# The Secretary — The Man Who Was Thursday character guide

> The Secretary in The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** the Secretary

**First appearance:** 0003-ii-the-secret-of-gabriel-syme

## Who they are

Sunday's mysterious and silent secretary.

## Relationships

### [Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gabriel_syme)

_professional_

Syme and the Secretary are both detectives working undercover, with the Secretary acting as a key ally in the council.

### [Sunday](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/sunday)

_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)

_professional_

Gogol and the Secretary are fellow undercover detectives, maintaining a working relationship within the council.

### [Sunday](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/sunday)

_psychological_

Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally.

### [Sunday](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/sunday)

_psychological_

Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally.

### [Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gabriel_syme)

_professional_

Syme and the Secretary are both detectives working undercover, with the Secretary acting as a key ally in the council.

### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol)

_professional_

Gogol and the Secretary are fellow undercover detectives, maintaining a working relationship within the council.

### [Gogol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gogol)

_professional_

Gogol and the Secretary are fellow undercover detectives, maintaining a working relationship within the council.

### [Gabriel Syme](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/gabriel_syme)

_professional_

Syme and the Secretary are both detectives working undercover, with the Secretary acting as a key ally in the council.

## In the story

### [IV: The Tale of a Detective](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/iv-the-tale-of-a-detective)

Mentioned as the policeman who recruits Syme on the Embankment and later advises him on his appearance.

### [The Feast of Fear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/v-the-feast-of-fear)

The Secretary is mentioned as having told Syme everything that can be told about the council, though he does not appear directly in this chapter.

### [VI: The Exposure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/vi-the-exposure)

Passionately defends dynamite as a symbol of expanding thought, striking his own skull to emphasize his point.

### [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 Secretary protests Sunday's irregular handling of the council's plans but is rebuffed with scorn.

### [XII: The Earth in Anarchy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xii-the-earth-in-anarchy)

Reveals himself as a Scotland Yard detective and arrests Syme, leading to the disclosure that all council members were police.

### [The Six Philosophers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xiv-the-six-philosophers)

The Secretary compares Sunday to shapeless protoplasm, recalling a disturbing encounter where Sunday laughed at him, and warns that Pan also means Panic.

### [XV: The Accuser](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/chapters/xv-the-accuser)

The Secretary, dressed in black and white, stands at the top of the stairs and later sits on the right of the empty throne. He questions Sunday's identity, demanding 'Who and what are you?'

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_who_was_thursday_se/characters/the_secretary
- 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