The Man Who Was Thursday

CHAPTERS 1-4

Reading Check

1. “[A]s a frail but finished work of art” (Chapter 1)

2. A secret passageway (Chapter 2)

3. Sunday (Chapter 2)

4. “We say that the dangerous criminal is the educated criminal. We say that the most dangerous criminal now is the entirely lawless modern philosopher.” (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Syme accuses Gregory of “not being a serious anarchist.” This infuriates Gregory, and he invites him to a “beershop,” the only requirement being complete secrecy. (Chapters 1-2)

2. Syme’s first question is “What is it you object to? You want to abolish Government?” to which Gregory indicates that they are complete anarchists with bias in that they want “[t]o abolish God!” Syme’s second question is why there are attempts to maintain secrecy of the materials, such as bombs, to which Gregory notes that the only reason he brought Syme here was that, unlike the other passersby, he did not believe Gregory’s claim that he was an anarchist. (Chapter 2)

3. Immediately before the council elections for the new Thursday member, Syme admits that he is a policeman and a part of Scotland Yard; however, they are in a “checkmate” with each other, as neither party can admit the true identity of the other person. Syme then invites himself to the council elections, pretending to be an observer sent from Sunday himself. (Chapter 3)

4. In his election speech, Gregory claims that as anarchists, they are not the enemy of the people, but instead “merciful” and “meek.” To the group’s surprise, Syme opposes Gregory’s election, as he insists that they “are the enemies of society, and so much the worse for society. We are the enemies of society, for society is the enemy of humanity, its oldest and its most pitiless enemy.” As a result of his speech, Syme, as opposed to Gregory, is elected to the position of Thursday. (Chapter 3)

5. One day, Syme meets a policeman who informs him about a secret team of “philosophical police[men],” and after learning that Syme has similar hatred against anarchists, the policeman invites Syme to join the “secret army.” (Chapter 4)

CHAPTERS 5-8

Reading Check

1. The smile was “all on one side, going up in the right cheek and down in the left.” (Chapter 5)

2. He refers to them as “the six men who had sworn to destroy the world.” (Chapter 6)

3. “[A] pillar of common sense and common order” (Chapter 6)

4. “[A] glass of milk” (Chapter 7)

5. A blue card (Various chapters)

Short Answer

1. After winning the election of the chair as “Thursday,” Syme is ushered to a meeting with Sunday and the other “days.” This meeting is held at an open-air restaurant in Leicester Square where, as opposed to speaking in notably secret premises, the men speak freely about whom to “bomb” and when, with the assumption that this tactic will draw less attention. (Chapters 5-6)

2. After a very uneasy lunch at which Syme is closely watched by Sunday, the latter insists the men enter a room to discuss a serious matter. He announces that one of the men is a traitor; however, to Syme’s surprise, he announces that it is Gogol (Tuesday). (Chapter 6)

3. Professor de Worms, also known as “Friday,” is a “paralytic [and] old man” whom Syme observes walking very slowly. After the meeting with the other council members, Syme traverses quickly through the city; however, he is aghast to find the Professor reaching the same locations as he does, with at one moment, “the old gentleman coming after him with long, swinging strides like a man winning a mile race. But the head upon that bounding body was still pale, grave and professional, like the head of a lecturer upon the body of a harlequin.” (Chapter 7) 

4. After asking Syme if he is a police officer, to which he lies and replies in the negative, the Professor reveals that he himself is an officer. Syme is dumbstruck by the admission, and reveals that he is also a police officer. The Professor then admits that he is not an old man at all, but rather wears a costume as a part of his character. (Chapter 8)

5. Friday, the man who is posing as the Professor, is an actor named Wilks. One night, he dresses as a parody of the real Professor de Worms and is so convincing that the crowd is unable to distinguish Wilks from the real Professor. As a result, the police ask Wilk to work for them using this disguise. (Chapter 8)

CHAPTERS 9-12

Reading Check

1. To ascertain if he has “quick and independent fingers” (Chapter 9)

2. His spectacles (Chapter 9)

3. Pull his nose (Chapter 10)

4. Because they are retreating from the impending mob (Chapter 11)

5. That they are “common swindlers” (Chapter 12)

Short Answer

1. In order to practice the code that they developed, Friday begins to speak to Syme by tapping his fingers. They use this technique on their visit to Dr. Bull’s house in order to secretly communicate to each other while simultaneously speaking with Dr. Bull. (Chapter 9)

2. Dr. Bull, also known as “Saturday,” is a member of the Council who is left with organizing the anarchist plot in Paris. When Friday and Syme visit Dr. Bull’s apartment, they learn that he too is a part of the police force who has secretly infiltrated the Council. The men determine that there are now four policemen against three anarchists. (Chapter 9)

3. In an attempt to thwart the Marquis’s assassination plot in Paris, Syme challenges the Marquis, also known as Wednesday, to a duel on the morning of the Marquis’s train to Paris. After some time, the Marquis reveals that he is also a member of the police and that Sunday had tricked the entire Council with an “elaborate game.” (Chapter 10)

4. As they retreat from the mob, Ratcliffe notes that anarchists are not from impoverished classes, but rather from “aristocrats.” He believes that Sunday has most likely used his “right-hand men [who] are South African and American millionaires” in order to overthrow the government. (Chapter 11)

5. In Chapter 12, characters who seemingly were law-abiding companions and citizens transform into anarchists. In particular, Dr. Renard, along with the other French people in the town, use violent tactics against the detectives. At the end of the chapter, it is uncovered that the Secretary “Monday” is also a policeman. (Chapter 12)

CHAPTERS 13-15

Reading Check

1. Because “he might tell me” (Chapter 13)

2. An elephant (Chapter 13)

3. As Thursday (Chapter 14)

4. “I am the Sabbath.” (Chapter 15)

5. Sunday grows increasingly large until he fills the sky and everything goes black. Then Syme hears a voice say, “Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?” (Chapter 15)

Short Answer

1. At their meeting in Leicester Square, the six men confront Sunday; however, Sunday anticipates their questions, informing them that they are “a set of highly well-intentioned young jackasses” and that he is “the man in the dark room, who made [them] all policemen” before jumping over the balcony and escaping. (Chapter 13)

2. After jumping over the balcony, Sunday hails a hansom-cab, racing quickly through the streets and throwing papers with confusing and disjointed sentences, in order to throw the six men off his trail. Eventually, they find him at the London Zoo, where he seems to be riding an elephant, and finally they see him in a hot-air balloon flying over the city. (Chapter 13)

3. While following Sunday, the men discuss their impressions about the man. Syme points out that each of the men possess a different opinion and impression about Sunday, yet the men’s opinions are united in that they believe Sunday to be “the universe itself.” (Chapter 14)

4. Each of the six men shares with Sunday a concern, reflection, or question, to which Sunday replies, “I have heard your complaints in order.” Gregory appears, informing the seven men of his hatred and suffering, at which Syme understands the universality of suffering. (Chapter 15)

5. After the sky turns black, Syme realizes that he is walking with Gregory along the road, while his friend’s sister is cutting flowers nearby. In this moment, he, “feel[s] an unnatural buoyancy in his body and a crystal simplicity in his mind that seemed to be superior to everything that he said or did. He felt he was in possession of some impossible good news, which made every other thing a triviality, but an adorable triviality.” (Chapter 15)