The Day of the Jackal

In contrast to the emotional men, the novel presents a select number of meticulous alternatives who herald the changing of an era. The novel revels in this portrayal of professional competence by listing the exact details of everything from identity theft to rifle assembly. The specificity of the prose heralds the specificity of the main characters. The Jackal is dispassionate, pragmatic, and methodical. He squashes any intense emotions so that he can be more effective. This approach is shown to be much more effective than the OAS previous attempts, all of which were fueled by intense hatred of de Gaulle. By turning to the Jackal, the OAS acknowledges the failure of their emotionally driven operations and elevates the methodical over the fervent. The French security services, motivated by a similar kind of intense (though pro-Gaullist) emotion, find themselves stumped by the Jackal. His methodical approach scuppers their investigation, given that they are so used to investigating and apprehending the emotional OAS men. However, when faced with this new kind of opponent, they too adopt a meticulous strategy, personified by Claude Lebel. In this way, Claude Lebel is presented as the counterpart to the meticulous approach to the Jackal.

The sudden promotion of Claude Lebel gestures toward the changing social hierarchies in France during this time. Notably, his chief opponent during the daily meetings of the security services is Colonel Saint-Clair de Villauban. The two men could not be more different. The unremarkable, quiet, slightly scruffy figure of Lebel contrasts with the pompous prominence of the aristocratic Saint-Clair de Villauban. In this way, they represent different eras. Lebel is a signal of the coming age, whereas Saint-Clair de Villauban is a relic of France’s past. He is the aristocrat whose name has promoted him far beyond his capabilities. Not only is he often wrong (in contrast to Lebel, who is proved correct), but he is an active detriment to the mission. Lebel’s methodical approach is nothing if it is not humble. This modesty allows Lebel to know his limits. Colonel Saint-Clair de Villauban has none of this modesty. His foolishness imbues him with the belief that he knows better than everyone, so much so that security concerns do not apply to him. He talks openly about the investigation to his mistress, a secret agent who has been planted by the OAS specifically because Saint-Clair de Villauban is an arrogant fool. Lebel’s success and Saint-Clair de Villauban’s shame are suggestive of the changing class dynamics in France, in which a man’s name no longer makes him worthy of promotion.

The Jackal and Lebel are not unique. Though they are the most prominent examples of meticulous men in the novel, others appear, often in aid of Lebel. Bryn Thomas in Britain, for example, is subjected to a similarly class-orientated discrimination in the British security services but he fundamentally understands and approves of Lebel’s meticulous approach. He delivers important results. Even the police officer in the small town, Caillou, is referred to as “a methodical man” (332). Meanwhile, Caron is essentially serving as Lebel’s apprentice and learning how to approach police work in the methodical, practical manner. The references to these men, scattered across various police departments, suggests that they are a coming force. They are not rewarded for their success with much more than thanks, but their true reward will be the rise of the meticulous men as the dominant mode of thought of the new era. The old guard will be eased aside as the meticulous men establish themselves. Their quiet competence signals a new era of rationality, precision, and careful action.