Arséne Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar

Anyone who reads books and watches movies and TV shows will meet hundreds of characters in their lifetime. Some of those characters will be easily forgotten. Others are interesting, but are lost in the crowd. And then there are those who march into your head with their coat hanging on their arm and a suitcase trailing behind them, and they never leave.

I hope to write several character studies during the next few months, in which I will examine the characters who have taken up residence in my head and try to discover what makes them unique and why I love them so much.

One of the newest of my favorite characters--and the one who in some aspects is the least deserving to be on that list in the first place--is Arséne Lupin (Ar-son Lu-pen), Gentleman-Burglar.

Arséne Lupin finds his origin in a series of short stories written by Maurice LeBlanc, a French contemporary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Lupin actually goes up against the great Sherlock Holmes in several of the short stories.

So who is this Arséne Lupin chap, exactly?

He's a nigh-uncatchable thief. A master of disguise. A brilliant strategist. A solver of mysteries. He's witty, clever, just a little bit impudent, and arguably the best pick-pocket ever. (More on that later.) If I had to describe him in one sentence, I'd say that he's a warped combination of the Scarlet Pimpernel and Sherlock Holmes.

And he somehow snuck his way into my collection of favorite characters ever.

I think it's because he's unique, fascinating, and really well-written, Props to you, Mr. LeBlanc.

Yes, he's a thief. I'm neither condoning nor excusing him. What sets him apart, however, is that he's a gentleman-burglar. He only steals items of value--antique furniture, paintings, jewelry, and the like--and only from people who (according to him) aren't properly appreciating the items and can afford the loss.

As his Wikipedia article says, Lupin "is often a force for good, while operating on the wrong side of the law. Those whom Lupin defeats, always with his characteristic Gallic* style and panache**, are worse villains than he."

His thieving career began when he was a young child. The first thing he ever burglared was a famous necklace, and he used the proceeds from selling its jewels to support his working-class widowed mother.

Why did he keep stealing after that? He's far too clever for his own good, and I think he gets a thrill out of it. And he finds it far more interesting than working for a living. :P

But, there is one person who can get him to give things back--a young lady by the name of Miss Nelly Underdown who has secured the affections of Lupin but does not openly return them. There is an occurrence when Lupin is robbing a house that Miss Nelly is staying at. She hears a noise in the middle of the night and goes downstairs to investigate, catching the gentleman-burglar in the act of emptying out a glass cabinet. The larger articles of interest to him have already been removed.
And when Lupin recognizes Miss Nelly, he promises to return everything, and starts with dropping the things that he was in the process of removing. Nelly chooses not to sound the alarm, and Lupin, true to his word, returns everything the next afternoon.

You see? There is some gentleman in the gentleman-burglar. :)  

All right, let's look at each of the characteristics of Lupin that I've mentioned in turn, now, shall we?

A nigh-uncatchable thief--Lupin is the French police force's worst nightmare. When he is captured it's only because 1) he allowed himself to be and 2) he wanted a change of scenery. On the upside, he actually helps to apprehend people every once in awhile. A word to the wise: don't tie up, gag, and rob Arséne Lupin. You won't get away with it.

A master of disguise--Lupin actually makes a comment once to his friend (who is basically the Watson to his Holmes) that he can't recognize himself in the mirror anymore, he's worn so many different disguises. *deadpan* Maybe that's why he's so hard to catch.

A brilliant strategist--Lupin can rob a house while he's in jail. In a different part of the country. 'Nuff said.

A solver of mysteries--In "The Seven of Hearts", one of my favorite short stories in The Extraordinary Adventures of Arséne Lupin, he tries his hand at being a detective and succeeds so admirably that he gives Sherlock Holmes a run for his money.

Witty, clever, and impudent--I think my favorite example of Lupin's sense of humor (and also a good example of his impudence) is a note that he leaves at the site of an intended robbery--"Arséne Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar, will return when the furniture is genuine." -The Extraordinary Adventures of Arséne Lupin, pg. 4. I bet the recipient of that note was thrilled.

The best pick-pocket ever--The first time that Lupin meets Holmes, they run into each other on the side of a road in France and engage in a few minutes of polite conversation. They part cordially. Later, on the way to the railway station and home, Holmes receives a package from Lupin. In it is a pocket watch. Holmes's pocket watch.

Arséne Lupin steals Sherlock Holmes's pocket watch--probably out of sheer force of habit--without Holmes even noticing.

Well, done, my dear Lupin, well done.

And there you have it. Arséne Lupin, flaws and all.

Why is he one of my favorite characters? Well, his personality is part of it. I love his humor and wit and audacity. But he's also a refreshing change from the characters that are too perfect. He's realistic, and it's easier to relate to him.

 At the same time, you can tell that he just needs enough of a nudge to become something better--to use his incredible talents the right way. And if he was a good guy...he would be fantastic.


~Kellyn~


*"Gallic"--a synonym for "French". I think.
** "Panache"--"A grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair." Definition courtesy of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. This thing is three -and-a-half inches thick. I would not like to drop it on my foot. :P