Vautrin
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Vautrin is a character from the novels of French writer Honoré de Balzac in the La Comédie humaine series. His real name is Jacques Collin. He appears in the novels Le Père Goriot (Father Goriot, 1834/35) under the name Vautrin, and in Illusions perdues (Lost illusions, 1837-43) and Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes (Scenes from a Courtesan's Life, 1838-44), the sequel of Illusions perdues, under the name of Abbé Herrera. In prison, he got the nickname Trompe-la-Mort (Tricks-death), because he was very careful never to commit a crime that could result in a death sentence.
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[edit] Background
By the time the Comédie humaine series begins, Jacques Collin is an escaped convict and criminal mastermind fleeing from the police. The character first appears in the La Comédie humaine series using the name of Vautrin, so he is usually referred to in literary criticism under this name. Balzac was inspired to the character by Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857) a former criminal who later became chief of the Paris police.
[edit] Story
In Father Goriot, set in 1818, Collin lived under the name of Vautrin in the House Vauquer. He is described there as a cynical man, who likes to crack jokes, speaks rather intimately with everyone, who seems to know everything and who seems to have been everywhere. He also has a technical talent, it is noted, that he is very adept in repairing locks. However, the police are on his tracks: The then-chief of the Sûreté, one Bibi-Lupin, confronts two other inhabitants of the House Vauquer, telling them about Vautrin's real identity: An escaped convict and the bankier of the galleys, who disposes of great sums. He asks them to help arresting Vautrin: They need proof that he really is Jacques Collin. He hands them a poison that will simulate a stroke. While Vautrin stays unconscious, they are supposed to search on his shoulders the letters T.F. for Travaux forcés (hard labour) with which convict's were branded at the time. The letters are found, Collin is arrested and imprisoned in Rochefort.
We later learn that he escaped in the disguise of a guard escorting another prisoner. Some years later, in the novel Illusions perdues, one Abbé Carlos Herrera stops Lucien de Rubempré from drowning himself in the Charente. He strikes a pact with Lucien: He will make him rich and successful, but Lucien has to obey him without questions. The novel ends there.
In Splendeurs et misères de courtisanes, set in 1830, Herrera and Lucian have moved to Paris. Here we quickly learn, that Herrera is really Collin. Lucian falls in love with one Esther Gobseck, but so does the Baron Nucingen. Collin realises that they can get a lot of money out of Nucingen ince he becomes Esther's lover. They manage to keep this up for some time, but then Esther can't refuse going to bed with nucingen any more. At the same time, she learns that Lucien is supposed to marry a rich young woman. She kills herself, leaving all her money to Lucien. However, her maid steals the money. Shortly later, it is revealed that Esther just inherited a fortune (which she didn't know). As the fortune goes to Lucien and her letter to him, explaining her suicide cannot be found, Lucien and Herrera are suspected to have killed her and are arrested. In prison, Herrera is quickly suspected to be Collin, but it can't be proved. Collin pretends that the reason for his attachment for Lucien is that he is his son, which is unlikely. Lucien however, collapses and reveals Herrera's true identity. Back in his cell, he writes a letter to Collin and one to the prosecuter, saying, that he wasn't right in his mind and the confessed things without thinking about them. Then he hangs himself on the bars of his window. The prosecutor, again in doubt about Herrera's identity, lets him into the yard where three men, all Collin's partners in crime, are waiting for their trials. Collin recognises them, but makes them treat him as priest. He learns from them, that his friend, Théodore Calvi, is currently waiting for his execution and that one of the men, La Pouraille, also has no hopes of escaping the death sentence. Collin starts to plot: He manages to twist the fact in a way to prove Calvi's innocence (even though Calvi is in fact guilty), saves La Pouraille from the guillotine. This involves giving himself up; like his historical model Vidocq he offers his services as an informer to the prosecutor. After he manages to treat the madness of one of Lucien's former mistresses (she became mad after learning about Lucien's death) with one of Lucien's letters, his offer is accepted.
A small note informs us that Collin remained chief of the Sûreté for fifteen years and retired in 1845.
[edit] Character
[edit] Tempter, criminal and nemesis
Vautrin is a seductive, enigmatic and complex character, not easily classified, not even as a villain. He is a well-built, strong man, about forty years old at the time he first appears in the series. Vautrin has a strong criminal energy and is ruthless in obtaining his purposes, manipulating people and sometimes even resorting to murder. He tries to realize his dreams of power and wealth first through Eugène de Rastignac and later through Lucien de Rubempré. In some respects, Vautrin/Collin/Abbé Herrera recalls the tempting devils in "pact with the devil" themes like Faust. He promises both young men fame, power and wealth and proposes to become their mentor. Yet, Vautrin's plans with them are thwarted: Rastignac is far too independent to need a mentor, and Lucien is too dreamy, romantic and feeble to be able to realize Collin's dreams.
[edit] Lover
The complexity of Vautrin's character is increased by the fact that he is obviously homosexual. Thus, his attraction towards Rastignac and especially towards Lucien is also erotic/sentimental in character, though it apparently remains platonic. The fact that he is not only bound to them by his hunger for power, but also by emotional ties considerably increases the psychological tension of the novels and makes Collin's character more humane. Though he can often act as a real villain, his love, especially for Lucien, is obviously genuine. Love even makes him sacrifice himself: He was first condemned to twenty years hard labour for a fake that a young "friend" of his committed and for which Vautrin, even though he was entirely innocent, took the blame. He does not claim so himself, the then-chief of the Sûreté, Bibi-Lupin, informs the reader of this fact. Vautrin had another young friend in prison, Théodore Calvi, nicknamed Madeleine. The goal of all his efforts of rehabilitation towards the end of Splendeurs et misères de courtisanes is eventually just to save "Madeleine" from the guillotine.
