The Secret Agent · Character

Mr. Vladimir

A sleek, contemptuous embassy official who decides that the anarchists under his observation have grown lazy and need to be reminded what real terror costs.

supporting

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in The Secret Agent, Mr. Vladimir is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Conrad notes that an experienced man of the world praised Mr.

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Vladimir is the First Secretary of a foreign embassy, a man of polished manners and genuine scorn for the exiles he is supposed to be managing. He regards the British police as complacent and the revolutionists as fat and useless, and he demands an outrage that will embarrass the government and justify harsher measures. His cold insistence on a specific target, and his willingness to humiliate the agent he employs, sets the entire plot in motion and gives the book its particular chill.

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See Mr. Vladimir in i

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how Mr. Vladimir sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Anarchist circle and victims
Protagonist
Minor household and background characters
Investigators and theoretical figures

+5 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

In this scene, the emotional and psychological peak occurs as the Professor reveals his nihilistic detachment…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Mr. Verloc
professional · negative
Vladimir, as Verloc's handler at the embassy, pressures and manipulates Verloc into… How this plays out →
Baron Stott-Wartenheim
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Verloc
professional · negative
Vladimir, as Verloc's handler at the embassy, pressures and manipulates Verloc into… How this plays out →
Mr. Verloc
professional · negative
Vladimir, as Verloc's handler at the embassy, pressures and manipulates Verloc into… How this plays out →
Baron Stott-Wartenheim
professional · ambivalent
Baron Stott-Wartenheim
professional · ambivalent

Mr. Verloc
Vladimir, as Verloc's handler at the embassy, pressures and manipulates Verloc into carrying out the bombing.
Baron Stott-Wartenheim
Baron Stott-Wartenheim is Vladimir's superior at the embassy, involved in diplomatic and covert operations.
Mr. Verloc
Vladimir, as Verloc's handler at the embassy, pressures and manipulates Verloc into carrying out the bombing.
Mr. Verloc
Vladimir, as Verloc's handler at the embassy, pressures and manipulates Verloc into carrying out the bombing.
Baron Stott-Wartenheim
Baron Stott-Wartenheim is Vladimir's superior at the embassy, involved in diplomatic and covert operations.
Baron Stott-Wartenheim
Baron Stott-Wartenheim is Vladimir's superior at the embassy, involved in diplomatic and covert operations.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Mr. Vladimir in i

In the story

Mr. Vladimir appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Author's Note
Conrad notes that an experienced man of the world praised Mr. Vladimir as 'not only possible in detail but quite right in essentials.'
II
Confronts Mr. Verloc at the Embassy, criticizing his physique, laziness, and past failures, demanding more activity.
Chapter X
Confronted by the Assistant Commissioner about Verloc; shows anxiety and fear of the police.
Chapter XI
Mr. Vladimir is referenced as the 'venomous beast' and 'brute' whose threats and jeering drove Mr. Verloc to desperate measures.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mr. Vladimir unlock in the free preview.

See Mr. Vladimir in i

See Mr. Vladimir in Author's Note