Les Misérables · Chapter
Wherein Will Appear the Name of Enjolras’ Mistress explained
During the assault on the barricade, Courfeyrac and Bossuet maintain morale with humor and irony as a second cannon is brought against them.
What happens
During the assault on the barricade, Courfeyrac and Bossuet maintain morale with humor and irony as a second cannon is brought against them. Bossuet jokes that Enjolras's courage is remarkable because he has no mistress, unlike the others who draw bravery from love. Enjolras mutters 'Patria' and orders fire on the artillerymen, temporarily disabling the guns, but warns that ammunition will run out in fifteen minutes.
Themes in this chapter
Revolution and Social Upheaval
The barricade battle and the characters' defiance against the cannon highlight the revolutionary struggle and the cost of insurrection.
Suffering and Sacrifice
The imminent shortage of cartridges and the deadly fire underscore the sacrifice and suffering inherent in the fight for ideals.
Characters to notice
- Enjolras
Remains impassive and coldly intrepid; mutters 'Patria' when Bossuet notes he has no mistress; orders fire on the artillerymen and warns of dwindling cartridges.
- Courfeyrac
Sits beside Enjolras and insults the cannon with ironic humor; announces the arrival of the second cannon as 'Eight-Pounder'.
- Bossuet
Jokes about Enjolras's lack of a mistress and the source of heroism; comments on the success of the fire but is corrected by Enjolras about ammunition.
- Gavroche
Appears to overhear Enjolras's remark about the shortage of cartridges.
Key passages
“Courfeyrac, seated on a paving-stone beside Enjolras, continued to insult the cannon, and each time that that gloomy cloud of projectiles which is called grapeshot passed overhead with its terrible sound he assailed it with a burst of irony. 'You are wearing out your lungs, poor, brutal, old fellow, you pain me, you are wasting your row. That’s not thunder, it’s a cough.'”
Courfeyrac mockingly taunts the cannon as it fires grapeshot, calling it a coughing old man wasting its effort.
Shows the defiant humor of the insurgents under fire.
“A man without a woman is a pistol without a trigger; it is the woman that sets the man off. Well, Enjolras has no woman. He is not in love, and yet he manages to be intrepid. It is a thing unheard of that a man should be as cold as ice and as bold as fire.”
Bossuet argues that love inspires bravery, but Enjolras's courage is extraordinary because he is not in love, combining coldness with boldness.
Highlights Enjolras's unique character and his devotion to the cause (Patria) over personal attachments.
“Another quarter of an hour of this success, and there will not be any cartridges left in the barricade.”
Enjolras warns that despite their temporary success, they will run out of ammunition within fifteen minutes.
Foreshadows the impending crisis and the desperate situation of the insurgents.