# Tranquillity explained — Les Misérables

> Chapter companion for Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

## What happens

After bidding his sister good night, Monseigneur Bienvenu escorts his guest to a prepared alcove, offering him warm milk in the morning. The man reacts with a sudden, savage challenge, questioning whether the Bishop has considered that he might be an assassin. The Bishop calmly replies that it is God's concern, blesses him, and retires to his garden to meditate. The man, exhausted, falls asleep fully dressed, and soon the entire household is at rest.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mercy and Forgiveness

The Bishop's unconditional hospitality and trust toward a stranger who might be a criminal exemplify radical mercy and forgiveness.

### The Human Condition and Fate

The contrast between the Bishop's serene faith and the man's troubled, instinctive aggression highlights the struggle between grace and human brokenness.

## Character check-ins

### Monseigneur Bienvenu

The Bishop shows hospitality by personally escorting his guest to the alcove, blessing him, and then spending time in prayer and meditation in the garden.

### Jean Valjean

The guest, still hardened and suspicious, challenges the Bishop's trust with a threatening question, then falls into a deep sleep fully clothed.

### Madame Magloire

She is seen putting away the silverware in the cupboard near the Bishop's bed, performing her nightly routine.

## Key lines

> The Bishop replied:— "That is the concern of the good God."

The Bishop answered that such matters are for God to worry about.

_The Bishop's response shows his complete trust in divine providence, even in the face of potential danger._

> Snuffing out his candle with his nostrils after the manner of convicts, he dropped, all dressed as he was, upon the bed, where he immediately fell into a profound sleep.

He extinguished the candle using his nostrils, as convicts do, and collapsed onto the bed fully clothed, instantly falling into a deep sleep.

_This detail reveals the man's past as a convict and his exhaustion, contrasting with the Bishop's peaceful evening._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters/v-tranquillity
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters