LES MISERABLES: LITERATURE SUMMARY / FREE BOOKNOTES

COSETTE

Book Fourth: The Old Gorbeau House

Summary

Valjean and Cosette take up residence in an old dilapidated house near the old quarter of the horse market in Paris. There the two become happily content and attached to each other, having contact with none other than the landlady who does their cooking, cleaning and marketing. Valjean goes out walking sometimes in the evening and is occasionally handed a coin by some passerby who takes him for a beggar. When this happens, he finds someone else who actually is a beggar and gives the money away; thus he becomes known as “the beggar who gives alms.”

The landlady discovers that there is much more to Valjean than she had thought when he asks her to change a thousand franc bill for him. Later in the day when Valjean is out sawing wood in his shirt-sleeves, the woman has opportunity to examine his yellow coat. She finds that the linking is padded with money and that the pockets are filled with a variety of things that could be called survival tools. Apparently she betrays Valjean, for a few days later another person takes up residence in the Gorbeau house-a person who seems to be watching Valjean. Valjean becomes suspicious, waits until nightfall and leaves the building with Cosette.

Notes

Unwittingly, Valjean’s own generous nature has aroused the suspicions of those around him. He is so bent on giving a handout to those in need wherever he finds them, and yet he has the appearance of a beggar himself. The association with Cosette also awakens feelings of fatherly love within him. We are told that he had never loved anything and that for 25 years, he had been alone in the world. Valjean is 55 at this point while Cosette is 8. We are told that the vision of her was a “second white vision.” The bishop had provided the first and had been responsible for the awakening of virtue, but Cosette “evoked the dawn of love.” He teaches her to read and talks to her of her mother. She calls him “Father” and knows him by no other name.

It is interesting and perhaps a little irritating that the narrator seems to “buy into” the legal opinion of the day in referring to Valjean as having had “evil ways.” He speculates that the entry of Cosette into his life was “necessary” to keep him from reverting “back” to evil ways. Valjean had been able to see the social miseries from a different perspective; we are told the new waves of bitterness, once he had returned to the galleys, had overwhelmed him, and that he might have fallen back onto evil. Yet it is not truly clear that he had ever done anything that was actually evil. Indeed, he had returned to prison for doing something good.

Book Fifth: A Dark Chase needs a Silent Hound

Summary

Valjean and Cosette work their way through the streets of London, turning and dodging as often as possible as Valjean attempts to elude his pursuers. At one point, he comes upon an open square and spots Javert with three other men. His suspicions that they are chasing him are confirmed. He crosses a bridge at Austerlitz, but the men are closing in on him. Even the darkest parts of the city have sentries posted. At last he finds a wall and some rope. He scales the wall, pulls Cosette up and drops to the ground behind it just in time to avoid the police.

Valjean has arrived at the Petit Picpus. He finds shelter with Fauchelevant, the old man he had rescued from the cart years before when he had been known as Father Madeleine. Fauchelevant recognizes him and the two catch up on old times, at least to the extent that Valjean is willing to reveal.

The narrator digresses a bit to explain how Javert lost track of Valjean. After escaping from the boat, Valjean had been pronounced dead and Javert forgot about him for a time. However, the name resurfaced when the Thenardiers caused a temporary stir with the report that Cosette, the daughter of Fantine, had been kidnapped. Later Thenardier thinks better of calling that much attention to himself and denies that he ever made the charge. Instead, he claims that the child’s “grandfather” had come for her.

A few months later, Javert begins hearing things about a strange man and child who live in the Gorbeau House. Even when he sees Valjean, he isn’t at first convinced. When he finally makes sure of his unwilling challenger’s identity, he pulls in several other police with whom he discusses the case under the broad light of the moon. He loses Valjean because he thinks he has the whole area covered, and therefore takes plenty of time. It is as if he is making a game of poking into every open doorway and narrow alley, assuming that Valjean ultimately has no place to escape. Thus Valjean escapes into the garden of the convent.

Notes

None needed

Book Sixth: Petit Picpus

Summary

The story of the Convent. It is an ancient order known as the “Benardines of the Obedience of Martin Vega.” The order of nuns was known as the most severe, second only to the Carmelites. They dressed in severe and extremely uncomfortable haircloth chemises that caused blisters and fevers. They denied themselves all meat, any association with men-including their own priest, and performed extreme prayer rituals.

In spite of the self-imposed restrictions of the nuns, they maintain a school for girls which seems quite tolerant in spite of the rules. The girls find ways to have little pleasures for themselves, while the nuns appear to look the other way. The hope of the sisters is that the girls will eventually join the order.

Notes

None needed

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Free BookNotes Summary

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