Les Misérables · Chapter
The Conjunction of Two Stars explained
Marius, having lost track of Ursule, becomes despondent.
What happens
Marius, having lost track of Ursule, becomes despondent. His friend Courfeyrac takes him to the Jardin du Luxembourg, where Marius unexpectedly sees Ursule again, now accompanied by an older man. He follows them home and learns their address, but soon they move away, leaving him heartbroken once more.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Compassion
Marius's intense, romantic love for Ursule drives his actions and emotions throughout the chapter, highlighting the theme of love and its power over the human heart.
The Human Condition and Fate
The chance meetings and separations between Marius and Ursule underscore the role of fate in human lives, as well as the suffering and longing inherent in the human condition.
Characters to notice
- Marius Pontmercy
Marius is deeply in love with Ursule and becomes despondent after losing sight of her. He eventually finds her again in the Luxembourg garden but loses her when she moves away.
- Cosette
Cosette, referred to as Ursule by Marius, is the young woman he admires from a distance. She is seen in the Luxembourg garden with her father.
- Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the older man accompanying Cosette in the Luxembourg garden, though Marius does not know his true identity.
- Courfeyrac
Courfeyrac is Marius's friend who tries to cheer him up and takes him to the Luxembourg garden, leading to the chance reunion with Ursule.
Key passages
“Marius had lost the woman he loved. He had seen her for the last time. He was in despair.”
Marius was devastated because he believed he would never see the woman he loved again.
This captures Marius's initial despair after losing sight of Ursule.
“He saw her again! She was there! He recognized her at once. She was the same, only a little paler; her face was thinner, but she was still beautiful.”
Marius spotted Ursule once more in the Luxembourg garden and instantly recognized her, noting she looked slightly paler and thinner but still beautiful.
This describes the moment Marius reunites with Ursule in the garden.
“He followed them. He saw them enter a house in the Rue de l'Ouest. He waited until they came out again, and he saw them go in again. He did the same thing the next day. He did it for a week.”
Marius tracked Ursule and her father to their home on Rue de l'Ouest and watched them for a week, hoping to see her again.
This shows Marius's obsessive behavior after finding Ursule's address.
“One morning he found the house empty. They had gone away. The shutters were closed. The concierge told him that the lodgers had left the night before.”
Marius discovered that Ursule and her father had moved away overnight, leaving the house vacant and him heartbroken once more.
This marks the second loss of Ursule, deepening Marius's despair.