80 pages • 2 hours read
Victor HugoLes Miserables
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1862A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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BetaPart 1, Books 5-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 1, Book 5 Summary: "The Descent"
Fantine returns to her hometown, Montreuil-sur-mer, for the first time in 12 years. By this time, the town has transformed due to "those industrial developments that have a great impact on small places" (137). The arrival of a mysterious man named Madeleine in 1815 changed the fortunes of the small town. He introduced a new way to manufacture the town's famous jewelry and glass products, vastly reducing the cost and lifting the wages and profits of every resident. After donating over a million francs to the local poor, Madeline became beloved in the town, and in 1820 he was made mayor with the unanimous support of the local people. In 1821, news reaches Montreuil-sur-mer about Myriel’s death. Mayor Madeline goes into mourning and dresses "entirely in black" (143); his real identity is Jean Valjean.
Valjean arrived in Montreuil-sur-mer in 1815. He saved two children from a burning building, and because of this act of heroism, no one checked his identity papers. By 1821, Valjean is the recipient of so much "unanimous and cordial" (143) respect that the local people never think to question his identity as Madeline. Only one person—Javert, a stern police inspector—harbors any suspicion toward the mayor. Javert comes from an impoverished background. He was "born in prison of a Romani fortune-teller whose husband was a convicted felon" (145), and as a result, Javert has an "inexpressible hatred for that [Romani] race to which he belonged" (145). He rejected the criminality of his parents and designated himself as the guardian of society, working as a guard in the same prison in which he was born. Javert is known for his religious, dogmatic dedication to the law. He worked at the prison which held Valjean, and he is certain that he has seen the so-called Mayor Madeline before, so his eye is always fixed" (146) on the man.
One day, Javert witnesses Valjean save an elderly man from a dangerous situation. Father Fauchelevent is trapped beneath a cart as it sinks into the mud. No one is willing to help, but Valjean does not hesitate. He rushes to Fauchelevent and, in a tremendous feat of strength, lifts the cart. Fauchelevent is saved and, with Valjean's help, finds a job working as a gardener in a Parisian convent. Javert studies the incident, believing that only an extraordinary man such as the convict he once knew could lift the cart.
During this time, Fantine is working in Valjean's factory. She makes enough money to support herself and sends whatever she can to the Thénardiers. She feels blessed "to live honestly" (150). However, the truth about her child is revealed. She is fired according to the expectations of decency set by Valjean, the factory owner, and she slips into crushing poverty, being forced to sell her hair and teeth to support Cosette. In her desperation, she turns to sex work. She is accosted in the street one evening by a "provincial dandy" (158). When she attacks the man, Javert arrests her and ignores her plea for mercy. The Mayor appears and insists that Javert "set this woman free" (161). Javert protests, but the Mayor insists. After being fired, Fantine has developed a loathing for the man she knows as Madeline. She spits in his face. However, he insists that he knew nothing about the loss of her job in his factory. As an apology, he offers her financial support and promises to bring her daughter to her. Confused, Fantine collapses on the street. Javert, infuriated, resolves to investigate the mayor.
Part 1, Book 6 Summary: "Javert"
After Fantine becomes delirious, Valjean takes her to a hospital and closely monitors her condition. In the meantime, he pays the vastly inflated bills for Cosette's care, sent to him by Thénardier. Valjean asks Thénardier to send Cosette, but Thénardier does not want to give up such a profitable arrangement.
Javert arrives at Valjean's office and asks to be fired by the Mayor for his "unpardonable offence" (169). He explains that he incorrectly believed Mayor Madeline to be a criminal known as Jean Valjean. However, his discussions with the authorities have revealed that the "real Jean Valjean" (170) has already been arrested. He was using the name Champmathieu and was caught stealing apples. This man will now be tried and sentenced to "penal servitude for life" (172). The trial will begin the next day. Valjean is shocked. He chooses not to fire Javert. This decision angers Javert, who still does not trust the mayor and insists that "an example needs to be made for the good of the police force" (173). He refuses to shake Valjean's hand as "a mayor does not offer his hand to a nark" (174) such as himself.
Part 1, Book 7 Summary: "The Champmathieu Affair"
Valjean, still masquerading as Mayor Madeline, struggles with what to do next. He spends hours deep in an existential crisis as he thinks about "this infinity that every man bears within him and against which he measures with despair the wishes of his brain and the actions of his life" (180). He knows that he will be sent back to prison for life if he reveals his identity. As such, he will no longer be able to help the impoverished townspeople. However, he does not want the innocent Champmathieu to suffer on his behalf. Both options, he decides, are "different forms of egotism" (187). Deciding to stay, Valjean burns any possessions that might betray his old identity. However, he cannot burn the bishop's silver candlesticks. While placing the candlesticks back in their place, however, he finds the coin that he stole from the young boy. He remembers his promise to the bishop, and after a night of inner turmoil he decides to go to Champmathieu's trial and reveal the truth.
