# He Who Is Hungry Is Not Alone explained — Toilers of the Sea

> Chapter companion for Toilers of the Sea by Victor Hugo.

## What happens

Gilliatt awakens hungry and stranded after the storm. Unable to depart, he searches for food among the rocks, eventually entering a submarine cavern in pursuit of a crab. There he is attacked by a giant devilfish, which coils its tentacles around him and begins to feed on his flesh.

## Themes in this chapter

### Man vs. Nature

Gilliatt's struggle for survival against the elements and the monstrous devilfish embodies the primal conflict between human will and the indifferent, hostile forces of the natural world.

### The Sublime and Terrible Ocean

The ocean's hidden caverns and the grotesque devilfish reveal the sublime terror lurking beneath the sea's surface, blending beauty with horror.

### Solitude and Isolation

Gilliatt faces the devilfish entirely alone, cut off from any human aid, emphasizing his profound isolation in the midst of a hostile environment.

## Character check-ins

### Gilliatt

Hungry and exhausted after the storm, Gilliatt searches for food and is attacked by a devilfish in a submarine cavern.

## Key lines

> He recognised the Devilfish.

He identified the creature as a devilfish.

_Climactic moment of recognition as the monster reveals itself._

> Agony when at its height is mute.

Extreme pain silences all cries.

_Reflects Gilliatt's silent endurance of the devilfish's attack._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters/i-he-who-is-hungry-is-not-alone
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/toilers_of_the_sea_se/chapters