Vautrin Character Analysis in Père Goriot

Vautrin is a 40-year-old resident at the Maison Vauquer, Madame Vauquer’s boarding house. Unknown to most other characters until the end of the novel, he’s really an expert criminal and escaped convict named Jacques Collin, or “Death-Dodger.” Vautrin wears a wig and dyes his whiskers. He is a jovial, likeable neighbor who wins others’ trust and affection; Madame Vauquer even entrusts him with a key to the boarding house. At the same time, he has a certain toughness and coldness about him. Vautrin notices Rastignac’s hunger for social success and tries to exploit this, tempting the young man to take a shortcut—he will arrange for Victorine’s brother to be murdered so that she’ll receive a huge inheritance, benefiting both Rastignac (whom she transparently loves) and Vautrin (whom Rastignac will grant a commission). Vautrin lives by an amoral code, believing that there is no fixed moral point in the universe; he sees people and actions simply as means to ends. His dream is to own a massive plantation in the American South. He’s ultimately thwarted by Gondureau, Mademoiselle Michonneau, and Poiret, who conspire to get him arrested. Vautrin exits the story with a sneering denunciation of the other boarders’ hypocrisy.

Vautrin Quotes in Père Goriot

The Père Goriot quotes below are all either spoken by Vautrin or refer to Vautrin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

‘You stand at the crossroads of your life, young man, you must choose. You have already made one choice; you went to see your Beauséant cousin and had a taste of luxury. You went to visit Madame de Restaud, Père Goriot's daughter, and had a taste of how Parisian women live. That day you came back with a word marked on your forehead, and one I could read easily enough: Succeed! succeed at any price. Bravo! I said, there's a lad after my own heart.’

Related Characters: Vautrin (speaker), Eugène de Rastignac , Madame Anastasie de Restaud , Père Goriot

Page Number and Citation: 96

Explanation and Analysis:

When Rastignac gets his first taste of high society, he thinks that he’s already encountered all the temptation that Paris has to offer. Back at his shabby boarding house, though, he faces an unlikely, and even more tempting, phenomenon. His housemate, the cheerful, unassuming boarder named Vautrin, has been quietly watching Rastignac’s social striving all this time and quietly intervenes to offer the young man a better deal. Vautrin explains to Rastignac that the path he’s embarking upon will take time—far too much time, in fact. If Rastignac really wants to succeed, Vautrin tells him, he should avoid long years Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. N

‘If I have one more piece of advice for you, my pet, it is not to stick to your opinions any more firmly than to your words. When you are asked for them, sell them. A man who boasts that he never changes his opinions is a man committed always to follow a straight line, an idiot who believes in infallibility. There are no such things as principles, only events; no laws, only circumstances. Your exceptional man adjusts to events and circumstances in order to control them. If there really were fixed principles and fixed laws, nations would not keep changing them as we change our shirts.’

Related Characters: Vautrin (speaker), Eugène de Rastignac

Page Number and Citation: 102

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote concludes Vautrin’s temptation of Rastignac, and it illustrates the amoral beliefs underlying Vautrin’s view of the world. Vautrin claims to operate by no other principle than his own personal advantage. He laughs at the notion of sticking to one’s principles; doing so, he argues, essentially makes someone a dupe, blindly proceeding in the same direction with no allowance for changing circumstances. The only reality, Vautrin argues, is concrete circumstances, not abstract principles. And the ability to adapt to those circumstances is a mark of excellence, not weakness. Perhaps referring to France’s shifting fortunes over the past quarter-century, Vautrin Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis.

What moralists call the depths of the human heart are merely the disappointments, the involuntary reactions of self-interest. These ups and downs so often bemoaned, these sudden reversals, are quite calculated for the enhancement of our pleasures. Seeing himself well dressed, with smart gloves, smart boots, Rastignac forgot his virtuous resolution. Young people do not dare look into the mirror of their consciences when they are being tempted to do wrong, while those of riper years have already seen themselves reflected there; therein lies the difference between these two periods of human life.

