Les Misérables · Chapter
IV: Beginning of a Great Malady explained
Marius, dressed in his new clothes, goes to the Luxembourg Gardens hoping to be noticed by the young girl he admires, but his awkwardness and hesitation prevent him from approaching her bench directly.
What happens
Marius, dressed in his new clothes, goes to the Luxembourg Gardens hoping to be noticed by the young girl he admires, but his awkwardness and hesitation prevent him from approaching her bench directly. He reflects on his unrecognized scholarly work and struggles with his emotions, ultimately returning home without having spoken to her.
Themes in this chapter
The Human Condition and Fate
Marius's internal struggle with his emotions and his awkward attempts to approach the young girl illustrate the universal human experience of love, hesitation, and the desire for recognition.
Characters to notice
- Marius Pontmercy
Marius is deeply infatuated with the young girl at the Luxembourg, dressing in his finest clothes and attempting to approach her bench, but his shyness and self-consciousness overwhelm him.
- Courfeyrac
Courfeyrac encounters Marius on the way to the Luxembourg and later remarks to friends that Marius looked 'utterly stupid' in his new attire.
- M. Leblanc
M. Leblanc is the father of the young girl Marius admires; he sits with her daily on their bench in the Luxembourg, and Marius begins to feel that his own presence has been noticed.
- Ursule
The young girl (referred to as Ursule by Marius) is the object of Marius's affection; she wears a damask gown and crape bonnet and speaks tranquilly, though Marius does not dare to look directly at her.
Key passages
“He felt it, although he made no attempt to see her. “She could not, however,” he thought, “help feeling esteem and consideration for me, if she only knew that I am the veritable author of the dissertation on Marcos Obrégon de la Ronde, which M. François de Neufchâteau put, as though it were his own, at the head of his edition of Gil Blas.””
Marius senses the girl's presence but avoids looking at her, imagining that she would respect him if she knew he wrote a dissertation that was published under another man's name.
Marius's vanity and desire for recognition are evident as he fantasizes about being admired for his uncredited scholarly work.
“He buttoned his coat up to the very top, pulled it down on his body so that there might be no wrinkles, examined, with a certain complaisance, the lustrous gleams of his trousers, and marched on the bench. This march savored of an attack, and certainly of a desire for conquest.”
Marius meticulously adjusts his new clothes and strides toward the bench with a determined, almost aggressive air, as if preparing for a romantic conquest.
The narrator uses military imagery to highlight Marius's awkward and exaggerated sense of purpose in approaching the girl.