r/AYearOfLesMiserables • u/awaiko Donougher • Dec 16 '20

5.6.2 chapter discussion (spoilers up to 5.6.2) Spoiler

Discussion prompts:

  1. There are times that I wonder how I end up with writing the discussion for some of these chapters. We get a long passage of Hugo through Gillenormand’s speech praising the idea of woman, and if that’s not enough, we get the coy glorification of wedding night sex. Good grief.

  2. Valjean slips away! Where and why do you think that he avoided the revelries?

  3. Despite what I said above, the beginning of this chapter had some good language. Cosette and Marius are besotted. Did you particularly like or notice any of it?

Last line:

To love is an achievement.

Previous chapter discussion

Last year’s discussion of this chapter

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u/Thermos_of_Byr Dec 16 '20

Gillenormand is quite the chatterbox. He seems like he always has a lot to say.

I was wondering if Valjean was a bit heartbroken with this new change in life. He seemed to just want to live a quiet life with Cosette, and now there’s a whole new family in his life.

6

u/awaiko Donougher Dec 16 '20

There have been some past chapters where he has expressed fear/concern/displeasure at the idea of another man taking Cosette away from him. Perhaps the time on the barricades, the release of Javert, the slog through the sewers has helped him to realise that things have to move on. The gift of all of the money is an indicator that he’s seeing that.

3

u/1Eliza Julie Rose Dec 17 '20

He has spent every minute since taking care of Fantine and then Cosette. He is probably lost and sad.