# The Back Room of the Café Musain explained — Les Misérables

> Chapter companion for Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

## What happens

In the back room of the Café Musain, the Friends of the A.B.C. gather for a lively and chaotic discussion. Grantaire, thoroughly drunk, delivers a cynical and rambling monologue on vanity and human folly, while others engage in separate conversations about law, vaudeville, dueling, love, mythology, and politics. Courfeyrac passionately argues against the monarchy and burns a copy of the Touquet Charter, while Combeferre philosophically observes the act.

## Themes in this chapter

### Revolution and Social Upheaval

The gathering of the Friends of the A.B.C. and Courfeyrac's burning of the Charter reflect revolutionary fervor and rejection of monarchy.

### The Human Condition and Fate

Grantaire's drunken monologue explores the vanity and absurdity of life, touching on themes of human folly and existential despair.

## Character check-ins

### Marius Pontmercy

Present at the gathering, but remains silent.

### Enjolras

Present but holds his peace during the chaotic discussion.

### Grantaire

Thoroughly drunk, delivers a long, cynical monologue on vanity, life, and history.

### Bossuet

Engaged in a legal discussion and tries to silence Grantaire.

### Joly

Playing dominoes with Bahorel and discussing his love for Musichetta.

### Bahorel

Playing dominoes with Joly and offering advice on love and elegance.

### Jean Prouvaire

Engaged in a poetic debate defending pagan mythology against Christian mythology.

### Combeferre

Upholds the Charter weakly while Courfeyrac argues against it; philosophically watches the Charter burn.

### Courfeyrac

Energetically argues against the monarchy and burns the Touquet Charter.

## Key lines

> Life is a hideous invention of I know not whom. It lasts no time at all, and is worth nothing.

Life is a terrible creation that is brief and meaningless.

_Grantaire expresses his nihilistic view of existence._

> A charter is a mask; the lie lurks beneath it. A people which accepts a charter abdicates.

A charter is a deceptive facade; a people who accept it give up their sovereignty.

_Courfeyrac argues against constitutional monarchy, asserting that charters are inherently dishonest._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters/iv-the-back-room-of-the-caf-musain
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters