Les Misérables · Chapter
Just Indignation of a Hairdresser explained
A hairdresser shaves an old soldier of the Empire while they discuss the Emperor's horse and battle wounds.
What happens
A hairdresser shaves an old soldier of the Empire while they discuss the Emperor's horse and battle wounds. Their conversation is interrupted when a stone thrown by Gavroche shatters the shop window, prompting the hairdresser's outrage.
Themes in this chapter
The Human Condition and Fate
The soldier's matter-of-fact recounting of his many wounds contrasts with the hairdresser's romanticized view of dying in battle, highlighting different perspectives on fate and suffering.
Characters to notice
- Gavroche
Throws a stone through the hairdresser's window as he flees, recalling the two little boys he had earlier taken in.
Key passages
“How did the Emperor ride, sir?”
The hairdresser asks the veteran about Napoleon's horsemanship.
Reveals the common man's curiosity about the Emperor's personal habits.
“You're not over fastidious.”
The soldier dismisses the hairdresser's wish to die gloriously in battle.
Shows the veteran's pragmatic view of war's horrors versus the civilian's romanticism.