Vautrin’s Rise and Capture

Père Goriot

This thread follows Vautrin’s concealed criminal identity, his schemes, and his arrest.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Friendly Lodger The Friendly Lodger from "Père Goriot". The Friendly Lodger A persuasive presence Vautrin presents himself as an obliging, knowledgeable lodger at Mme. Vauquer’s house.

The Friendly Lodger from "Père Goriot". The Friendly Lodger A persuasive presence Vautrin presents himself as an obliging, knowledgeable lodger at Mme. Vauquer’s house.

The Friendly Lodger A persuasive presence Vautrin presents himself as an obliging, knowledgeable lodger at Mme. Vauquer’s house. A guarded identity His strength, confidence, and unexplained freedom to come and go make the other residents uneasy. His sociability works as a screen for a life he refuses to disclose.

Night Visitors Night Visitors from "Père Goriot". Night Visitors Secret traffic Eugène de Rastignac notices visitors and suspicious activity connected with Vautrin after dark.

Night Visitors from "Père Goriot". Night Visitors Secret traffic Eugène de Rastignac notices visitors and suspicious activity connected with Vautrin after dark.

Night Visitors Secret traffic Eugène de Rastignac notices visitors and suspicious activity connected with Vautrin after dark. Curiosity and risk Vautrin’s unexplained dealings deepen the mystery surrounding the boarding house. The apparent household routine conceals a network operating beyond ordinary society.

The Heir Scheme The Heir Scheme from "Père Goriot". The Heir Scheme A fortune offered Vautrin urges Eugène de Rastignac to court Victorine Taillefer, whose inheritance depends on her brother’s death.

The Heir Scheme from "Père Goriot". The Heir Scheme A fortune offered Vautrin urges Eugène de Rastignac to court Victorine Taillefer, whose inheritance depends on her brother’s death.

The Heir Scheme A fortune offered Vautrin urges Eugène de Rastignac to court Victorine Taillefer, whose inheritance depends on her brother’s death. A criminal mechanism He arranges a duel intended to remove the brother and enrich Victorine. His offer tests whether financial desperation can overcome Eugène’s remaining scruples.

A Mark Revealed A Mark Revealed from "Père Goriot". A Mark Revealed The trap takes effect Mlle. Michonneau uses a drug supplied by the police, then identifies Vautrin by the marks on his shoulder.

A Mark Revealed from "Père Goriot". A Mark Revealed The trap takes effect Mlle. Michonneau uses a drug supplied by the police, then identifies Vautrin by the marks on his shoulder.

A Mark Revealed The trap takes effect Mlle. Michonneau uses a drug supplied by the police, then identifies Vautrin by the marks on his shoulder. The disguise breaks Police enter the boarding house and reveal him as Jacques Collin, the escaped convict known as Trompe-la-Mort. The arrest turns an apparently genial lodger into the center of a public spectacle.

Defiance in Custody Defiance in Custody from "Père Goriot". Defiance in Custody A controlled surrender Jacques Collin accepts arrest without resistance and mocks the authorities who have exposed him.

Defiance in Custody from "Père Goriot". Defiance in Custody A controlled surrender Jacques Collin accepts arrest without resistance and mocks the authorities who have exposed him.

Defiance in Custody A controlled surrender Jacques Collin accepts arrest without resistance and mocks the authorities who have exposed him. An offer left open He tells Eugène de Rastignac that his friendship and resources remain available. His capture removes him from the house, but his challenge to conventional morality continues to haunt Eugène.

At the opening of the drama

Early in Eugène’s Paris campaign

During the winter, before the duel

The morning after the drugged dinner

Immediately after the arrest