Les Misérables, Book 3: Mud, but the Soul, Chapter 7 summary
Book 3: Mud, but the Soul, Chapter 7 of 365 · 4 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 7, Jean Valjean carries Marius toward daylight at a sewer exit, only to find a locked iron gate that he cannot force open. Too exhausted to return through the dangers behind him, he collapses beside the motionless Marius and thinks of Cosette in his despair.
What happens
- Jean Valjean struggles onward with Marius, stopping repeatedly because his strength is nearly gone.
- He spots daylight beyond a bend and rushes toward the sewer exit with renewed energy.
- A heavy iron gate blocks the opening, although the riverbank and freedom lie just beyond it.
- He lays Marius down and tries to shake the gate and loosen its bars, without success.
- Unable to face the return journey, Jean Valjean collapses beside Marius and thinks of Cosette.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Les Misérables, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
In this chapter
Quick check
What prevents Jean Valjean from leaving the sewer at the exit?
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Les Misérables, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
200,000+ classics to read, hear and hold
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
