Linus van Pelt

Linus, my serious side, is the house intellectual, bright, well-informed which, I suppose may contribute to his feelings of insecurity"

Charles M. Schulz on Linus van Pelt

Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. He is Lucy and Rerun's brother. Linus always means well and tries to smooth over any storms that arise amongst the gang. A source of frustration for him is Lucy, who always belittles him, particularly over his security blanket. In spite of his insightful nature, he has a naive belief in the Great Pumpkin.

History
Lucy's baby brother was first referred to on July 14, 1952. Linus first appeared on September 19, 1952, as a baby too young to sit up by himself and was not given a name until three days later. However, he soon aged to just slightly younger than the rest of the cast.

On February 5, 1962, he got glasses. However, by July his opthalmologist said that he did not have to wear them all the time, and they were soon phased out completely.

Despite being younger than the rest of the characters, Linus seems to be the smartest. He acts as a philosopher and theologian, often quoting the Bible.

In contrast to his advanced intellect, Linus carries a security blanket. Lucy often tries to break Linus of his blanket habit and Snoopy tries to get the blanket for himself. Linus is able to use the blanket as a whip. In later strips, Linus was seen less and less with his blanket. Charles Schulz said in 1989 that Linus had outgrown his blanket and it only appeared in strips that were dependent on it.

Linus became a valued member of Charlie Brown's baseball team (the second best player, in fact, after Snoopy). He is usually seen playing second base.

Lucy
See main article: Lucy and Linus's relationship

Linus has a rocky relationship with his older sister, Lucy. She treats him as her personal servant and hits him at times for no reason. Linus usually gets back at Lucy in subtle ways, such as pointing out that she has forgotten how to smile.

Sally
See main article: Sally and Linus's relationship

When Sally Brown was introduced to the strip, Linus initially had a crush on her, but he quickly outgrew it. Sally Brown then developed a crush on him, often calling him her "Sweet Babboo." Linus, for his part, resists her advances.

Miss Othmar
In the late 1950s, he developed a crush on his teacher, Miss Othmar.

Lydia
In the 1980s, he developed a crush on a girl named Lydia, who sits behind him in school. Whenever Linus talks to her, she asks him, "Aren't you kind of old for me". Linus liked her at first but soon began to find her annoying and treated her the same that he treated Sally.