Short Fiction · Character
Buffin
A jittery small-time crook suspected of informing, who stakes his standing with the Frith Street gang on ambushing the policeman who once pinched him.
supporting
Also known as Mr. Buffin
First appearance: when papa swore in hindustani
As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Buffin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
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Mr. Buffin, nicknamed the Spider, is a nervous underworld hanger-on whose loyalty is under suspicion after Officer Keating arrests him, and whose attempts to prove himself to Sid Marks and the gang keep making things…
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The fuller portrait of Buffin sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Buffin in when papa swore in hindustaniCharacter Web
9 connectionsA slice of how Buffin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Diverse supporting cast
- Comedy and authority figures
- Central cast of characters
+4 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak occurs when the narrator’s pervasive homesickness and alienation crystallize as she hears t…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingIn the story
Buffin appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Buffin unlock in the free preview.
See Buffin in when papa swore in hindustani