# Professor de Worms — The Man Who Was Thursday character guide > Professor de Worms in The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** de Worms, Professor **First appearance:** 0005-iv-the-tale-of-a-detective ## Snapshot An elderly detective disguised as a paralytic nihilist, whose tottering gait conceals a pursuer capable of running after omnibuses. ## Who they are De Worms presents himself as a helpless old man with leaden feet and shaky hands, yet he inexplicably keeps pace with Syme across London. This contradiction—the paralytic who pursues—makes him one of the most unsettling figures in the council. His disguise raises the question of how many of the anarchists are not what they seem, deepening the novel's labyrinth of false identities. ## Relationships ### [Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gabriel_syme) _professional_ Syme and de Worms are fellow undercover detectives in the anti-anarchist council, working together despite initial suspicion. ### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol) _professional_ Gogol and de Worms are fellow detectives, collaborating in the undercover operation against the anarchists. ### [Dr. Bull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/dr_bull) _professional_ Dr. Bull and de Worms are fellow detectives, sharing a professional alliance and mutual respect. ### [Sunday](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/sunday) _psychological_ De Worms is deeply unsettled by Sunday, who seems to know everything and controls the detectives' fate. ### [Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gabriel_syme) _professional_ Syme and de Worms are fellow undercover detectives in the anti-anarchist council, working together despite initial suspicion. ### [Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gabriel_syme) _professional_ Syme and de Worms are fellow undercover detectives in the anti-anarchist council, working together despite initial suspicion. ### [Dr. Bull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/dr_bull) _professional_ Dr. Bull and de Worms are fellow detectives, sharing a professional alliance and mutual respect. ### [Sunday](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/sunday) _psychological_ De Worms is deeply unsettled by Sunday, who seems to know everything and controls the detectives' fate. ### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol) _professional_ Gogol and de Worms are fellow detectives, collaborating in the undercover operation against the anarchists. ### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol) _professional_ Gogol and de Worms are fellow detectives, collaborating in the undercover operation against the anarchists. ### [Dr. Bull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/dr_bull) _professional_ Dr. Bull and de Worms are fellow detectives, sharing a professional alliance and mutual respect. ## In the story ### [The Feast of Fear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/v-the-feast-of-fear) The Professor, called Thursday, is an old man with a pale, intellectual face and a small tuft of dark beard. He speaks in a dead voice and has a nervous crooked smile, unnerving Syme with his stillness and fanaticism. ### [VI: The Exposure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/vi-the-exposure) Stares at the ceiling and nihilistically states that nothing is worth doing. ### [VII: The Unaccountable Conduct of Professor de Worms](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/vii-the-unaccountable-conduct-of-professor-de-worms) The Professor appears repeatedly in Syme's path, despite his apparent frailty, suggesting he is either following Syme or is part of a larger scheme. ### [The Man in Spectacles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/ix-the-man-in-spectacles) The Professor speaks in a slow, deliberate manner to provoke Dr. Bull, but becomes frustrated by Bull's silence; he signals to Syme for help. ### [X: The Duel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/x-the-duel) The Professor wearily dismisses the showing of blue cards and later points out the flaw in Syme's planned dialogue. He observes the duel with a ponderous simplicity. ### [XII: The Earth in Anarchy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xii-the-earth-in-anarchy) Quotes from Pope's 'Dunciad' and expresses despair at the chaos, but later joins Syme in the charge. ### [The Pursuit of the President](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xiii-the-pursuit-of-the-president) Reflects on the fear of learning Sunday's true identity; participates in the pursuit. ### [The Six Philosophers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xiv-the-six-philosophers) The Professor speaks of Pan and describes Sunday's face as too large and loose, like a chance arrangement of lamp, window, and cloud that dissolves upon closer inspection. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/professor_de_worms - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters