Les Misérables · Chapter
The Beginning of an Enigma explained
Jean Valjean and Cosette find refuge in a vast, melancholy garden after escaping Javert's pursuit.
What happens
Jean Valjean and Cosette find refuge in a vast, melancholy garden after escaping Javert's pursuit. Amid the eerie silence, they hear a celestial hymn from a nearby building, prompting them to kneel in awe. The song fades, leaving them in a state of ecstatic peace.
Themes in this chapter
Redemption and Transformation
Valjean's flight and the subsequent hymn evoke a spiritual transformation, as he feels wings unfolding within him.
The Human Condition and Fate
The contrast between the violent pursuit and the serene, divine song underscores the precariousness of life and the mysterious workings of fate.
Characters to notice
- Jean Valjean
Flees with Cosette into a mysterious garden, experiences a transcendent moment upon hearing a hymn.
- Cosette
Trembles and presses close to Valjean, shares his instinct to hide, and kneels with him during the hymn.
- Javert
Heard in the distance leading the patrol, his imprecations and orders fade as Valjean and Cosette find temporary safety.
Key passages
“Jean Valjean found himself in a sort of garden which was very vast and of singular aspect; one of those melancholy gardens which seem made to be looked at in winter and at night.”
Valjean discovered himself in an unusually large, somber garden that appeared designed for winter and nighttime contemplation.
Sets the scene of isolation and mystery.
“All at once, in the midst of this profound calm, a fresh sound arose; a sound as celestial, divine, ineffable, ravishing, as the other had been horrible.”
Suddenly, from the deep silence, a new sound emerged—heavenly, indescribably beautiful, contrasting sharply with the earlier terrifying noise.
Highlights the pivotal moment of the hymn's arrival.
“It seemed to him that he felt those wings which we all have within us, unfolding.”
Valjean sensed the inner wings of the soul spreading open, a metaphor for spiritual awakening.
Captures Valjean's transcendent experience.