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Les Misérables, Book 7: Parenthesis, Chapter 5 summary

Book 7: Parenthesis, Chapter 5 of 365 · 2 min to read the chapter

In Chapter 5, the narrator defines prayer as thought connecting the human soul with God and argues against suppressing spiritual faculties. The discussion joins democracy to respect for the soul, while insisting that religion must be freed from fanaticism, superstition, and absurd claims.

What happens

  1. The narrator begins with an unnamed group praying to God and asks what prayer means.
  2. Questions about an outer and an inner infinity lead to a distinction between God and the soul.
  3. Prayer becomes the connection between these infinities, and the narrator urges respect for thought, reverie, and prayer.
  4. The narrator links democracy with the soul’s rights and calls for belief purified of fanaticism and superstition.

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