Les Misérables, Book 8: The Wicked Poor Man, Chapter 17 summary
Book 8: The Wicked Poor Man, Chapter 17 of 365 · 6 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 17, Marius watches Jondrette prepare a secluded room with heated iron, hidden tools, and chairs for an expected visitor, while Mother Jondrette receives his donated coin to dismiss the carriage. After narrowly avoiding discovery, Marius cocks his pistol as Jondrette tests a concealed knife, bringing the threat of violence closer.
What happens
- Marius returns to the partition hole and sees a glowing brazier, a heated chisel, rope, and iron tools.
- Jondrette gives his wife Marius’s five francs and orders her to welcome the visitor, pay the coachman, and dismiss the carriage.
- Mother Jondrette enters Marius’s room for chairs but fails to see him standing in shadow.
- Left alone, Jondrette hides the brazier, examines a rope ladder, and arranges the chairs across the table.
- Jondrette tests a hidden knife; Marius cocks his pistol, and Jondrette mistakes the click for a creaking partition.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Marius shifts from watching to preparing for armed intervention. The audible click nearly exposes his hiding place.
Quick check
What does Jondrette instruct his wife to do with Marius’s five francs?
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