Les Misérables · Chapter
End of the Brigand explained
Marius Pontmercy, at seventeen, is sent by his grandfather to visit his dying father, Colonel Georges Pontmercy, whom he has never known.
What happens
Marius Pontmercy, at seventeen, is sent by his grandfather to visit his dying father, Colonel Georges Pontmercy, whom he has never known. He arrives too late, finding his father dead from brain fever. The colonel's tear, still wet, symbolizes Marius's delay. Marius inherits a note from his father acknowledging his baronial title and requesting that he help a sergeant named Thénardier who saved his life at Waterloo. Marius feels little grief, only a vague respect for death, and quickly returns to Paris, forgetting his father within days.
Themes in this chapter
The Human Condition and Fate
Marius's delayed arrival and the colonel's tear highlight the tragic inevitability of missed connections and the finality of death.
Suffering and Sacrifice
The colonel's death in solitude, his war wounds, and his unfulfilled longing for his son embody personal suffering and sacrifice.
Characters to notice
- Marius Pontmercy
Arrives too late to see his dying father; feels little grief but is moved by the colonel's tear and the note about Thénardier.
- Georges Pontmercy
Dies of brain fever before Marius arrives; his tear marks his son's delay; leaves a note about his title and Thénardier.
- M. Gillenormand
Sends Marius to Vernon to see his father; later sells the colonel's sword and uniform.
- Nicolette
Serves as chambermaid in Gillenormand's household after Magnon.
- Thénardier
Mentioned in the colonel's note as the sergeant who saved his life at Waterloo; Marius is asked to help him.
Key passages
“That tear was his son’s delay.”
The tear on the colonel's cheek symbolized how Marius's lateness caused his father's final sorrow.
Emphasizes the emotional weight of Marius's failure to arrive in time.
“The Emperor made me a Baron on the battlefield of Waterloo. Since the Restoration disputes my right to this title which I purchased with my blood, my son shall take it and bear it.”
Napoleon granted me the title of Baron at Waterloo, but the Restoration government refuses to recognize it; my son must claim it.
Reflects the political conflict over Napoleonic titles during the Restoration.
“If my son meets him, he will do all the good he can to Thénardier.”
Marius is instructed to help Thénardier, the sergeant who saved the colonel's life at Waterloo.
Sets up a future obligation for Marius toward Thénardier.