Les Misérables · Chapter
VI: The Agony of Death After the Agony of Life explained
Marius inspects the smaller barricade and hears his name whispered in the darkness.
What happens
Marius inspects the smaller barricade and hears his name whispered in the darkness. He finds Éponine, dressed in men's clothes, mortally wounded after taking a bullet meant for him. She confesses her love, reveals she kept a letter for him, and asks for a kiss on her brow after death. She dies in his arms as Gavroche sings nearby.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Compassion
Éponine's self-sacrifice to save Marius and her final confession of love highlight the theme of love and compassion amidst violence.
Suffering and Sacrifice
Éponine's agonizing death and her willingness to die for Marius embody the theme of suffering and sacrifice.
Characters to notice
- Marius Pontmercy
Marius inspects the barricade and discovers Éponine dying; he promises to kiss her brow after death.
- Éponine
Éponine, disguised in men's clothes, is mortally wounded after blocking a gun aimed at Marius; she confesses her love and gives him a letter before dying.
- Gavroche
Gavroche is heard singing a popular song while loading his gun on a table in the barricade.
Key passages
“I am dying.”
Éponine tells Marius she is dying from a bullet wound.
Éponine reveals her mortal condition to Marius.
“The bullet traversed my hand, but it came out through my back.”
Éponine explains that the bullet passed through her hand and exited her back.
Éponine describes the path of the bullet that wounded her.
“I believe that I was a little bit in love with you.”
Éponine confesses her love for Marius just before dying.
Éponine's final words express her romantic feelings for Marius.