Les Misérables · Chapter
I: Ninety Years and Thirty-Two Teeth explained
This chapter introduces M.
What happens
This chapter introduces M. Gillenormand, a peculiar and haughty old man of over ninety years, who retains all his teeth and good health. He is a relic of the eighteenth-century bourgeoisie, known for his quick temper, eccentric sayings, and his unmarried daughter over fifty whom he treats like a child. He lives in the vicinity of the Temple in Paris, in streets named after French provinces under Louis XIV.
Themes in this chapter
The Human Condition and Fate
M. Gillenormand's longevity and eccentricity illustrate the quirks of aging and the persistence of character across time, highlighting the human condition in old age.
Characters to notice
- M. Gillenormand
The chapter's central figure, a ninety-year-old man with all his teeth, a quick temper, and a haughty bourgeois demeanor from the eighteenth century.
- Mademoiselle Gillenormand
His unmarried daughter over fifty, whom he chastises severely with his tongue and would like to whip.
Key passages
“He was over ninety years of age, his walk was erect, he talked loudly, saw clearly, drank neat, ate, slept, and snored. He had all thirty-two of his teeth.”
Despite being over ninety, he was vigorous: he walked upright, spoke loudly, had good vision, drank undiluted wine, and still had all his teeth.
Emphasizes his remarkable health and vitality for his age.
“He had a daughter over fifty years of age, and unmarried, whom he chastised severely with his tongue, when in a rage, and whom he would have liked to whip. She seemed to him to be eight years old.”
His unmarried daughter, over fifty, was often verbally abused by him in anger, and he treated her as if she were a child of eight.
Illustrates his domineering and anachronistic attitude toward his adult daughter.