# The Lodger explained — The Lodger

> Chapter companion for The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes.

## What happens

The Buntings, facing financial ruin, take in a mysterious lodger named Mr. Sleuth, whose peculiar habits and nighttime wanderings soon arouse suspicion. Meanwhile, a series of murders by a figure known as 'The Avenger' terrorizes London, and the household becomes entangled in fear and moral ambiguity.

## Themes in this chapter

### Appearance vs. Reality

Mr. Sleuth appears to be a quiet, respectable lodger, but his true nature and activities are hidden beneath this facade.

### Fear and Suspicion

The Buntings' growing unease about their lodger and the widespread terror of the Avenger murders permeate the chapter.

## Character check-ins

### Mrs. Bunting

The landlady who, along with her husband, decides to take in a lodger to alleviate their financial distress.

### Mr. Sleuth

The mysterious lodger whose peculiar habits and nocturnal activities raise suspicion.

### Mr. Bunting

Mrs. Bunting's husband, who agrees to the plan of taking in a lodger.

### The Avenger

The serial killer whose murders are terrorizing London, creating an atmosphere of fear.

## Key lines

> The Lodger

The chapter introduces the arrival of a mysterious lodger at the Buntings' home.

_This sets the central plot in motion._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/the-lodger
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lodger_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters