characters

characters

"Undoubtedly they seemed very depraved, very corrupt, very vile, very hateful, even, but those are rare who fall without becoming degraded; there is a point, moreover, at which the unfortunate and the infamous are associated and confounded in a single word, a fatal word, Les Misérables; who's fault is it? And then, is it not when the fall is lowest that charity ought to be the greatest?"

—Les Misérables, pg. 734

Jean Valjean

“He wore a round hat, very old and carefully brushed, a long coat, completely threadbare, of coarse yellow cloth, a color which was in nowise extraordinary at that epoch, a large waistcoat with pockets of antique style, black trousers worn gray at the knees, black woolen stockings, and thick shoes with copper buckles. . . . From his hair, which was entirely white, from his wrinkled brow, from his livid lips, from his face in which everything breathed exhaustion and weariness of life, one would have supposed him considerable over sixty. From his firm though slow step, and the singular vigor impressed upon all his motions, one would hardly have thought him fifty. The wrinkles on his forehead were well disposed, and would have prepossessed in his favor any one who observed him with attention. His lip contracted with a strange expression, which seemed severe and yet which was humble. There was in the depths of his eye an indescribably mournful serenity.”

—Les Misérables, Volume II, Book III, Chapter VI

Inspector Javert

“You could not see his forehead which disappeared under his hat, you could not see his eyes which were lost under his brows, you could not see his chin which was buried in his cravat, you could not see his hands which were drawn up into his sleeves, you could not see his cane which he carried under his coat. But when the time came, you would see spring all at once out of this shadow, as from an ambush, a steep and narrow forehead, and ominous look, a threatening chin, enormous hands, and a monstrous club.”

—Les Misérables, Volume I, Book V, Chapter V

Fantine

"She had gold and pearls for her dowry; but the gold was on her head, and the pearls in her mouth."

—Les Misérables, pg. 127

" . . . her face, in repose, was in the highest degree maidenly; a kind of serious and almost austere dignity suddenly possessed it at times.

—Les Misérables, pg. 132

"What did he say? What could this condemned man say to this dead woman? What were these words? They were heard by none on earth. Did the dead woman hear them? There are touching illusions which perhaps are sublime realities. One thing is beyond a doubt; Sister Simplice, the only witness of what passed, often related that, at the moment when Jean Valjean whispered in the ear of Fantine, she distinctly saw an ineffable a smile beam on those pale lips and in those dim eyes, full of the wonder of the tomb."

—Les Misérables, pg. 296

Cosette

"Beautiful chestnut hair, shaded with veins of gold, a brow which seemed chiseled marble, cheeks which seemed made of roses, a pale incarnadine, a flushed whiteness, and exquisite mouth, whence came a smile like a gleam of sunshine, and a voice like music . . ."

—Les Misérables, Volume III, Book VI, Chapter II

“Alas! he [Jean Valjean] was no less feeble than Cosette. He protected her, and she gave strength to him. Thanks to him, she could walk upright in life; thanks to her, he could persist in virtuous deeds. He was the support of this child, and this child was his prop and staff.”

—Les Misérables, Volume II, Book IV, Chapter III

“What was taking place in this spirit so young, and already so impenetrable? What was in course of accomplishment in it? what was happening to Cosette's soul? Sometimes, instead of going to bed, Jean Valjean sat by his bedside with his head in his hands, and he spent whole nights asking himself: “What is there in Cosette's mind?” and thinking what things she could be thinking about.”

—Les Miserables, Volume IV, Book III, Chapter VII

Marius

“Marius was now a find-looking young man, of medium height, with heavy jet black hair, a high intelligent brow, large and passionate nostrils, a frank and calm expression, and an indescribable something beaming from every feature, which was at once lofty, thoughtful and innocent. . . . His manners were reserved, cold, polished, far from free. But as his mouth was very pleasant, his lips the reddest and his teeth the whitest in the world, his smile corrected the severity of his physiognomy. At certain moments there was a strange contrast between this chaste brow and this voluptuous smile. His eye was small, his look great.”

—Les Misérables, Volume III, Book VI, Chapter I

Éponine

"When she had finished, Father Mabeuf approached her with tears in his eyes, and laid his hand on her forehead.

“'God will bless you,' he said, 'you are an angel, since you care for flowers.'

“'No,' she answered,' I am the devil, but that's all the same to me.' "

—Les Misérables, Volume IV, Book II, Chapter III

submitted by Alexandria

“Singular fact, she had become more impoverished and more beautiful, two further steps that seemed impossible. She had accomplished a double progress, towards the light and towards distress. She was barefoot and in rags, as when she had so resolutely come into his room, only her rags where two months older; the holes where larger, the tatters dirtier. It was the same rough voice, the same forehead tanned and wrinkled by exposure; the same free, wild, and wandering gaze. Added to her earlier expression, she had that mixture of fear and sorrow that a prison experience adds to misery.

“She had spears of straw and grass in her hair, not like Ophelia gone mad through contact with Hamlet's madness, but because she had slept in some stable loft.

“And with all this, she was beautiful. What a star, O youth!”

—Les Misérables, Volume IV, Book II, Chapter IV

submitted by Alexandria

Gavroche

" 'You are small,' said Enjolras, 'nobody will see you. Go out of the barricades, glide along by the houses, look about the streets a little, and come and tell me what is going on.'

"Gavroche straightened himself up.

" 'Little folks are good for something then! that is very lucky! I will go! meantime, trust the little folks, distrust the big—' And Gavroche, raising his head and lowering his voice, added, pointing to the man of the Rue des Billiattes:

" 'You see that big fellow there?'

" 'Well?'

" 'He is a spy.' "

—Les Misérables, pg. 1093

Enjolras

"Enjolras was a charming young man, who was capable of being terrible. . . . . He had but one passion, the right; but one thought, to remove all obstacles. . . . Before everything but the republic, he chastely dropped his eyes. He was the marble lover of liberty. His speech was roughly inspired and had tremor of a hymn. He astonished you by his soaring."

—Les Misérables, Volume III, Book IV, Chapter I

Mssr. and Mme. Thénardier

"The reader will perhaps have some recollection of Mme. Thénardier as she was first described—tall, fair-haired, red faced, fleshy, broad shouldered, huge and active, resembling those monstrous women who parade themselves on fair grounds with paving-stones suspended from there hair. She did all the work of the house, beds, rooms, washing, and cooking; she was the climate of the place, its fine and foul weather; she was the very devil; and her only assistant was Cosette, who was like a mouse in the service of an elephant. Everything trembled at the sound of her voice, window-panes, furniture, people. Her broad face was scattered with freckles like the holes in a cream-skimmer, and she had a slight beard. In short, a market-porter clad in women's clothes."

—Les Misérables, Volume II, Book III, Chapter II

submitted by Mujer

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The illustrations on this page were, yes, drawn by me. Thank you, thank you, etc., etc.