# Change of Gate explained — Les Misérables

> Chapter companion for Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

## What happens

Cosette, now a young girl, lives with Jean Valjean in a secluded garden house in the Rue Plumet. She explores the wild garden and adores Jean Valjean, who reads and converses with her. Cosette has only a confused memory of her childhood with the Thénardiers and knows nothing of her mother Fantine, as Jean Valjean cannot bring himself to speak of her. The garden, once a place of gallantry, has become a chaste retreat. Cosette, educated in a convent, is innocent and ignorant, and the solitude of the house presents both sweetness and danger for her developing heart.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Compassion

Cosette's deep filial love for Jean Valjean and his tender, self-sacrificing care for her are central to the chapter.

### Suffering and Sacrifice

Jean Valjean's silent suffering over Fantine's memory and his humble lifestyle reflect his sacrificial nature.

### The Human Condition and Fate

The chapter explores Cosette's transition from childhood innocence to the brink of womanhood, and the mysterious forces shaping her destiny.

## Character check-ins

### Jean Valjean

Lives with Cosette in the Rue Plumet, reads and converses with her, and cannot bring himself to speak of Fantine.

### Cosette

Now a young girl just past fourteen, explores the garden, adores Jean Valjean, and has only vague memories of her childhood and mother.

### Fantine

Cosette's mother, whose name Jean Valjean cannot utter; her memory is a sacred shadow in their lives.

### Thénardier

Remains in Cosette's memory as a hideous figure from her childhood.

### Madame Thénardier

Also remembered by Cosette as a hideous figure from her past.

## Key lines

> Cosette adored the goodman. She was always at his heels. Where Jean Valjean was, there happiness was.

Cosette loved Jean Valjean completely and followed him everywhere; his presence meant happiness for her.

_Illustrates the deep bond between Cosette and Jean Valjean._

> Nothing prepares a young girl for passions like the convent. The convent turns the thoughts in the direction of the unknown.

The convent is the worst preparation for a girl's future passions, as it directs her thoughts toward mystery and fantasy.

_Hugo critiques convent education for fostering dangerous ignorance and romantic idealism._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters/iv-change-of-gate
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters