Les Misérables · Chapter
Rule: Receive No One Except in the Evening explained
This chapter introduces M.
What happens
This chapter introduces M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, an elderly man of the eighteenth-century aristocracy who adheres to the antiquated custom of keeping his door closed during the day and receiving visitors only in the evening. He lives in the Faubourg Saint Germain until after age eighty, then retires to the Marais, maintaining his habits and disdain for the vulgarity of daytime.
Themes in this chapter
The Human Condition and Fate
Gillenormand's rigid adherence to outdated customs reflects the human tendency to cling to familiar routines and the passage of time, highlighting the inevitability of aging and societal change.
Characters to notice
- M. Gillenormand
M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, a venerable man of the eighteenth century, who keeps his door closed during the day and receives visitors only in the evening, following the fashion of his era.
Key passages
“The day is vulgar, and deserves only a closed shutter. Fashionable people only light up their minds when the zenith lights up its stars.”
Daytime is common and unrefined, so it should be shut out; truly elegant individuals only become intellectually active when the evening stars appear.
Gillenormand's justification for his evening-only reception policy, reflecting his aristocratic disdain for daytime vulgarity.