# Captain Clubin — Toilers of the Sea character guide > Captain Clubin in Toilers of the Sea by Victor Hugo. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Clubin, Sieur Clubin, Jean Auberge Sieur Clubin, Mess Clubin, Monsieur Clubin **First appearance:** 0042-i-conversations-at-the-jean-auberge ## Snapshot The Durande's soft-spoken, meticulous captain, a man of such flawless reputation that no one on the island suspects the cold arithmetic running beneath his calm. ## Who they are Clubin keeps the Jean Auberge, commands Lethierry's steamer, and is trusted by everyone who knows him, which is precisely the advantage he has spent years cultivating. He speaks gently, moves carefully, and holds a revolver as easily as a pipe; his meeting with the fugitive Rantaine on a lonely Breton rock reveals a mind that has already priced every loyalty. His secret designs on the Durande will set the novel's central catastrophe in motion. ## Relationships ### [Mess Lethierry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/mess_lethierry) _rivalry_ Captain Clubin deceives and betrays Mess Lethierry, plotting to steal his ship and fortune. ### [The Man Rock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/the_man_rock) _psychological_ Captain Clubin deliberately wrecks his ship on the Man Rock as part of his fraudulent scheme, then perishes there. ### [Gilliatt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/gilliatt) _rivalry_ Clubin's betrayal indirectly sets Gilliatt on his dangerous mission, and their paths cross in opposition. ### [Tangrouille](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/tangrouille) _professional_ Clubin interacts with Tangrouille as a fellow seaman, using him for information without revealing his true plans. ### [Mess Lethierry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/mess_lethierry) _rivalry_ Captain Clubin deceives and betrays Mess Lethierry, plotting to steal his ship and fortune. ### [Mess Lethierry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/mess_lethierry) _rivalry_ Captain Clubin deceives and betrays Mess Lethierry, plotting to steal his ship and fortune. ### [The Man Rock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/the_man_rock) _psychological_ Captain Clubin deliberately wrecks his ship on the Man Rock as part of his fraudulent scheme, then perishes there. ### [Gilliatt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/gilliatt) _rivalry_ Clubin's betrayal indirectly sets Gilliatt on his dangerous mission, and their paths cross in opposition. ### [Gilliatt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/gilliatt) _rivalry_ Clubin's betrayal indirectly sets Gilliatt on his dangerous mission, and their paths cross in opposition. ### [Tangrouille](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/tangrouille) _professional_ Clubin interacts with Tangrouille as a fellow seaman, using him for information without revealing his true plans. ### [The Man Rock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/the_man_rock) _psychological_ Captain Clubin deliberately wrecks his ship on the Man Rock as part of his fraudulent scheme, then perishes there. ### [Tangrouille](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/tangrouille) _professional_ Clubin interacts with Tangrouille as a fellow seaman, using him for information without revealing his true plans. ## In the story ### [Part I: Sieur Clubin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/part-i-sieur-clubin) Introduced as the seemingly upright and trustworthy captain of the Durande, but hints of duplicity and hidden agendas begin to surface. ### [Book II: Mess Lethierry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/book-ii-mess-lethierry) The captain of the Durande, who disappears under mysterious circumstances after the ship is wrecked. ### [The Man Who Discovered Rantaine’s Character](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/ix-the-man-who-discovered-rantaine-s-character) Taciturn, honest, and skilled mariner from Torteval; selected by Lethierry for his probity and accurate judgment of Rantaine's character. ### [Matrimonial Prospects](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/xi-matrimonial-prospects) Mentioned as being only fifteen years younger than Lethierry, thus only a provisional master for the Durande, not the permanent successor Lethierry seeks. ### [Conversations at the Jean Auberge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/i-conversations-at-the-jean-auberge) Introduced as a man of short stature, yellow complexion, and bull-like strength, with a reputation for religion and integrity. He is a regular at the Jean Auberge, preferring the table of customhouse officers. ### [Clubin Observes Someone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/ii-clubin-observes-someone) Observes Zuela and a stranger from the Durande; later seeks a revolver from a gunsmith, requesting discretion. ### [III: Clubin Carries Away Something and Brings Back Nothing](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/iii-clubin-carries-away-something-and-brings-back-nothing) Clubin loads the Durande, prepares a bag with provisions and a knotted rope, and hides