Les Misérables · Chapter
V: Present Progress explained
This chapter describes the transformation of the Paris sewer from a primitive, dangerous cesspool into a clean, orderly, and respectable subterranean system.
What happens
This chapter describes the transformation of the Paris sewer from a primitive, dangerous cesspool into a clean, orderly, and respectable subterranean system. It highlights the improvements made under the direction of Bruneseau, emphasizing the shift from chaos to geometric precision and the civilizing influence of modern sanitation.
Themes in this chapter
Revolution and Social Upheaval
The chapter frames the sewer's transformation as a 'revolution,' contrasting the old chaotic system with the new orderly one, reflecting broader societal change.
The Human Condition and Fate
The description of the sewer's hidden miasmas and its 'hypocritical' cleanliness explores the duality of human progress and the persistence of underlying decay.
Key passages
“Today the sewer is clean, cold, straight, correct. It almost realizes the ideal of what is understood in England by the word 'respectable.'”
The modern sewer is orderly and proper, embodying the English concept of respectability.
Highlights the contrast between the old and new sewer systems.
“Between the ancient and the present sewer there is a revolution. What has effected this revolution? The man whom all the world forgets, and whom we have mentioned, Bruneseau.”
A true revolution has occurred between the old and new sewers, brought about by the forgotten figure Bruneseau.
Emphasizes the transformative impact of Bruneseau's work.