Les Misérables · Chapter
VII: In Which Will Be Found the Origin of the Saying: Don’t Lose the Card explained
Fauchelevent, the convent gravedigger, devises a clever scheme to rescue Jean Valjean from the coffin after he faints.
What happens
Fauchelevent, the convent gravedigger, devises a clever scheme to rescue Jean Valjean from the coffin after he faints. By distracting the gravedigger Gribier and stealing his cemetery card, Fauchelevent ensures Gribier is locked out, allowing him to revive Valjean and escape the cemetery undetected. The chapter ends with Fauchelevent returning the tools to Gribier's impoverished home, revealing the card's theft and securing their freedom.
Themes in this chapter
Redemption and Transformation
Jean Valjean's symbolic 'resurrection' from the coffin mirrors his ongoing transformation from convict to a man of virtue, aided by Fauchelevent's selfless act.
Suffering and Sacrifice
Fauchelevent risks his own safety and well-being to save Valjean, enduring fear and physical strain, while Gribier's poverty highlights the harsh conditions of the working class.
Characters to notice
- Jean Valjean
Revives from a faint inside the coffin, is helped out by Fauchelevent, and escapes the cemetery.
- Father Fauchelevent
Orchestrates the rescue by stealing the gravedigger's card, distracting Gribier, and guiding Valjean out.
- Gribier
The gravedigger who loses his card to Fauchelevent's trick, later finds it returned and avoids a fine.
Key passages
“I fell asleep, said Jean Valjean. And he raised himself to a sitting posture.”
Jean Valjean calmly explained that he had only fainted, then sat up, startling Fauchelevent.
Valjean's understatement contrasts with the dramatic tension of his apparent death.
“Thanks, Father Madeleine!”
Fauchelevent expressed gratitude to Valjean, calling him by his alias.
Shows Fauchelevent's relief and continued use of Valjean's assumed identity.
“How well everything is going! said Fauchelevent; what a capital idea that was of yours, Father Madeleine!”
Fauchelevent praised Valjean's plan to feign death, marveling at its success.
Highlights the cleverness of the escape and Fauchelevent's admiration.