them at Torteval. ### [The Birds’-Nesters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/v-the-birds-nesters) The chapter is set near the period of the Saturday passed by Sieur Clubin at Torteval. ### [Nocturnal Buyers and Mysterious Sellers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/vii-nocturnal-buyers-and-mysterious-sellers) Absent from the Jean Auberge on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, suggesting involvement in the nocturnal transaction. ### [A "Cannon" Off the Red Ball and the Black](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/viii-a-cannon-off-the-red-ball-and-the-black) Observes Rantaine from the cliff, confronts him after the murder, and holds him at gunpoint. ### [Useful Information for Persons Who Expect or Fear the Arrival of Letters from Beyond Sea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/ix-useful-information-for-persons-who-expect-or-fear-the-arrival-of-letters-from-beyond-sea) Returns late, conceals a bottle of brandy, inquires about the Tamaulipas and the ocean letter-box, and plans to sail the next morning. ### [Book VI: The Drunken Steersman and the Sober Captain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/book-vi-the-drunken-steersman-and-the-sober-captain) The sober captain of the Durande, whose outward piety and discipline mask his true intentions. ### [An Unexpected Flask of Brandy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/ii-an-unexpected-flask-of-brandy) Sieur Clubin is the captain of the Durande, a sober and vigilant man who retains the drunken helmsman Tangrouille. He wears a leather belt with his name and a reserve of twenty guineas, and before departure he adds the iron box containing seventy-five thousand francs in banknotes. ### [Conversations Interrupted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/iii-conversations-interrupted) Wears an austere, Puritan-like expression and redoubles his attention as the voyage progresses. ### [Captain Clubin Displays All His Great Qualities](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/iv-captain-clubin-displays-all-his-great-qualities) Takes command aggressively, blaming the helmsman for delays and steering the ship into dangerous fog despite warnings. ### [V: Clubin Reaches the Crowning-Point of Glory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/v-clubin-reaches-the-crowning-point-of-glory) Remains calm and authoritative during the wreck, orders evacuation, and chooses to stay aboard the Durande as it founders. ### [VI: The Interior of an Abyss Suddenly Revealed](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/vi-the-interior-of-an-abyss-suddenly-revealed) Reveals his true nature as a lifelong hypocrite and villain, now triumphant in his scheme to fake his death and escape with stolen money. ### [An Unexpected Denouement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/vii-an-unexpected-denouement) Clubin is the central figure in this chapter, facing the catastrophic failure of his scheme as he realizes he has wrecked the Durande on the Douvres instead of the Hanways. He desperately attempts to swim to the Man Rock to signal a passing cutter, only to be seized underwater. ### [The Pearl at the Foot of the Precipice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/i-the-pearl-at-the-foot-of-the-precipice) Praised for his noble refusal to leave the wreck; presumed saved by a passing vessel, with plans for a triumphant welcome. ### [Discovery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/xi-discovery) Clubin is indirectly referenced as the one who steered the Durande onto the rock, and whose dive into the sea occurred near the caverns Gilliatt explores. ### [Book III: The Struggle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/book-iii-the-struggle) His skeleton is discovered by Gilliatt on the Douvres reef, revealing his fate after wrecking the Durande. ### [Book IV: Pitfalls in the Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/book-iv-pitfalls-in-the-way) Clubin's deceptive actions and moral ambiguity are highlighted as a key pitfall in the way of the salvage. ### [Nothing Is Hidden, Nothing Lost](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/iv-nothing-is-hidden-nothing-lost) Identified as the owner of the girdle and the deceased man whose skeleton is found. ### [V: The Fatal Difference Between Six Inches and Two Feet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/v-the-fatal-difference-between-six-inches-and-two-feet) His skeleton is found by Gilliatt in the cave, having been killed by a devilfish; his remains are left among the crabs. ### [De Profundis Ad Altum](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/vi-de-profundis-ad-altum) The spectre of Clubin appears mockingly to Gilliatt, symbolizing the irony and despair of his situation. ### [The Harbour Bell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/i-the-harbour-bell) Posthumously suspected of deliberately wrecking the Durande; evidence of his premeditation and connection to the haunted house and traveling bag emerges. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters/captain_clubin - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/characters