Les Misérables, Chapter 20 summary
Chapter 20 of 365 · Book 8: The Wicked Poor Man · 36 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 20, Jondrette reveals himself as Thénardier, leaving Marius torn between saving M. Leblanc and honoring his father's debt to the criminal. After an attempted abduction fails and the captive resists torture, Marius throws in a false police warning to prevent murder, and Javert appears as the gang prepares to escape.
What happens
- Armed accomplices arrive, and Jondrette reveals that he is Thénardier, whose name carries a sacred obligation for Marius.
- Marius withholds his pistol signal while the gang overpowers M. Leblanc and ties him to a bed.
- Thénardier demands two hundred thousand francs and forces the prisoner to write a letter intended to lure his daughter into captivity.
- Madame Thénardier returns from a false address, and the prisoner breaks most of his bonds and burns himself to demonstrate his resolve.
- As Thénardier prepares to kill the prisoner, Marius throws in Éponine's written police warning, prompting the gang to prepare an escape.
- The criminals quarrel over who descends the rope ladder first, and Javert appears in the doorway.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The question states Marius's central dilemma. His sense of obligation prevents the immediate rescue signal and drives his search for another intervention.
Quick check
Why does Madame Thénardier return without the young woman?
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