Les Misérables · Chapter
I: The Evening of a Day of Walking explained
In early October 1815, a weary and ragged traveler, Jean Valjean, arrives in Digne after a long day's walk.
What happens
In early October 1815, a weary and ragged traveler, Jean Valjean, arrives in Digne after a long day's walk. He is turned away from the best inn, the Cross of Colbas, after the innkeeper identifies him as a former convict. He seeks shelter at a humble public house but is again refused. A peasant also rejects him, threatening him with a gun. He tries to sleep in a dog kennel but is driven out by the dog. Exhausted and without refuge, he sits on a stone, exclaiming that he is not even a dog, then continues his search for shelter.
Themes in this chapter
Social Injustice and Poverty
Jean Valjean's rejection from every lodging despite his willingness to pay highlights the societal exclusion and harsh treatment of the poor and former convicts.
Suffering and Sacrifice
Valjean's physical exhaustion, hunger, and homelessness after a day of walking and repeated rejections underscore his profound suffering.
The Human Condition and Fate
Valjean's solitary, desperate wandering and his lament 'I am not even a dog!' reflect the existential struggle and fate of an outcast.
Characters to notice
- Jean Valjean
Arrives in Digne as a ragged, exhausted traveler; is identified as a former convict and turned away from multiple lodgings; ends up homeless and desperate.
- Thénardier
The host of the public house in Rue de Chaffaut who initially offers supper and bed but later, upon suspicion, threatens the traveler with a gun and drives him away.
- Madame Thénardier
The wife of the public house host; she hides her children in terror when her husband identifies the traveler as a dangerous man.
Key passages
“Do you want me to tell you your name? Your name is Jean Valjean.”
The innkeeper reveals that he knows the traveler's identity as Jean Valjean, a former convict.
This moment of exposure sets the tone for Valjean's rejection and societal stigma.
“I am not even a dog!”
Valjean cries out in despair after being driven from a dog kennel, feeling lower than an animal.
This exclamation captures his utter degradation and isolation.