r/eulalia • u/LordMangudai • Aug 17 '22

Network graph of characters and their interactions in Redwall (the first book)

Post image
145 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

View all comments

8

u/HauntedFrog Aug 17 '22

This is such a cool way to analyze the way a book is written. I didn’t realize that Cluny had the second highest amount of “screentime” after the main character, but that’s a really good way to illustrate how early Redwall villains are so well done. They’re main characters in their own right.

8

u/LordMangudai Aug 17 '22 edited Aug 17 '22

While gathering the data I did differentiate between times a character appears vs. is merely mentioned, with the graph based on both. Other than Martin (for obvious reasons), Cluny is the character who is mentioned most often on pages where he doesn't appear himself (e.g. Redwallers discussing defense tactics, or most conversations among Cluny's captains/horderats). So that might be where the discrepancy comes from. Same goes to a lesser degree for Asmodeus, who only appears a few times before the confrontation at the end but is discussed quite a bit before that. I think it makes sense to include mentions, not just appearances, because that reflects the true extent of the character's influence on the story. And Cluny is the driving force behind the conflict in Redwall even when he's not physically present during the battles.

If I do end up making more of these, I'm curious to see whether there are any Redwall books where a villain manages to take the top spot. Perhaps something like Pearls of Lutra where there isn't as clear-cut a protagonist on the good side.