Père Goriot

by

Honoré de Balzac

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:
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

‘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), Père Goriot , Eugène de Rastignac , Madame Anastasie de Restaud
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:

‘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: 102
Explanation and Analysis:

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: Eugène de Rastignac , Vautrin
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:

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: 140
Explanation and Analysis:

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 , Vautrin, Madame la Vicomtesse de Beauséant, Madame Delphine de Nucingen
Page Number: 143
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

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: 183
Explanation and Analysis:

‘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: 184
Explanation and Analysis:

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 , Vautrin, Madame Delphine de Nucingen
Page Number: 199
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

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), Père Goriot , Vautrin, Madame Delphine de Nucingen
Page Number: 232
Explanation and Analysis:
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Père Goriot PDF

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.
Chapter 1: A Family Boarding House
Family Relationships Theme Icon
...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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
...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)
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
Family Relationships Theme Icon
...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)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Family Relationships Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
...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)
Chapter 2: Entry on the Social Scene
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Vautrin has been closely watching Rastignac lately, though Rastignac isn’t sure why. One morning, he impulsively... (full context)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Vautrin tells Rastignac that he stands at the crossroads of his life. Having gotten a taste... (full context)
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Vautrin says that he’s about to offer Rastignac something that nobody would refuse. He has a... (full context)
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Vautrin tells Rastignac that such a gullible, devoted girl is right in front of him: Victorine.... (full context)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Before Rastignac starts ranting at him, Vautrin warns, he should consider that he, too, will someday flirt with a woman in order... (full context)
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Rastignac doesn’t take Vautrin’s offer on the spot. However, he wonders whether Vautrin has taught him the truth about... (full context)
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
The next day, Vautrin smiles in a sinister way when he hears Rastignac describe his success at the ball.... (full context)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
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)
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
After the women leave the room, Vautrin coolly tells Rastignac that he knew the younger man would come around to his plan.... (full context)
Chapter 3: Death-Dodger
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
...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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
...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)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
...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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
...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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
After Victorine goes to her room, Vautrin comes in and informs Rastignac that his friend who owes him a favor has instigated... (full context)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Vautrin, Goriot, and Rastignac go downstairs to dinner together. Vautrin is in high spirits, dismaying Rastignac... (full context)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
Vautrin invites Madame Vauquer to go to the theater with him that evening. Sylvie hauls Goriot... (full context)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
After Vautrin and Madame Vauquer leave for the theater, Madame Couture and Victorine talk about Victorine’s future.... (full context)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
That night’s revelry, which Vautrin intended as a way to get Goriot and Rastignac drunk, turns out to be costly... (full context)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
...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)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Family Relationships Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
...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)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
...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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Family Relationships Theme Icon
...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)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
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)
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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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Vautrin subdues his anger and calmly submits to arrest, to the onlookers’ admiration. He admits to... (full context)
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Vautrin correctly guesses that Mademoiselle Michonneau is his betrayer and says that he would have paid... (full context)
The False Allure of Wealth Theme Icon
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Family Relationships Theme Icon
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)
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
...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)
Chapter 4: The Father’s Death
Family Relationships Theme Icon
...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)
Ambition and Corruption Theme Icon
Manipulation, Delusion, and Betrayal Theme Icon
Emotions, Sincerity, and Calculation Theme Icon
...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)