Les Misérables, Book 1: Paris Studied in Its Atom, Chapter 2 summary
Book 1: Paris Studied in Its Atom, Chapter 2 of 365 · 2 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 2, the narrator describes the Paris street child through his poverty, freedom, jobs, private currency, fascination with insects, and quick wit. Rather than following one child’s adventures, the chapter builds a collective portrait and ends with two examples of cheeky replies to adults.
What happens
- The narrator presents the Paris street child as poorly clothed but drawn to the freedom of outdoor life.
- The children have distinctive games, expressions, small jobs, and a copper currency with established exchange rates.
- Insect watching and searches for an imagined monster make hidden corners of Paris into places of adventure.
- The narrator compares the child’s wit with Talleyrand’s and stresses his bold, disruptive laughter.
- One urchin mocks a doctor at a funeral, while another answers a man’s accusation with a cheeky invitation to search him.
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What do the children use as loques?
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