Les Misérables · Chapter
Number 9,430 Reappears, and Cosette Wins It in the Lottery explained
Jean Valjean, presumed dead after his leap into the sea, survives and escapes.
What happens
Jean Valjean, presumed dead after his leap into the sea, survives and escapes. He makes his way to Paris, buys mourning clothes for a young girl, and then travels to Montfermeil to rescue Cosette from the Thénardiers. After rescuing her, he returns to Paris with the child, carrying her when she grows weary.
Themes in this chapter
Redemption and Transformation
Jean Valjean's escape and rescue of Cosette mark a turning point in his journey toward redemption.
Suffering and Sacrifice
Valjean's perilous escape and the hardships of the journey with Cosette highlight his sacrifice for her well-being.
Characters to notice
- Jean Valjean
Survives his leap into the sea, escapes, and rescues Cosette from the Thénardiers, then returns to Paris with her.
- Cosette
Rescued by Jean Valjean from the Thénardiers; she is weary from the journey and falls asleep on his shoulder.
- Thénardier
Mentioned as the one from whose claws Jean Valjean rescues Cosette.
Key passages
“Jean Valjean was not dead. When he fell into the sea, or rather, when he threw himself into it, he was not ironed, as we have seen.”
Jean Valjean survived his fall into the sea because he was not shackled.
Reveals Valjean's survival and the reason for it.
“On the evening of the day when Jean Valjean rescued Cosette from the claws of the Thénardiers, he returned to Paris.”
After rescuing Cosette from the Thénardiers, Valjean brought her back to Paris that same evening.
Summarizes the key rescue event and immediate aftermath.