Les Misérables · Chapter
Bruneseau explained
This chapter provides a historical account of the Paris sewer system, describing its neglected state, legendary horrors, and the rare attempt to explore it.
What happens
This chapter provides a historical account of the Paris sewer system, describing its neglected state, legendary horrors, and the rare attempt to explore it. It culminates in the introduction of Bruneseau, a man who dared to visit the sewers, presented to Napoleon as the most intrepid man in the Empire.
Themes in this chapter
The Human Condition and Fate
The sewer is depicted as a mysterious, terrifying underworld reflecting the hidden, often squalid aspects of human existence and the city's fate.
Revolution and Social Upheaval
The chapter notes that '89 showed how understanding comes to cities, linking the physical state of the sewer to broader social and political change.
Characters to notice
- Jean Valjean
Implied connection to the sewer as a setting for later events, though not directly mentioned in this chapter.
Key passages
“The sewer of Paris in the Middle Ages was legendary. In the sixteenth century, Henri II attempted a bore, which failed.”
Paris's medieval sewer was infamous, and even a 16th-century attempt by Henri II to improve it was unsuccessful.
Establishes the historical neglect and difficulty of managing the sewer.
“One day, in 1805, during one of the rare apparitions which the Emperor made in Paris, the Minister of the Interior... came to the master’s intimate levee.”
In 1805, during one of Napoleon's infrequent visits to Paris, the Interior Minister approached him at a private audience.
Sets the scene for the introduction of Bruneseau and his daring plan.
““Sire,” said the Minister of the Interior to Napoleon, “yesterday I saw the most intrepid man in your Empire.””
The Minister told Napoleon that he had encountered the bravest man in the entire empire.
Highlights the extraordinary courage attributed to Bruneseau.