Les Misérables, Book 2: The Fall, Chapter 13 summary
Book 2: The Fall, Chapter 13 of 365 · 13 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 13, Jean Valjean takes Little Gervais’s silver coin, drives him away, and then searches desperately to return the money when he recognizes his wrongdoing. His failure to find the boy brings tears and a painful reckoning with his life, while the Bishop’s mercy gains power over his conscience.
What happens
- Jean Valjean wanders through the countryside, resisting the unfamiliar feelings stirred by the Bishop’s kindness.
- Little Gervais drops a silver coin, and Jean Valjean covers it with his foot and frightens the boy away.
- Recognizing the theft, Jean Valjean picks up the coin and searches for the child without success.
- He gives money to a passing priest and asks to be arrested as a thief.
- He collapses in tears, condemns himself, and envisions the Bishop’s goodness overcoming his own hardened identity.
- That night, a carrier reportedly sees a man praying outside the Bishop’s door.
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What does Jean Valjean ask the passing priest to do?
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