#anyway the real reason JVJ doesn't wanna go back to prison is that it's so fucking far send tweet

[shitpostingfromthebarricade]

Locations of Les Mis - Jean Valjean's Journey

Okay, so JVJ starts his life in Faverolles, Brie (modern Aisne — thanks @vapaus-ystavyys-tasaarvo).

Then he was put in chains in Bicêtre (in Paris)

and continued on his way to Toulon, where he was in prison for 19 years.

The day after his release, he was underpaid for his labor in Grasse (was told 30 sous but, after showing his papers, was only paid 15 sous)

and several days later was in Brignolles, Digne where he was denied food and shelter but met the Bishop (inspired by the historical Bishop of Digne).

He was supposed to be going to Pontarlier next to work in the dairy farms

but instead went on to Montreuil-sur-Mer (Fantine's hometown and where she'd later return after Tholomyès left), arriving "just at nightfall, on a December evening" in 1815. What I suspect happened in the interim is that JVJ went to Paris before setting out for this town that he heard was good for cottage industries (and away from Faverolles, where he knew he would be searched for) (and anyway, last he heard his sister and niblings had moved to Paris as well) (OH SHIT was his first instinct to seek them out in Paris???). (Map updated, thank you to @baloo394 for the correction!)

In early March 1823 when Champmathieu was on trial in Arras, JVJ went through great lengths to travel from Montrieul-sur-Mer to there, leaving at 5AM and arriving at "nearly eight o'clock in the evening" despite all of the hindrances.

He then returns to Montrieul-sur-Mer to see Fantine die and be re-arrested. He escapes for three or four days, allowing him time to bury his money in the woods near Montfermeil (which Boulatruelle sees and is haunted by for the rest of his days) — Montfermeil also being where Fantine stopped on her way from Paris to Montrieul-sur-Mer and deposited Cosette with the Thénardiers —

after which he was found in Paris "at the very moment when he was entering one of those little vehicles which run between the capital and the village of Montfermeil (Seine-et-Oise)" (2.2.1). (What was the PLAN JVJ??? You went to Montfermeil, then on to Paris, and then ... what, were gonna backtrack back to Montfermeil? Did they report inaccurately and you'd just arrived in Paris? What did you go on to Paris to do?????)

He then next appears at the Court of Assizes of the Var (see the green in the bottom right-hand corner?) not long before 25 July 1823. I assume this is because he robbed Petit-Gervais while in that region.

After this, he was returned to Toulon.

Orion entered Toulon's port late October 1823, and JVJ made his unlikely escape 17 November 1823.

24 December 1823, we know that JVJ finally arrives in Montfermeil to retrieve Cosette,

after which they escape to Paris where they remain more or less the rest of the book (besides JVJ's periodic Monfermeil excursions).