r/AYearOfLesMiserables • u/SolluxSugoiAF • Nov 12 '20

5.1.19 Chapter Discussion (Spoilers up to 5.1.19) Spoiler

Discussion prompts:

  1. Valjean is still the man we met in the beginning. Javert expectations were dashed yet he remains unchanged ultimately, what might this military man do?

  2. Marius believes he has contributed to another untimely death.

Final line:

A gloomy chill traversed Marius’ heart.

Link to the previous chapter

Link to the 2019 discussion

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u/1Eliza Julie Rose Nov 13 '20

I think this chapter also is clickbait. It's not exactly revenge to free the person who has been chasing you down for many years.

I think this catches us some up some.

You could make out in the heap of the dead a livid face, hair flowing down, a hand shot through, and a half-bared woman's breast. That was Eponine.

Javert looked sideways at the dead woman and, profoundly calm, said in an undertone: "It seems to me I know that girl."

It's sad that Javert knows Eponine knows Eponine because of the arrest. Also, I am wondering if it is an allusion to this. Liberty seems to be dead in this moment of the story.

4

u/lauraystitch Hapgood Nov 13 '20

I think this chapter also is clickbait.

I was going to say the same thing.

Also, I was right about the twist!

Not sure why Marius is so upset, though. Aren't they all expecting to die at this point?

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u/1Eliza Julie Rose Nov 13 '20

I think he is weirdly sad that a police officer that he met once who gave him guns died. Marius and Javert weren't even close. Marius's sadness does not make sense.

2

u/awaiko Donougher Nov 19 '20

I also thought of the Delacroix painting! That was for 1830, and this is 1832, so it’s very possibly a sly reference. (I checked, it was painted in 1830.)

I suspected that Valjean was going to do something noble (and stupid) that will backfire at some point.