes. Evidently he doesn't want to connect his own name with his record either. He doesn't sign his series of articles on prison life, and essentially he doesn't sign these ( ... )
Reply
Ahem. Thank you for clearing up where "Manders" comes from! I haven't read the novel, or even heard about the play, so it's a relief to know it's out there somewhere. (I'd heard his name was "Manders" from the internet, so I swear I went through all the short stories thinking at any minute someone was going to say his last name...Shoot, I was as tense as a soap opera fan waiting for the baby daddy to be revealed.)
And excellent point about how he doesn't sign his written pieces either -- I hadn't thought of that. *tips hat*
"Unhealthy romantic relationships" -- yes. I just wiki'd Mr. Justice Raffles (because you mentioned it, and I'm trying to make up my mind whether to read it), and the article says, "Its reception was mixed, with some fans lamenting the loss of the carefree gentlemen thief of the early stories." What? "Carefree"? Raffles was never "carefree." The stories start with a suicide attempt, and that threat of self-destruction never, ever goes away. If anyone thinks the Raffles stories are light ( ... )
Reply
You also reminded me of my reaction to the use of Dukas' music for The Sorceror's Apprentice for the television pilot which was my first encounter with the pair back in 1975. (I was very disappointed by the dull signature tune commissioned for the full series.) I had always been irritated by The Sorceror's Apprentice, one of those pieces considered suitable for children's musical education because of the story about the broom. But once I heard it ( ... )
Reply
- So maybe he knows all along, at the back of his mind, that how he's remembered depends on Bunny.
I like this very much and am adding it to my head canon.
More seriously: yes, Raffles loves an audience...but he's not completely vain. He does work solo for years before The Ides of March, and again the whole time he's in Italy; he claims to want a quiet, respectable retirement. (He really doesn't, of course, but I think he at least wants to want it.) In A Jubilee Present Bunny notes Raffles' "...infatuation for the cup was, as he declared, a very pure passion, since the circumstances debarred him from the chief joy of the average collector, that of showing his treasure to his friends." Raffles is capable of enjoying a thing in solitude. He'd just rather not ( ... )
Reply
And clearly he gets bored after years without an admirer. He snaps up Bunny when he first appears, and then risks jail by trekking across Europe and living under considerable restraints in order to get him back. So he does have one friend to admire the cup while he has it.
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He snaps up Bunny when he first appears -- Hehe, yes...quite so. :)
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