The Family Under The Bridge

In the conclusion of the novel, the small found family becomes official. Armand, as a result of his love for the children, has grown into a person who is willing to take on responsibilities for the good of others. In the bathing scene in Chapter 9, the whole family works together to transform Armand—they clean and freshen his clothing, his body, and his hair so that he will appear more respectable and be able to get the job as the caretaker. This establishes Armand as a fully welcomed member of their family; additionally, these changes are enough to prevent the Louvre store floor manager from recognizing him, which develops the theme of Social Stigma and Discrimination. Like Madame Calcet, the floor manager openly discriminated against unhoused people, treating Armand like he and the children did not deserve to be in the store because they looked like unhoused people (the implications being that they were dirty, disheveled, and likely poor). As a major character, Madame Calcet has grown to understand and respect unhoused people. The floor manager, as a minor character, does not receive such development.

The floor manager’s reaction to Armand in Chapter 9 illustrates another aspect of discrimination. The floor manager’s inability to recognize Armand once Armand has bathed and trimmed his hair proves that the manager’s prejudice is rooted in assumptions made on appearance alone. It is a fact of society that many people make snap judgments based on appearances; thus, it is a common trope in media for a character to undergo a physical transformation in order to be seen in a new light or welcomed into places from which they were previously barred. Armand’s transformation does not change who he is, but it does allow him the opportunity to prove his capability and hardworking nature when he otherwise would have been dismissed.

The theme of Change as a Catalyst for Growth is also realized in these chapters. The Roma people find themselves moving on earlier than anticipated, which leaves the Calcets in a precarious position. Though Madame Calcet has grown to appreciate the Roma people, she does not feel that she belongs with them—nor does Suzy, who is troubled by her brother’s growing desire to travel with the Roma people. However, the Calcets also have nowhere to go. They have lost the shelter provided by the Roma people, and it’s too risky to return to the bridge. This forces a realization in Armand: he could leave the Calcets behind and return to his former life, unburdened by their concerns, but he doesn’t want to. Once he recognizes this, he immediately begins making plans to ensure the safety and well-being of the Calcets.

Armand ends the novel as a committed, working family man. This change is a dramatic and dynamic character arc, especially considering how dedicated Armand was to his lifestyle at the beginning of the book. When Armand only had himself to worry about, he was happy to be free from obligations, even if that freedom meant he had no home or money. Now that Armand cares for others—particularly for the children—his priorities have changed. His plan for Madame Calcet to quit her job at the laundry and stay home with the kids shows that he cares deeply for the whole family and that he is willing to completely take on the responsibility of caring for them.

Armand’s development is also seen in his changed self-perception. At first, he is a proud man who values solitude and is offended by any suggestions that he is incapable or unintimidating. When the children say he’s “only an old tramp” (11), Armand is “insulted” and says “[he] could be a workingman […] if [he] wanted” (12). He speaks “haughtily” to the floor manager who comes to kick him and the children out in Chapter 3, matching the manager’s demeanor. Over time, however, his attitude begins to shift. Though he refers to the past, when “beggars” could live unbothered in the Court of Miracles, as the “good old days” (59), he only speaks of it because he has taken it upon himself to find new shelter for the Calcet children, to whom he is growing attached. He respects the Roma people, but he dissuades Paul from joining them because he recognizes that the Calcets need a stable home.

Paul, in fact, is the final catalyst for Armand’s change of heart. Paul is devastated to have failed at getting a job, and, with no other options, the children turn to Armand. This makes Armand realize that he has come to view himself as their grandfather and that he wants to provide for them. Madame Calcet initially refuses his offer to help, and Armand does hesitate, thinking of his beloved freedom—but he sticks to his promise and says, “Do I have to beg for grandchildren?” (108). He then admits he is “beginning to be ashamed of begging” because it “takes away a man’s self-respect” (108). Altogether, this shows that, though he has a lingering fondness for his unburdened lifestyle, it no longer suits him as a man with a family to care for.

Madame Calcet’s development is directly affected by Armand’s. In addition to her changed views on the Roma people, Madame Calcet has learned to accept help. She, too, started off as a proud woman, furious to learn that Armand took her children “begging.” However, by the time she and the children move to the Roma camp, she has reached the point where she can admit she must take what help she can get. Madame Calcet does not change completely; she envies the people eating at a nice restaurant, and she does not accept Armand’s help right away. However, like Armand—who hesitates but ultimately commits to the children—Madame Calcet eventually gives in. Once she does, she fully embraces Armand’s plan. She is the one who suggests Armand bathe, and she helps freshen up his clothing, promising that he will “be a new man” (109). It is through her efforts that Armand is able to overcome Social Stigma and get the job.

The Calcets’ new home fits the trope of Christmas miracles, albeit in a pragmatic way. Stories set around Christmas or involving Santa Claus (in this case, Father Christmas) often involve the last-minute fulfillment of a dream, be it through an act of magic or through circumstances that miraculously fall into place. Armand thinks he is going to find a job as a night watchman, but it just so happens that the interviewer is hiring for an apartment caretaker. This means that the Calcet children get a home for Christmas, just as they’d wanted—and indirectly through Father Christmas, at that. This “miracle” also calls back to the fishing man and the shoe in Chapter 5; Armand and Madame Calcet’s initial expectations—that between their two jobs, they might be able to split rent—are subverted by a happy coincidence, which, as Armand previously said, “just goes to show we should never give up hope” (50).