The Inspector, The Sentinel, The Trustee
Lurch loves his job. No, really. Look at that happy twinkle in his eye. The Addams family simply couldn’t function without him. Amidst all the explosions, sword-fighting, and man-eating plants, Lurch is the steady, lumbering rock that keeps the household managed.
Dominant Function: (Si) Introverted Sensing, “Relive the Experience”
Lurch keeps a predictable routine and will always show up when the bell is rung. He’s careful and deliberate in the execution of his duties, and tends to the family’s practical, physical needs—like making dinner and…cleaning, I guess? I’ve seen him with a feather-duster, but perhaps he’s applying the dust rather than removing it.
Lurch is comfortable with himself in that he knows his strength and won’t be deterred from performing his job by frightened visitors. On the other hand, he turns down invitations every year to the Butlers’ Ball because he can’t dance. When he has to pretend to be the rich owner of the house to impress his mother, he finds it terribly awkward to act like a wealthy man instead of a servant.
Lurch is fond of playing the harpsichord and often entertains the family with his music in his off hours—usually old, classical pieces. When Morticia and Gomez hastily offer the antique instrument to a museum, Lurch quits on the spot. They later find him sitting in a chair, pretending to play, with tears streaming down his face (honestly, it’s played for laughs, but it’s pretty damn heartbreaking). Fortunately, Lurch gets his harpsichord back, and household harmony is restored.
Auxiliary Function: (Te) Extraverted Thinking, “Organize the Experience”
Lurch responds to the bell instantly every time, as if he were waiting two feet away for it to ring. He seems happiest when he’s being productive and useful, if happy is a word you’d use to describe Lurch. Content, maybe, as long as he stays busy. Te, even in the aux position, needs to be doing something, and Lurch is always bustling about. Again, maybe not the right word to describe Lurch. But when a visitor enters the house, it is Lurch’s duty to take their hat, and take it he will, even if they try to hold on to it.
Tertiary Function: (Fi) Introverted Feeling, “Evaluate the Experience”
Introverted Feeling is definitely the word (or phrase) you would use to describe Lurch. Though Gomez and Morticia consider him bright and animated, Lurch won’t even smile unless prodded, and even then it’s a ghastly-looking affair. He rarely speaks more than a sentence or two (the character was supposed to be mute until Ted Cassidy ad-libbed “You rang?” in the pilot and cracked up the producers), and normally expresses his reservations about the family’s hijinks with groans and moans.
I must say, I’ve found an annoyed Lurch moan to be one of the most satisfying ways to express my exasperation with some people.
Lurch has fixed his loyalty on the Addamses, and won’t be moved. They consider him family, though he’s usually reluctant to cash in on their affection for him. He has a very sweet, nurturing relationship with little Wednesday—he teaches her the harpsichord, and she teaches him to dance—and when she asks him why he doesn’t express his happiness, he admits to her, “I like being miserable.”
Inferior Function: (Ne) Extraverted Intuition, “Conceptualize From the Experience”
Lurch is a creature of routine—quite literally a creature, maybe—and resists efforts at change. He awkwardly learns to dance at Morticia’s insistence so that he can go to the Butler’s Ball, but as he feared, no one wants to dance with him (no worries, though; Morticia shows up in disguise, and the two burn up the dance floor). He has difficultly learning how to behave like a rich man in front of his mother, although once he gets the hang of it, he gets a little carried away with the act.
Lurch becomes famous for a spell when his harpsichord playing and unique voice turn him into a teen music idol overnight. He enjoys the attention at first, but then suddenly his new agent wants to take him on a world tour. The Addams family convinces Lurch to go through with it, but a few steps out the door, he’s mobbed by fans. Lurch stumbles back inside and happily returns to his old life.
For an ISTJ, there’s no place like home—even if it’s filled with cobwebs.
Heroes & Villains of MBTI 