# Psychology of the Criminal in The Lodger

> Theme guide for The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes.

The lodger, Mr. Sleuth, is portrayed as a religious fanatic who reads the Bible and Cruden's Concordance, uses red ink, and performs 'experiments,' suggesting a disturbed mind that rationalizes murder as divine vengeance, exploring the intersection of madness, religion, and violence.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Black Museum](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/ix): The museum exhibits and the analysis of the Avenger as a 'cunning, quiet' madman delve into the criminal mind and methods.
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/xiv): Mr. Sleuth's odd behavior, his urgent need to conduct experiments at night, and his discomfort when discovered hint at a disturbed psychology.
- [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/xvi): Mr. Sleuth's Bible quotations about death and madness, his cold hands, and his hand-rubbing gesture reveal a disturbed mind, linking to criminal psychology.
- [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/xxvii): The lodger is revealed as a 'religious maniac' and 'homicidal maniac,' highlighting the psychological underpinnings of the Avenger murders.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/themes/the_psychology_of_the_criminal
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lodger_se/themes