Related Characters: Vautrin, Eugène de Rastignac

Page Number and Citation: 105

Explanation and Analysis:

Balzac has a cynical opinion of the human heart: he suggests that people are fundamentally self-interested, no matter how successfully they might convince themselves otherwise. Paradoxically, this self-interest even takes the form of moralizing. When Rastignac briefly decides that he’s going to ignore Vautrin’s amoral path in favor of the slower, more difficult path of hard work, this ultimately just serves to amplify what he really wants, in Balzac’s opinion. When Rastignac tries on his newly tailored clothes, he sees what a life in Paris society could really be like, and his vague, theoretical commitment to virtue quickly evaporates. Balzac Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt

In the course of the next few days Rastignac led an extremely dissipated life. He dined almost every day with Madame de Nucingen, and went everywhere as her escort. He would come home at three or four in the morning, rise at midday to get ready to go out, and then go for a turn in the Bois when it was fine. He wasted time like this, heedless of the cost, and absorbed all the lessons and allurements of luxury […] He played for high stakes, losing or winning a lot of money, and finally grew used to the extravagant life of the young man in Paris.

Related Characters: Eugène de Rastignac , Vautrin, Madame Delphine de Nucingen

Page Number and Citation: 140

Explanation and Analysis:

As Rastignac grows more and more infatuated with Madame de Nucingen, his original lofty ambitions for life in Paris rapidly disappear. His studies fade from his life, and the trappings of high society take their place. All his energy goes into enjoying and supporting a life of pleasure that he can’t actually afford. He is biding his time, deluding himself that somehow, the de Nucingens will help him make an easy fortune. But the more Rastignac gets sucked into this lifestyle, the more the allure of wealth traps him in an unsustainable situation, and the more his ambition becomes corrupted. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiore

Rastignac was indeed in a state of perplexity which must be familiar to many young men. Whether she really loved him or was just leading him on, Madame de Nucingen had inflicted on Rastignac all the pains of a genuine passion […] For the past few months she had so inflamed Eugène's senses that she finally affected his inward heart. If in the initial stages of his liaison the student had believed himself to be the master, Madame de Nucingen had now gained the upper hand[.]

Related Characters: Eugène de Rastignac , Madame Delphine de Nucingen , Madame la Vicomtesse de Beauséant, Vautrin

Page Number and Citation: 143

Explanation and Analysis:

Not so long ago, Rastignac had deluded himself into believing that he would soon be manipulating Madame de Nucingen’s husband into helping him gain a fortune. However, it’s beginning to become apparent how thoroughly he’s tricked himself. Even if his feelings for Delphine were somewhat fabricated in the beginning, that no longer matters. Delphine’s doting attentions, whether fabricated in turn or genuine, have caused Rastignac to fall in love with her. In this case, calculated emotions have given way to sincerity, and the manipulator has become the manipulated. This scenario again shows what a novice Rastignac really is in the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt.

Everyone now fully understood Vautrin, his past, present and future, his ruthless doctrines, his religion of indulging his own good pleasure, his regal authority, deriving from the cynicism of his thoughts and deeds and a power of organization applied to everything. The blood rushed to his face, his eyes glittered like those of a wildcat. He bounded up and down with such ferocious energy, he roared so fiercely, that he wrung cries of terror from all the boarders.

Related Characters: Vautrin, Madame Vauquer

Page Number and Citation: 183

Explanation and Analysis:

In this quote, Vautrin is identified as Jacques Collin, or “Death-Dodger,” a ruthless criminal who’s been posing as a harmless boarder. This is one of the most blatant examples of manipulation and delusion in the book. Vautrin has shown people what they wanted to see—he’s an amiable, helpful neighbor to Madame Vauquer and most of the others, for example—and they have believed it. Madame Vauquer has even given Vautrin a key to the boarding house—a privilege granted to no other boarder—simply because he makes her laugh, despite knowing almost nothing about his past or what he does all day. When Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Volup

‘Try and be philosophical, Ma,’ Collin went on. ‘Did it do you any harm being in my box at the Gaîté last night?' he exclaimed. ‘Are you any better than us? The brand we bear on our shoulders is not as shameful as what you have in your hearts, flabby members of a putrid society. The best among you could not stand up to me!’

Related Characters: Vautrin (speaker), Madame Vauquer

Page Number and Citation: 184

Explanation and Analysis:

After Vautrin gets arrested, he takes the opportunity to make a final dramatic swipe at society in general. In doing so, he indicts the hypocrisy of average people, whom he sees as being complicit in the corruption of society as a whole. In response to Madame Vauquer’s horror that she accompanied him to the theater last night, not knowing he was a criminal, Vautrin argues that Madame Vauquer—and, by implication, everyone else like her—is no better than he is. Vautrin, at least, is honest in his criminal dealings; he doesn’t try to convince himself that he’s a better person than Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta.

