# Sunday — The Man Who Was Thursday character guide > Sunday in The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton. **Role:** major **Also known as:** President Sunday, old Sunday **First appearance:** 0003-ii-the-secret-of-gabriel-syme ## Snapshot The vast, absentminded president of the Central Anarchist Council, whose face is too large to focus and whose laughter is a lonely, terrible thing. ## Who they are Sunday presides over the anarchist council with an unsettling combination of abstraction and cruelty, his great bright eyes sometimes going quite blind. His physical enormity and dreamy menace make him less a man than a force—one councillor compares him to an absentminded tiger. He is the mystery at the heart of the council, the figure whose true identity and purpose drive the detectives' investigation. ## Relationships ### [Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gabriel_syme) _psychological_ Sunday is a mysterious and manipulative figure who orchestrates the entire plot, leaving Syme in a state of awe, fear, and obsession. ### [The Secretary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/the_secretary) _psychological_ Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally. ### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol) _psychological_ Gogol is both awed and terrified by Sunday, who represents an incomprehensible and overwhelming authority. ### [Dr. Bull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/dr_bull) _psychological_ Dr. Bull is perplexed and fascinated by Sunday, whose mysterious nature challenges his scientific rationality. ### [Professor de Worms](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/professor_de_worms) _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) _psychological_ Sunday is a mysterious and manipulative figure who orchestrates the entire plot, leaving Syme in a state of awe, fear, and obsession. ### [The Secretary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/the_secretary) _psychological_ Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally. ### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol) _psychological_ Gogol is both awed and terrified by Sunday, who represents an incomprehensible and overwhelming authority. ### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol) _psychological_ Gogol is both awed and terrified by Sunday, who represents an incomprehensible and overwhelming authority. ### [Dr. Bull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/dr_bull) _psychological_ Dr. Bull is perplexed and fascinated by Sunday, whose mysterious nature challenges his scientific rationality. ### [The Secretary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/the_secretary) _psychological_ Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally. ### [Professor de Worms](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/professor_de_worms) _psychological_ De Worms is deeply unsettled by Sunday, who seems to know everything and controls the detectives' fate. ## In the story ### [The Secret of Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/ii-the-secret-of-gabriel-syme) Mentioned as the President of the Central Anarchist Council who advised Gregory to dress as an anarchist. ### [The Man Who Was Thursday](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/iii-the-man-who-was-thursday) Referenced as the mysterious President who sometimes sends irregular ambassadors; Syme uses his name to gain credibility. ### [IV: The Tale of a Detective](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/iv-the-tale-of-a-detective) The unseen chief of the detective corps, who interviews Syme in a pitch-dark room and appoints him. ### [The Feast of Fear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/v-the-feast-of-fear) President Sunday presides over the breakfast with a large, terrifying face and a deep voice. He chaffs Gogol for his inability to act the part of a gentleman, revealing his policy of daring public concealment. ### [VI: The Exposure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/vi-the-exposure) President Sunday dominates the breakfast with his massive presence and constant, unnerving gaze at Syme, suggesting he may know Syme is a spy. ### [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) Sunday dismisses the council with a cryptic remark about being overheard, leaving Syme unsettled, and later leaves abruptly for a Humanitarian meeting. ### [XI: The Criminals Chase the Police](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xi-the-criminals-chase-the-police) Referenced as the unseen mastermind whose discipline controls the pursuing mob from afar; his power is described as godlike and terrifying. ### [The Pursuit of the President](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xiii-the-pursuit-of-the-president) The enigmatic President who taunts the detectives, leaps from the balcony, and leads a chaotic chase. ### [XV: The Accuser](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xv-the-accuser) Sunday presides over the masquerade in pure white, speaks of the long war and sacrifice, and reveals himself as 'the Sabbath' and 'the peace of God.' His face grows enormous as Syme questions him. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/sunday - 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