Character Analysis
Best. Grandpa. Ever.
Even though he's killed off before the book even begins, Jacques Saunière is the guy who made the whole journey possible.
As the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion he was entrusted with knowledge that had been painstakingly kept secret for hundreds of years. As the highly respected curator of the Louvre—one of the world's most famous art museums—he was responsible for curating masterpieces for generations to come. As Sophie's grandfather, he was a loving taskmaster, who made sure all of her successes came because of hard work and clever thinking.
When Silas murders him in the prologue, Saunière has to call upon all of these roles in order to pass on his information to his estranged granddaughter.
Saunière is far from the average man. He's seriously smart. ("Wicked smaht," as they'd say in Bean Town.) He recreates Da Vinci's obscure inventions in his free time. He hand carves wooden boxes with mirrored writing meticulously etched into the lid and hidden beneath an impeccably crafted rose. He uses papyrus for writing secret messages, which are then hidden in a cryptex, for his granddaughter's birthday cards, for Pete's sake.
He's a regular Renaissance Man…and it's mostly due to his undying adoration of Leonardo Da Vinci—the ultimate Renaissance Man if ever there was one.
Da Vinci Fanboy
His love for Da Vinci isn't just because they both had the same job title (as the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion…not the curator of the Louvre). Saunière believes in the sacred feminine, and in everything the Church tried to oppress for the sake of gaining religious power. He believes the natural balance of things needs both masculine and feminine strengths—which is something Da Vinci proposed as well.
We knew we liked that Da Vinci fellow.
Above all else, though, Jacques Saunière loves his granddaughter, and he does everything he can to keep her safe. He sacrifices many things—including his happy marriage—in order to protect Sophie from unseen forces.
And, although some could argue that separating Sophie from her grandmother and little brother may have been a bit of an overreaction, there's no doubting that it was all done in her best interest. Aww.