It was midnight. […] Père Goriot and the student returned to the Maison Vauquer talking about Delphine with increasing fervour, each trying to outdo the other, expressing the strength of his passion in curious contention. Eugène could not deny that the father's love, unblemished by any selfish interest, left his own far behind in scope and persistence. For the father, his idol was always pure and beautiful, and his worship was intensified by all that lay in the past as well as in the future.

Related Characters: Père Goriot , Eugène de Rastignac , Madame Delphine de Nucingen , Vautrin

Page Number and Citation: 199

Explanation and Analysis:

After Vautrin is arrested, Rastignac is briefly convinced that he will remain on the narrow path of virtue. But when Goriot whisks him off to dinner with Delphine, it doesn’t take long for Rastignac’s resolve to be shaken once again. On the way home, Delphine’s would-be lover and father can’t stop talking about her—it’s as if they’re trying to convince themselves and each other that their passion for Delphine is unshakeable, while subconsciously suspecting that it isn’t reciprocated by her. It’s another illustration of the self-perpetuating game that people must maintain in this society: spending all their resources in pursuit Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dol

He saw society as an ocean of mire into which one had only to dip a toe to be buried in it up to the neck. 'The only crimes committed there are petty ones!' he said to himself. 'Vautrin was a bigger man than that.' […] In his thoughts he returned to the bosom of his family. He remembered the pure emotions of that tranquil life, he recalled days spent among those who held him dear. By following the natural laws of hearth and home, those dear creatures found complete, unbroken, untroubled happiness. Despite such worthy thoughts, he did not feel bold enough to go to Delphine and confess the faith of pure souls by bidding her follow Virtue in the name of Love.

Related Characters: Eugène de Rastignac (speaker), Madame Delphine de Nucingen , Père Goriot , Vautrin

Page Number and Citation: 232

Explanation and Analysis:

Despite Delphine’s repeated flattery of him and his own social achievements, Rastignac is not totally corrupted by the end of the novel. On some level, after witnessing Goriot’s daughters’ failure of loyalty, he recognizes that Parisian society as a whole is morally bankrupt. He even pines for the relative peace, genuine affection, and moral purity of his rural upbringing—an upbringing from which he was once eager to distance himself. His reminiscences about his family are certainly idealized, but that isn’t the point. Rather, Rastignac recognizes that Parisian society uniquely incentivizes fake, manipulative emotions. This is further shown by his musings Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Vol

Vautrin Character Timeline in Père Goriot

The timeline below shows where the character Vautrin appears in Père Goriot. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...another, about age 40, who wears a wig, dyes his whiskers, and goes by Monsieur Vautrin. On the third floor live an elderly spinster named Mademoiselle Michonneau and, finally, a retired... (full context)

...Rastignac is a fair-skinned, dark-haired Southerner of noble bearing. He dresses thriftily but not inelegantly. Vautrin is about 40 years old, well-muscled with broad shoulders. He has a hard, lined face,... (full context)

...such a dense fog darkening the city that Madame Vauquer oversleeps. When she comes downstairs, Vautrin has just come in, and he reports that he just saw Goriot selling his silver... (full context)

...with fear over her impending visit to her father’s. Everyone sympathizes with the young girl. Vautrin offhandedly mentions that soon, he will intervene in Victorine’s affairs and make everything better. When... (full context)

Vautrin has been closely watching Rastignac lately, though Rastignac isn’t sure why. One morning, he impulsively... (full context)

There are only two choices in life, Vautrin says: obedience and revolt. Vautrin does not obey anyone. Vautrin turns to considering Rastignac’s situation.... (full context)

Vautrin tells Rastignac that he stands at the crossroads of his life. Having gotten a taste... (full context)

Vautrin says that he’s about to offer Rastignac something that nobody would refuse. He has a... (full context)

Vautrin tells Rastignac that such a gullible, devoted girl is right in front of him: Victorine.... (full context)

Before Rastignac starts ranting at him, Vautrin warns, he should consider that he, too, will someday flirt with a woman in order... (full context)

