The convent is sort of a liminal place, isnāt it? It is in the world and out of it, so much that Fauchelevant does not know what the rumours have been about Madeleine/Valjean. He still thinks of Valjean as Madeleine, an identity that is dead. Ā Itās also a liminal place in the sense that Valjean does not really exist here or at least it is thought impossible for him existing here in a convent.Ā Itās no wonder that Fauchelevant finds himself against the incomprehensible.Ā
I love Fauchelevant so much, heās such a great character. He immediately decides to put all his powers into saving Madeleine. I also like how he refers to him as a saint.
Hugo talks of him being selfish because he had lived completely in the world, worked a few jobs and tried to make the best of his circumstances. There doesnāt seem to be something selfish about him even in his past life (he was jealous of the mayor, because while Fauchelevant tried to do his best, he sank lower and lower in poverty and in society, while Madeleine rose higher and higher, so it was a fairly normal thing to end up resenting the mayor). It can be another comment on how some peopleās circumstances do not improve even if they work hard and therefore Madeleineās charity to Fauchelevant- that model of charity that benefits everyone and provides safety nets is necessary.
Hugo portrays him here as a rustic peasant with cunning, who has lost some of his argot after working as a copy clerk. Therefore, he ātalks almost like a gentlemanā which is assumed to be a good thing. (Sidenote: I know this is really a minor, minor quibble here, but honestly Hugo, what is it about poor peasants, why depict them in an unfavourable light?)
But after his near-death experience and being sent to the convent (which might have some good in it as we have discovered previously), makes him less self-centred and more involved in doing good deeds. Convent becomes a place of goodness, even indirectly through Fauchelevant working in the gardens both metaphorically and physically. The whole idea of spending time in prayers/thoughts/contemplation while gardening, has an effect on turning his thoughts outwards to others. Fauchelevant too exists in a liminal place, perhaps, he is not part of the convent and that experience, but he is allowed to observe things from the hut in the garden and just being in this place of religion is enough to have some influence on him, I guess.Ā
We do see the effect of Providence in this chapter too, Madeleine enters the convent as the nun is dying and this will form a fortunate way of entering the convent, through a near death experience, mirroring Fauchelevantās experience in some way, because Valjean too is entering that liminal space, where the last remaining instance of his Madeleine identity can be laid to rest and he can take on another new identity. Valjean meanwhile keeps his secrets and does not let anything slip and it is Fauchelevantās goodness that he accepts everything and does not pry too much. The explanation of the burial and Fauchelevantās gravedigging duties, sets up how Valjean will make his escape. Ā
I love Fauchelevantās dialogue, itās both serious and funny, āThatās how you go to heaven. They bring a box that has nothing inside it and carry off a box with something inside it, thatās what a burial is. De Profundis.ā and āThe good Lord must have picked you up in his hands to take a good look at you and let you go.ā The image of him walking with a bell is pretty funny too as others have already pointed out.Ā Ā
I also love that throughout this Cosette remains Valjeanās pre-occupation at various points, even prompting, āNot being heard is no reason for silenceā from the narrator. The way she has been described, āIn her sleep with her lips parted, she looked like an angel drinking in the light. Jean Valjean fell to gazing at her,ā is interesting as well. Cosette exudes all the innocence and light from herself even if she had never been introduced to religion and God, which was another neglect on the part of Thenardiers. Considering how important Hugo has said the Infinite/God is in the book, she will have the chance in the convent.
