Les Misérables · Chapter
Details Concerning the Cheese-Dairies of Pontarlier explained
During supper, the Bishop treats Jean Valjean with kindness and dignity, avoiding any mention of his past.
What happens
During supper, the Bishop treats Jean Valjean with kindness and dignity, avoiding any mention of his past. He speaks of the cheese-dairies of Pontarlier and the trade of grurin, subtly offering a path to honest work. Mademoiselle Baptistine observes the Bishop's delicate charity, noting he neither preaches nor moralizes, but simply treats Valjean as an ordinary guest.
Themes in this chapter
Mercy and Forgiveness
The Bishop's deliberate avoidance of Valjean's past and his treatment of him as an ordinary person exemplifies mercy without judgment.
Redemption and Transformation
The Bishop subtly offers Valjean a path to honest work through the trade of grurin, planting a seed for future transformation.
Characters to notice
- Jean Valjean
The former convict, now a guest at the Bishop's table, eats voraciously and speaks of his journey to Pontarlier.
- Monseigneur Bienvenu
The Bishop who hosts Valjean, speaks of the cheese-dairies of Pontarlier, and deliberately avoids any reference to Valjean's past, showing delicate charity.
- Mademoiselle Baptistine
The Bishop's sister, who narrates the supper scene in a letter, noting the Bishop's kindness and her own reflections on true charity.
- Madame Magloire
The Bishop's servant, who clears the table and later brings a goatskin to Valjean's bed.
Key passages
“This man paid no attention to anyone. He ate with the voracity of a starving man.”
Valjean ate ravenously, ignoring everyone around him.
Highlights Valjean's extreme hunger and his focus on the meal.
“My brother did not even ask him from what country he came, nor what was his history. For in his history there is a fault, and my brother seemed to avoid everything which could remind him of it.”
The Bishop asked nothing about Valjean's origins or past, deliberately avoiding any reminder of his wrongdoing.
Illustrates the Bishop's delicate charity and refusal to shame Valjean.