# Volume III: Marius explained — Les Misérables

> Chapter companion for Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

## What happens

The narrative shifts to introduce Marius Pontmercy, a young man navigating his complex relationship with his royalist grandfather, M. Gillenormand, and his deep admiration for his late father, Colonel Georges Pontmercy. Marius becomes involved with the Friends of the ABC, witnesses the poverty of his neighbors the Jondrettes (the Thénardiers), and becomes infatuated with a young woman he calls Ursule, who is actually Cosette.

## Themes in this chapter

### Revolution and Social Upheaval

Marius's involvement with the Friends of the ABC and the growing revolutionary fervor among students reflect the social and political tensions of the era.

### The Human Condition and Fate

Marius's struggle with his identity, his father's legacy, and his love for Cosette illustrate the interplay of personal destiny and broader social forces.

## Character check-ins

### Marius Pontmercy

Central figure of this volume; a young man torn between his grandfather's royalist views and his father's Bonapartist legacy, who becomes involved with revolutionary students and falls in love with Cosette.

### M. Gillenormand

Marius's royalist grandfather who raises him after his father's death, but eventually drives him away due to their political and personal conflicts.

### Georges Pontmercy

Marius's deceased father, a colonel under Napoleon, whose heroic legacy and dying wish for his son to be loved deeply influence Marius's identity and actions.

### Thénardier

Appears as the neighbor Jondrette, living in poverty and plotting against Marius and others, revealing his continued villainy.

### Cosette

Referred to as Ursule by Marius; the young woman he sees in the Luxembourg Gardens and becomes deeply infatuated with, unaware of her true identity.

## Key lines

> Marius was a young man of about twenty, with a handsome face, a noble heart, and a proud soul.

Marius is introduced as a handsome, noble-hearted, and proud young man of about twenty.

_Initial description of Marius's character and appearance._

> He had a passion for his father, and a horror of his grandfather.

Marius deeply loved his father but felt revulsion toward his grandfather.

_Highlights the central conflict in Marius's family relationships._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters/volume-iii-marius
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/les_miserables_se/chapters