In the Victorian vernacular, a
gentleman thief is a particularly well-behaving and apparently well bred thief. A "
gentlemanThe term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, analogous to the Latin generosus...
" is usually, but not always, a man with an inherited title of nobility and inherited wealth, who need not work for a living. Such a man steals not in order to gain material wealth, but for adventure; and acts without malice. Gentlemen thieves rarely bother with anonymity or force, as they rely on their charm and good looks to steal the most unobtainable objects — sometimes for their own support, but also for the thrill of the act itself.
Notable gentlemen thieves in literature include E.
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In the Victorian vernacular, a
gentleman thief is a particularly well-behaving and apparently well bred thief. A "
gentlemanThe term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, analogous to the Latin generosus...
" is usually, but not always, a man with an inherited title of nobility and inherited wealth, who need not work for a living. Such a man steals not in order to gain material wealth, but for adventure; and acts without malice. Gentlemen thieves rarely bother with anonymity or force, as they rely on their charm and good looks to steal the most unobtainable objects — sometimes for their own support, but also for the thrill of the act itself.
Notable gentlemen thieves in literature include E. W. Hornung's
A. J. RafflesArthur J. Raffles is a character created in the 1890s by E. W. Hornung, a brother-in-law to Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Raffles is, in many ways, a deliberate inversion of Holmes — he is a "gentleman thief," living in the Albany, a prestigious address in London, playing...
or
Maurice LeblancMaurice-Marie-Émile Leblanc was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes.- Biography :Leblanc was born in Rouen,...
's
Arsène LupinArsène Lupin is a fictional character who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television, stage play and comic book adaptations.- Overview :A contemporary of...
, whose grandson features in the Japanese
animeis animation originating in Japan. The world outside Japan regards anime as "Japanese animation". Anime originated about 1917.Anime, like manga , has a large audience in Japan and high recognition throughout the world...
series
Lupin the Third. Both utilise cunning disguises and are superb at stealing while maintaining a sophisticated front. Raffles steals mostly when he is especially "hard-up", in need of money. On the other hand, Lupin steals more from the rich who don't appreciate art or their treasures and redistributes it (not unlike a modern
Robin HoodRobin Hood is a hero in English folklore, a highly-skilled archer and outlaw. In particular, he is known for "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor," assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men"...
).
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