INTP 5w6 Characters

Etienne has a highly abstract mind, and frames everything in terms of abstract concepts, even what he has to say about his death – that when your soul is leaving your body, you will know because your life passes before you in a series of separate images. He tells Werner to tell Marie that a tiger is happier dead than in a cage, implying that he is grateful to her for getting him to leave his attic and engage with the outside world. His radio broadcasts fascinate both children because they are full of abstract concepts – “all the light we cannot see” (the human soul). His sister says he knows everything, but she never sees him read a book, implying that he can intuitively piece together things he has never heard about. Etienne does not get involved in the Resistance himself until it’s obvious that the Americans are about to arrive and there’s a good chance of winning. He tells Marie they could not let the Germans have the most famous jewel in Paris, because it represents Paris as a symbol, and they would all rather die than let “France” fall into enemy hands. Etienne is very rational and points out the consequences of Daniel’s actions to him; he says him acting strangely and counting his steps has drawn negative attention to them and made the Gestapo notice them. It horrified him that Daniel passes off fraudulent identity papers to the Germans, and comes up with a plan to draw attention away from Marie that involves Daniel being “seen” in Paris and other cities. He believes in the cause so much, he risks his great niece’s life by continuing to have her use his radio to inform the Americans of where to drop their bombs. Etienne has experienced so much trauma, it’s hard for him to deal with anything in the outside world. He holes himself up in his attic and absorbs himself into a world of words, knowledge, literature, and strong moral ideals. He believes in using his voice to change the world; it’s only when victory seems possible that he becomes physically involved. Etienne is objective enough that when he meets a “good” German, he saves his life, then speaks up for him, and entrusts Marie to him, knowing that his radio broadcasts influenced Werner’s thinking. He is curious about him and his journey, demanding to know why he made the decisions he did, and when he finds them satisfactory, will forgive him and see the best in him because of their shared ideals.

Enneagram: 5w6

Etienne becomes a complete shut-in who rarely leaves his attic and consoles himself with both breaking the law by broadcasting and listening to stations from all over the world, and also using it to spread his beliefs. He is an intellectual who wants to share his wisdom, and who only overcomes his trauma from the first war when he realizes that the Americans are coming and there’s a chance to free his city from the Nazis. He is analytical and detached, but also fear-driven and a lot more cautious than just about everyone else in his life. Etienne points out that Daniel’s walking around counting his steps is dangerous and could draw attention to them, but tells him to stay calm when the Gestapo question him (“if they knew about my radio, there would be a hundred of them here”), play it cool, and nobody will know what’s in the attic. He is both protective of Marie and worried about what might happen to her, and at first, doesn’t want her to know about the Resistance and then is impressed with how good she is at it. When Marie asks him why they didn’t just leave the diamond for the Germans to find, he argues that it’s a symbol of France and they would all rather die than let the Nazis have it.