After a series of long and complicated delays, Valjean arrives at the court. He worries that he is too late and Champmathieu has already been sentenced. As he enters the courtroom, his reputation as a good, charitable man precedes him, so much so that he possesses "a kind of celebrity" (210). He sees Champmathieu, who is "identical in attitude and appearance" (213) to Valjean but lacks Valjean's intelligence. Champmathieu cannot intelligibly defend himself and seems he has an intellectual disability. Javert and other witnesses confirm his identity as Jean Valjean. Before the final decision can be rendered, however, Valjean interrupts the trial and loudly announces, "I am Jean Valjean" (222), using information from the witnesses to prove this beyond doubt. Champmathieu is declared innocent by the court. The room descends into chaos, and Valjean tells the authorities that they will know where to find him. He exits, leaving behind a room of people too shocked to follow him.
Part 1, Book 8 Summary: "After-Effect"
Valjean returns to Montreuil-sur-mer to help Fantine and settle his affairs. While Valjean tends to Fantine, Javert receives a warrant for Valjean's arrest. With a cold demeanor, he goes to the hospital to arrest Valjean. When Javert confronts the mayor, Valjean asks for "three days' grace" (232). He wants to return Cosette to Fantine's side. Javert is unwilling to bend. Fantine wakes up and is shocked by the absence of her daughter. After Javert reveals to her Valjean’s true identity, she dies in her bed. Infuriated, Valjean threatens the police inspector. The outburst of anger is enough for Javert to allow Valjean a few minutes alone to mourn Fantine's death. Feeling "inexpressible pity" (233), he whispers in Fantine's ear, and even though the woman is dead a nurse will later swear that she saw an "ineffable smile" (233) spread across Fantine's face.
Javert takes Valjean to jail. The rumor of Valjean's arrest spreads through the town, and "all the good he had done [is] forgotten" (234). After only a few hours, however, Valjean escapes. He rushes back to his house and packs everything he can, including Myriel’s candlesticks." He leaves instructions for Fantine's burial and for the management of his estate, insisting that it should be donated to the poor. He hides while Javert searches the house in vain. Valjean escapes to Paris while Fantine—contrary to Valjean's request—is buried in an unmarked grave in "that free corner of the cemetery that belongs to everybody and to nobody, in which the poor are doomed to disappear" (237).
Part 1, Books 5-8 Analysis
Valjean's redemption is tied to others. Throughout the course of the novel, he is never quite ready to forgive himself, and he never truly believes that he has achieved redemption. However, he brings great success and happiness to many other people. He revitalizes an entire town through his innovative production methods for black beads, thereby providing employment to an entire region. By making many people more prosperous, Valjean saves them from the poverty which—as is demonstrated many times throughout the novel—forces them to turn away from God's grace and compromise their morality. The reason Valjean will never truly believe he has achieved redemption is because of individuals like Fantine. He strives to do his best for the community, and on the whole he has had a net positive impact on the people around him. But he cannot ever truly comprehend the consequences of his actions. Fantine's downfall occurred after she was fired from his factory, due to expectations of morality which Valjean imposed on his workforce. He is desperate to help Fantine because he blames himself for her suffering, and if he does not do so, he risks straying further from redemption and denying himself the grace of God. For all his attempts to calculate his positive impact on the world, individual tragedies have more of an impact on Valjean. He is constantly recalculating his own moral formula and—regardless of his actions and their consequences—he always believes that he can do more.
After being betrayed by Tholomyès, Fantine again has a fleeting moment of happiness before she loses everything. Her brief time working in Valjean's factory provides her with the money necessary to satisfy the Thénardiers' increasing demands. It also provides her with a sense of agency. For the first time in her life, she is asserting her independence and earning a wage that gives her freedom. With this job, Fantine no longer exists at the whims of others. She applies herself with enthusiasm in a society which teaches that hard work brings just rewards. This sentiment is revealed to be hollow, however. When news spreads about her child born out of wedlock, people refuse to acknowledge the nuance of the situation. They do not care that Fantine was exploited or tricked. They are quick to judge, and she is fired from her job. Her reputation tarnished, Fantine cannot get another job, and she slips further and further into poverty—to the point where she is forced to sell parts of her body just so that she can have enough money to eat and to support her daughter. Fantine’s sense of agency is gone, and in truth it was always an illusion. She worked hard but was brought down by forces beyond her control.
The introduction of Javert provides a counterpoint to Valjean's character. In many ways, they are alike. They both grew up in desperate, poor backgrounds and they have both witnessed the cruelty of the prison system. The difference in their lives derives from their reactions to this experience of institutional injustice. Valjean recognized the injustice of the system and, through his charity, has sought to help people avoid that same fate. Javert invests himself in the power of the system and decides that it is infallible. Whereas Valjean recognizes that even the most moral person can be driven to desperate circumstances, Javert refuses to accept any nuance or justification for any breach of the law. Valjean—simply by existing—shows that redemption is possible, and that the criminal justice system is not an unchallengeable, absolute authority. Javert disagrees. He is a compelling antagonist to Valjean precisely because of this ideological difference. They are forced against one another not necessarily due to personal dislike or animosity. They are pitted against one another because their views of the world are not compatible and, while both men are still alive, they cannot coexist.
