Article #135-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo

In 1815, M. Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel was Bishop of D—— He was
an old man of about seventy-five years of age; he had occupied the see
of D—— since 1806.

Although this detail has no connection whatever with the real substance
of what we are about to relate, it will not be superfluous, if merely
for the sake of exactness in all points, to mention here the various
rumors and remarks which had been in circulation about him from the
very moment when he arrived in the diocese. True or false, that which
is said of men often occupies as important a place in their lives, and
above all in their destinies, as that which they do. M. Myriel was the
son of a councillor of the Parliament of Aix; hence he belonged to the
nobility of the bar. It was said that his father, destining him to be
the heir of his own post, had married him at a very early age, eighteen
or twenty, in accordance with a custom which is rather widely prevalent
in parliamentary families. In spite of this marriage, however, it was
said that Charles Myriel created a great deal of talk. He was well
formed, though rather short in stature, elegant, graceful, intelligent;
the whole of the first portion of his life had been devoted to the
world and to gallantry.

The Revolution came; events succeeded each other with precipitation;
the parliamentary families, decimated, pursued, hunted down, were
dispersed. M. Charles Myriel emigrated to Italy at the very beginning
of the Revolution. There his wife died of a malady of the chest, from
which she had long suffered. He had no children. What took place next
in the fate of M. Myriel? The ruin of the French society of the olden
days, the fall of his own family, the tragic spectacles of ’93, which
were, perhaps, even more alarming to the emigrants who viewed them from
a distance, with the magnifying powers of terror,—did these cause the
ideas of renunciation and solitude to germinate in him? Was he, in the
midst of these distractions, these affections which absorbed his life,
suddenly smitten with one of those mysterious and terrible blows which
sometimes overwhelm, by striking to his heart, a man whom public
catastrophes would not shake, by striking at his existence and his
fortune? No one could have told: all that was known was, that when he
returned from Italy he was a priest.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo**

This passage introduces Bishop Myriel (later referred to as Bishop Bienvenu), one of the most morally significant characters in Les Misérables. The excerpt provides a biographical sketch of the bishop, blending historical context, psychological depth, and thematic foreshadowing. Below is a breakdown of its key elements, focusing primarily on the text itself while also addressing broader literary and thematic concerns.

1. Context of the Excerpt

Les Misérables (1862) is a historical and philosophical novel set in early 19th-century France, exploring themes of justice, redemption, poverty, and moral transformation. The novel begins in 1815, the year of Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo, a time of political upheaval and social inequality in France.

Bishop Myriel is the first major character introduced, and his compassionate, selfless nature sets the moral tone for the novel. His backstory—rooted in the French Revolution (1789–1799)—reflects Hugo’s interest in how historical trauma shapes individual destiny.

2. Summary of the Passage

The excerpt describes:

Bishop Myriel’s background: A nobleman from a parliamentary family, married young, once a man of the world ("devoted to gallantry").
The Revolution’s impact: His family is ruined, he emigrates to Italy, his wife dies, and he returns as a priest—a radical transformation.
The mystery of his conversion: The text does not explain why he becomes a priest, only that he does, leaving his inner struggle as an enigma.

3. Key Themes in the Passage

A. The Transformative Power of Suffering

The bishop’s life is divided into two phases:
- Before the Revolution: A privileged, worldly man ("elegant, graceful, intelligent"), concerned with social status and pleasure.
- After the Revolution: A man of renunciation and faith, having lost his family, fortune, and former identity.
The text suggests that catastrophe (personal and political) can lead to spiritual rebirth. Hugo does not provide a clear cause for Myriel’s conversion, but the implied trauma—the fall of the aristocracy, the horrors of 1793 (the Reign of Terror), the death of his wife—hints at a breaking point that reshapes his soul.
This theme of redemption through suffering recurs throughout Les Misérables, most notably in Jean Valjean’s transformation.

B. The Role of Rumor and Perception

Hugo interrupts the narrative to note:
"True or false, that which is said of men often occupies as important a place in their lives, and above all in their destinies, as that which they do."
This meta-commentary highlights how public perception shapes identity. Even if the rumors about Myriel’s past are untrue, they influence how others see him.
Later in the novel, Jean Valjean is similarly defined by his reputation (as an ex-convict), showing how society’s judgments can trap or liberate individuals.

C. The Contrast Between Old and New France

Myriel belongs to the ancien régime (pre-Revolutionary nobility), but his voluntary poverty and humility contrast with the corruption of the old aristocracy.
His rejection of worldly power mirrors Hugo’s critique of both the aristocracy and the post-Revolutionary bourgeoisie, which often replaced one form of inequality with another.
The bishop embodies Christian socialism—a belief in moral duty to the poor—which Hugo advocates.

D. The Mystery of Faith

The passage deliberately withholds the exact reason for Myriel’s conversion:
"What took place next in the fate of M. Myriel? [...] No one could have told: all that was known was, that when he returned from Italy he was a priest."
This narrative silence serves multiple purposes:
- It mystifies the bishop, making him a symbol rather than just a man.
- It suggests that faith is not always rational—sometimes it arises from inexplicable personal crisis.
- It invites the reader to reflect on their own capacity for change.

4. Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

A. Irony and Contrast

Situational Irony: A nobleman who once lived for pleasure and status now lives in poverty and service.
Juxtaposition:
- "elegant, graceful, intelligent" (young Myriel) vs. "an old man of about seventy-five" (the bishop).
- "devoted to the world and to gallantry" vs. "he was a priest"—a complete reversal of values.

B. Foreshadowing

The bishop’s unexplained transformation foreshadows Jean Valjean’s redemption.
His compassion without judgment (seen later when he helps Valjean) is hinted at by his abandonment of worldly concerns.

The mention of "the tragic spectacles of ’93" refers to the Reign of Terror, when thousands were executed. Hugo suggests that witnessing mass violence can either harden or soften a person—in Myriel’s case, it leads to moral awakening.
The fall of parliamentary families reflects Hugo’s view that the Revolution destroyed old structures but failed to create true justice—a theme central to the novel.

D. Narrative Voice & Digressions

Hugo’s omniscient, philosophical narrator frequently pauses the story to reflect on history, morality, or human nature.
The line "although this detail has no connection whatever with the real substance of what we are about to relate" is misleading—because the bishop’s past does matter. It shows how personal history shapes present actions, a key idea in the novel.

5. Significance of the Passage

A. Introducing the Novel’s Moral Center

Bishop Myriel is the first embodiment of mercy in the novel. His unconditional kindness (later seen when he saves Valjean from despair) sets the standard for moral heroism.
Unlike other authority figures (like Javert, who represents rigid justice), the bishop prioritizes compassion over law.

B. The Idea of Voluntary Poverty

The bishop chooses poverty, living simply while using his resources to help others. This contrasts with:
- The greedy bourgeoisie (like the Thénardiers).
- The desperate poor (like Fantine), who are victims of systemic injustice.
His lifestyle critiques materialism and social inequality, central concerns of Hugo’s.

C. The Bishop as a Christ Figure

Myriel’s sacrifice, humility, and forgiveness align him with Christian ideals of love and redemption.
His lack of bitterness despite personal loss makes him a symbol of hope in a broken world.

D. The Unanswered Question of Conversion

By not explaining why Myriel becomes a priest, Hugo:
- Universalizes his story—anyone can change, regardless of past.
- Emphasizes action over motive—what matters is what he does now, not why.
- Invites the reader to fill in the gaps, making the novel more interactive and reflective.

6. Connection to the Broader Novel

Jean Valjean’s Redemption: Just as the bishop’s suffering leads to his moral rebirth, Valjean’s encounter with the bishop saves him from hatred and crime.
The Failure of Institutions: The bishop represents true Christianity, while the Church as an institution is often corrupt (e.g., the priest who refuses to help Fantine).
The Power of Small Acts: The bishop’s simple kindness (giving Valjean the silver candlesticks) has ripple effects that change lives—illustrating Hugo’s belief in individual moral responsibility.

7. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is not just an introduction to a character—it is a microcosm of the novel’s central concerns:

How do people change? (Through suffering, grace, or mystery?)
What is true justice? (Law vs. mercy)
Can society be redeemed? (The bishop’s life suggests yes, but only through individual compassion.)

Hugo’s rich, digressive style slows the reader down, forcing them to contemplate the weight of history and morality before the plot fully unfolds. The bishop’s unexplained transformation lingers as a symbol of hope—proof that even in darkness, light can emerge.

Final Thought

The passage ends with a question mark—both literally (in the bishop’s unexplained conversion) and thematically (in the novel’s exploration of human potential for good). It challenges the reader to consider their own capacity for change, making Les Misérables not just a story, but a moral mirror.

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s aside—"although this detail has no connection whatever with the real substance of what we are about to relate, it will not be superfluous [...] to mention here the various rumors and remarks which had been in circulation about him"—primarily serves to:

A. Undermine the reliability of the narrator by exposing an internal contradiction between stated intent and actual narrative focus.
B. Signal Hugo’s disdain for aristocratic gossip as a frivolous distraction from the revolutionary ideals that truly shape history.
C. Highlight the paradoxical way in which extraneous perceptions, though technically irrelevant, can assume narrative and existential weight.
D. Foreshadow the bishop’s later disregard for public opinion, establishing his moral independence from societal judgment.
E. Create a meta-literary commentary on the artificiality of novelistic structure, where digressions are justified by authorial fiat rather than organic necessity.

Question 2

The passage’s treatment of Bishop Myriel’s conversion—"No one could have told: all that was known was, that when he returned from Italy he was a priest"—is most effectively read as an example of:

A. Realist ambiguity, where Hugo withholds psychological detail to mimic the incompleteness of historical records.
B. Romantic mysticism, wherein the inexplicable nature of spiritual transformation is preserved to evoke awe and reverence.
C. Satirical critique, exposing the absurdity of religious conversions that lack rational or verifiable motivation.
D. Structural irony, as the narrator’s professed ignorance contrasts with the novel’s later revelations about the bishop’s motives.
E. Allegorical abstraction, reducing the bishop to a symbolic function rather than a psychologically coherent individual.

Question 3

The description of Myriel’s pre-Revolutionary life as "devoted to the world and to gallantry" followed by his post-Revolutionary identity as a priest is most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The capacity for radical moral reinvention in the face of existential rupture, where prior identity is not merely revised but obliterated.
B. The hypocrisy of aristocratic piety, wherein former libertines adopt religious roles to reclaim social status in a changed political landscape.
C. The cyclical nature of history, where the excesses of one era (decadence) inevitably provoke the asceticism of the next (renunciation).
D. The futility of personal transformation, as the bishop’s conversion is portrayed as a passive response to external catastrophe rather than active choice.
E. The irreconcilability of faith and worldliness, framed as a binary opposition that the Revolution’s violence forces individuals to resolve.

Question 4

The phrase "the tragic spectacles of ’93, which were, perhaps, even more alarming to the emigrants who viewed them from a distance, with the magnifying powers of terror" primarily functions to:

A. Suggest that the bishop’s conversion was a cowardly retreat from the political responsibilities of his class.
B. Imply that the Revolution’s violence was exaggerated by those who fled, undermining the legitimacy of their fears.
C. Introduce a psychological explanation for the bishop’s turn to faith, framing it as a trauma response rather than a spiritual awakening.
D. Convey the distorting effect of displacement on perception, where physical and emotional distance intensify rather than clarify understanding.
E. Critique the emigrants’ privilege, as their "magnified" terror contrasts with the actual suffering of those who remained in France.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the passage’s stylistic digressions (e.g., the discussion of rumors, the speculative questions about Myriel’s conversion) and its central thematic concerns?

A. The digressions serve as red herrings, deliberately obscuring the bishop’s true significance to delay the novel’s moral argument.
B. The digressions enact the novel’s preoccupation with the interplay between surface and depth, where apparent tangents reveal the instability of identity and history.
C. The digressions reflect Hugo’s inability to discipline his narrative focus, allowing historical context to overwhelm character development.
D. The digressions function as a Brechtian alienation device, reminding the reader of the constructed nature of the text to provoke critical distance.
E. The digressions underscore the bishop’s exceptionalism, as his life is the only one granted such narrative attention in a novel otherwise indifferent to individual psyches.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The narrator’s aside explicitly acknowledges that while the rumors about Myriel are "no connection whatever with the real substance" of the story, they are nonetheless worth mentioning. This creates a paradox: the irrelevant becomes relevant, the extraneous assumes weight. The passage underscores how perception—even when tangential—can shape a person’s "destiny" (as the narrator notes), aligning with Hugo’s broader interest in the gap between action and reputation. The aside is not a contradiction (A) or a dismissal of gossip (B), but a thematization of narrative and existential irony.