2.3.5 Chapter discussion and Week 14 Summary (Spoilers up to 2.3.5)

Summary of chapters 2.2.2-2.3.5:

The people of Montfermeil believe the Devil sometimes walks through their woods, and a few people claim to have dug up the treasure he hides there. It is also said that coincidentally, when Jean Valjean escaped from prison, he hid in those woods and a man recognizes someone he knows from the galleys in those woods. Hugo takes us on a new diversion to the ship Orion, where a sailor falls from the enormous mast only to be rescued by a prisoner from the galleys who then apparently drowns-- this man, Hugo reveals, was Jean Valjean. Montfermeil, as a town, is small, sparsely populated, and far away from accessible water sources. In this town live the Thénardiers, who treat Cosette as little more than a domestic servant after Fantine dies. The Thénardiers are a terrible kind of people: Madame "The Thénardiess" is large, vulgar, cruel, and has a fondness for romance novels, while Monsieur Thénardier is small, pale, polite, a pretender to the army, and a big talker. Each is differently horrible to Cosette, and Monsieur dictates the workings of the inn although Madame seems to be in charge. In the present, Cosette is made to fetch water from the spring a fifteen minute's walk from town. As she leaves the inn, she spies a large and beautiful doll-- "the lady." Cosette makes her way slowly toward the spring, afraid of the Thénardiess' wrath with every step. The darkness scares her as she fills the bucket and begins her return, stopping to rest as she goes-- suddenly, a man takes the bucket from her arms.

Questions for 2.3.5:

1. Did you have a favorite line or passage from this chapter? If so, what made it stand out to you?
2. Do you have any comments about the figurative language used in this chapter?
3. What do you make of the juxtaposition (the effect of two unlike things things placed together for symbolic purposes) of Cosette up against the background of the vast, dark sky?
4. What do you think this man will do with/for Cosette?
5. Do you have any other comments or questions about this chapter or section from the week?

Final line:

The child was not afraid.

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