Rastignac doesn’t take Vautrin’s offer on the spot. However, he wonders whether Vautrin has taught him the truth about... (full context)

The next day, Vautrin smiles in a sinister way when he hears Rastignac describe his success at the ball.... (full context)

On this particular evening, a frustrated Rastignac, not realizing that Vautrin is lingering nearby and watching everything, thinks about the plan they’d discussed and throws a... (full context)

After the women leave the room, Vautrin coolly tells Rastignac that he knew the younger man would come around to his plan.... (full context)

...and Michonneau respect bureaucracy, Gondureau tells them that France’s Minister of Police has determined that Vautrin is actually an escaped convict from Toulon, known as Death-Dodger. He had been imprisoned for... (full context)

...swallowed, makes a person look as if they’ve suffered a stroke. They’ll mix this into Vautrin’s wine or coffee and, after he collapses, have him carried off to bed. Then, they’ll... (full context)

...leaves, Mademoiselle Michonneau and Poiret discuss the ethics of the whole situation. Should she forewarn Vautrin, Mademoiselle wonders? After all, he’d probably reward her financially. On the other hand, if they... (full context)

...morning, Rastignac is in despair over Madame de Nucingen. Inwardly, he has given in to Vautrin’s plan, having made certain promises to Victorine. Victorine is decidedly in love. Rastignac, meanwhile, struggles... (full context)

After Victorine goes to her room, Vautrin comes in and informs Rastignac that his friend who owes him a favor has instigated... (full context)

Vautrin, Goriot, and Rastignac go downstairs to dinner together. Vautrin is in high spirits, dismaying Rastignac... (full context)

Vautrin invites Madame Vauquer to go to the theater with him that evening. Sylvie hauls Goriot... (full context)

After Vautrin and Madame Vauquer leave for the theater, Madame Couture and Victorine talk about Victorine’s future.... (full context)

That night’s revelry, which Vautrin intended as a way to get Goriot and Rastignac drunk, turns out to be costly... (full context)

...the residents sleep late, and Mademoiselle Michonneau uses this opportunity to pour the potion into Vautrin’s usual cup. When breakfast finally begins, Rastignac receives a letter from Madame de Nucingen. Delphine... (full context)

...Victorine is urgently needed, he says—her brother Frédéric has been mortally wounded in a duel. Vautrin wonders how such a wealthy young man could have gotten into a quarrel—he muses that... (full context)

...Nucingen that he’s on his way. Furious, he mutters to himself that “there’s no evidence.” Vautrin smiles, but right then, Madame Michonneau’s potion takes effect, and he falls over. Thinking Vautrin... (full context)

...takes a walk, wondering what to do. Will he be named as an accomplice in Vautrin’s crime? He interrogates his own conscience and finally concludes that Delphine’s love is his anchor.... (full context)

Back at the Maison Vauquer, Bianchon has given Vautrin an emetic and sent the results to his hospital for chemical analysis. Mademoiselle Michonneau tries... (full context)

Then, everyone hears a group of men marching down the street. Before Vautrin can escape, four armed soldiers appear at the door, while others block the various exits.... (full context)

Vautrin subdues his anger and calmly submits to arrest, to the onlookers’ admiration. He admits to... (full context)

Vautrin correctly guesses that Mademoiselle Michonneau is his betrayer and says that he would have paid... (full context)

After touring the apartment, Rastignac tells Delphine that he cannot accept it. Vautrin’s arrest is still too fresh in his mind; he realizes how much he’s been spared,... (full context)

...of her boarders—now Goriot and Rastignac will join the rest. She tells the others that Vautrin was such a good man, it’s hard to believe he could really have been a... (full context)

...Rastignac takes the blank bill of exchange he’d initially meant to use to pay back Vautrin and fills it out for 12,000 francs. He walks into Goriot’s room, pretending to have... (full context)

...apartment to dress. He reflects on the dreariness of society and its petty crimes—at least Vautrin’s crimes were more honest. He wishes he were among his family, living their quiet, virtuous... (full context)

Vautrin Character Analysis

Vautrin Quotes in Père Goriot

Chapter 2 Quotes

Chapter 3 Quotes

Chapter 4 Quotes

Vautrin Character Timeline in Père Goriot