#2.3.8

The title for this chapter refers to Valjean but he’s not the only one for whom appearances are deceptive, he dresses poorly but gives money generously and it highlights the fact that ‘what is said about people in gossip’ does matter as others have pointed out as well.

Madame Thenardier too is deceptive in her way, in this chapter adopts the pose of an innkeeper and smiles at Valjean and other customers, while being angry at Cosette for the smallest of things. She also judges people by appearance and increases the rent because Valjean seems poor - that also highlights how superficial and greedy the Thenardiers are, but also is a good commentary on how everything is more expensive when you’re poor.  

I do wish that Valjean was more discerning and did not readily agree to the demands of the Thenardiers or throw money at problems or be as polite to them as he is. I know he’s supposed to be a saint like Myriel but these people cannot be redeemed or changed. They are well off at this point and look how they treat Cosette and how they fleece everyone else.  

Speaking of appearances, Cosette is described as ugly, though the text itself says that she could have been pretty if she was happy, so her appearance is more due to malnutrition, abuse, abandonment from society and from a lack of love. All the crying and hard work has taken an effect on the poor dear little child, as well as surviving harsh winters in rags. Fear too makes her appearance unflattering and she is so conditioned to be afraid of Madame Thenardier that she instantly goes back to her task, without drying herself, poor Cosette. And the underlying causes of her appearance are important, she is ugly because of living in poverty and fear all the time.  

She has been deprived of so much of childhood and has lived with constant sadness that she turns into a demon child or an idiot, that coupled with the ugly appearance talk it seems an argument against the society which leaves the child in darkness, misery and ignorance for so long.  Hugo was concerned about education for children, I believe, so it is telling that he would write about the effects of depriving them of it. I don’t really think it’s too much of a stretch to imagine that a child living in constant trauma and being malnourished might be dull, it is possible for the child to experience severe problems due to the effects of trauma, lack of play and lack of attachment. I don’t think Hugo is too far off in his descriptions.

She’s also perhaps a demon child because she has been kept away from God by virtue of never having attended church. She is denied spiritual and material comforts, which are both important for Hugo. It’s not just that she’s been denied comforts, she has been abused so much that her entire thing is to shrink and take up as little space as possible in everything she does, I am crying.

Madame Thenardier meanwhile notices the missing fifteen sous, and her concern only extends to the money, while being ready to beat Cosette for a little thing. The other travellers except Valjean don’t pay attention to it, it seems to be a common place thing or something they have chosen to ignore for so long and, it’s so heart breaking. Valjean is a stranger, but he is the only one that helps and the only one that Cosette warms up to and he earns her trust. We’re still continuing on with the appearances being deceptive theme. He’s the only one generous enough to help her by giving the Thenardier woman twenty sous, while still having the appearance of a beggar.  

It’s so important that Hugo highlights the distinction and appearance of Cosette because in the next instant he describes Eponine and Azelma, who are two of the prettiest girls, they are the exact opposite to Cosette at this time, having both the maternal care and love and warm dresses and the freedom to do what they want which is reflected even in their body language. Hugo is good at writing children. 

The attitude of the young girls towards each other, also sort of represents the attitude of the rich and the poor. Cosette is envious of their playthings and a mother’s attention while they do not consider her worth giving time. To be fair, the fault is not on the side of Eponine and Azelma, but the way they have been raised and the way the adults around them have behaved around Cosette for they are still children themselves and have learned what their parents have taught them, even if Cosette is not their equal and therefore deserving of compassion.

The Thenardier children’s doll isn’t good but Cosette is distracted from her work to glance at it while Madame Thenardier threatens her again. Valjean’s shabby clothes put him at a disadvantage when making his request, but he counters that with paying a lot more money than thirty sous, I’m not sure why he could not pay thirty sous and had to pay five francs drawing suspicion on himself.

I did like that Cosette moved to take her lead sword and old rags to play with, but I do find it cringeworthy that Hugo makes everything about playing, a chance to perfect and work on motherhood. It’s as if for him little girls are mothers in training and I do get the whole thing about this not being just a Hugo thing but still it is very much ugh, Hugo no. It’s also telling that instead of playing with the sword, Cosette swaddles it like a doll. 

I also don’t care for Hugo’s entire spiel about the ‘first child following on from the last doll’ it’s very patronising and he seems to emphasise how much a young girl is incomplete without having a doll, just as a woman is without a child, instead of talking about playthings generally. Hugo you were doing so well in this chapter, why are you saying this? Please stop.

Madame Thenardier quickly changes the way she addresses Valjean, calling him Monsieur and treating him as a rich man. While Cosette’s refrain of her mother being dead is so painful, I wonder how many time Madame Thenardier must have repeated this in front of the child without knowing for sure that her mother was alive or dead, for the child to be singing it.

I find it interesting that Madame Thenardier is confused at different points in this chapter about Valjean’s identity and I don’t think that we as readers quite know what to make of him here. He was Valjean, then he became a convict who became Monsieur Madeleine and then he became a convict again and now we don’t know who he is, perhaps that is why Hugo does not mention his name as well. We don’t know what his identity is right now, is he Valjean? Is he going to take on some other identity? and it is also telling that Cosette is someone who will give him his identity and his purpose later on.  

Cosette takes on playing with the doll but is then treated as if she has committed a grave crime - the way Madame Thenardier treats her is so demeaning, she doesn’t treat or see Cosette as a person and I can’t help that it seems like commentary on the ones in power, the people who are rich, not seeing the ones who are oppressed, as people.

Cosette gets Catherine the doll and the Thenardiers in return treat Valjean as someone who is rich so they can get more money out of him. I don’t know what the meaning behind the bridal suite is and I also don’t get why Valjean particularly thinks of being ugly with being a virgin, which, I can only assume, Hugo is being annoying in his descriptions of women again.