Les Misérables, Book 5: The Virtue of Misfortune, Chapter 1 summary
Book 5: The Virtue of Misfortune, Chapter 1 of 365 · 4 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 1, Marius endures hunger, shabby clothes, and public humiliation, refuses his aunt’s money, and qualifies to practice law while relying on small favors from Courfeyrac. His struggle shows the courage demanded by poverty, while his grandfather’s angry response to his respectful letter exposes the continuing distance between them.
What happens
- Marius suffers deprivation and humiliation, while the narrator presents resistance to poverty as an overlooked form of courage.
- He buys food furtively and stretches a single mutton chop across three days.
- Aunt Gillenormand repeatedly sends money, but Marius returns it and says he needs nothing.
- Courfeyrac supplies an old green coat, which Marius wears only after dark to preserve his appearance of mourning.
- Marius qualifies as a lawyer and uses Courfeyrac’s room and address to meet professional requirements.
- M. Gillenormand tears up Marius’s letter, then privately objects to combining the identities of baron and lawyer.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Marius uses darkness to conceal his green coat. The image connects his material hardship with his determination to honor his father.
Quick check
Why does Marius wear his green coat only after dark?
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