Les Misérables · Chapter
VIII: The Emperor Puts a Question to the Guide Lacoste explained
Napoleon surveys the battlefield of Waterloo with confidence, observing the various engagements and setbacks, and ultimately decides to order Milhaud's cuirassiers to carry the tableland of Mont-Saint-Jean, believing victory is at hand.
What happens
Napoleon surveys the battlefield of Waterloo with confidence, observing the various engagements and setbacks, and ultimately decides to order Milhaud's cuirassiers to carry the tableland of Mont-Saint-Jean, believing victory is at hand.
Themes in this chapter
The Human Condition and Fate
Napoleon's contemplation of destiny and his belief in a connivance of events reflects the theme of fate and the human condition in the face of war.
Suffering and Sacrifice
The chapter details the immense casualties and suffering of soldiers, such as the fifteen hundred men killed in the orchard of Hougomont and eighteen hundred men at La Haie-Sainte.
Key passages
“Napoleon was accustomed to gaze steadily at war; he never added up the heartrending details, cipher by cipher; ciphers mattered little to him, provided that they furnished the total—victory”
Napoleon focused only on the overall outcome of victory, ignoring the individual casualties and suffering.
Highlights Napoleon's detached and strategic mindset during battle.
“He seemed to say to fate, Thou wilt not dare.”
Napoleon challenged fate itself, confident that destiny would not oppose him.
Illustrates Napoleon's hubris and sense of invincibility.