#not that the journal was totally neutral but it was meant to be more authentic inside me this is still sort of outside me

[playingonedchess]

lucky this blog only goes back to when id already finished school or id have to go and delete everything

[readingraebow]

Les Misérables Section Eight

Part 4 - Books 6-10

1. What happened to the last two Thénardier children? So the Thénardiers had two more children but they didn't want them. They were already poor and now had two additional mouths to feed. Plus Mme Thénardier only really wanted girls??? Those were the only ones she would really mother. And the two new ones were both boys. So. La Magnon had two boys of the same age and her husband would give her a monthly "allowance" (or something like that) which basically bankrolled her way of life. But her sons died so she thought that would be an end to the money unless she came up with a solution fast. And that's how she came to "rent" the Thénardier children. She would pay them ten francs a piece for each boy and pass them off as her own children. And her husband nEVER EVEN NOTICED THEY WEREN'T HIS KIDS??? When she would see him with the children, she would be like "how like you they're growing!" and he never noticed a difference. So. Bad parenting happening all around. But then when the Thénardiers were arrested, the police started cracking down on other criminals like them and the Magnons were arrested as well. So one day the boys came home to a letter from their "mother" and the landlord telling them they didn't live there anymore. So they ended up out on the street (because they lost the letter).

2. What do you think of the relationship between the Thénardiers and their children? Honestly, I think it's horrible. They don't care about their children at all??? And, actually, I was talking to Dalton about this right after I finished this section. They didn't need that many children but this was before birth control was really a thing so they had a ton of kids that they didn't want and couldn't take care of and it's the children who suffer the most. Because their three boys, the one they didn't want in the first place, are all living out on the street. Gavroche seems to do alright??? (But, still, he shouldn't be homeless and have to live on the street when his parents are aLIVE.) But the two youngest now have nowhere to go and have never even known their parents. When the Thénardiers still had their inn, I think things were better and their children still had a roof over their heads even if their parents didn't want them. But since the inn closed and the Thénardiers slipped further into poverty, their children have had a horrible life and I honestly feel so, so sorry for all of their children.

3. At the beginning of Book Seven, Hugo discusses the use of slang in literature. What do you think of the use of slang or trying to make characters’ dialogue authentic (i.e. Ebonics, accents, etc) in literature? Okay so. I was just encountering this problem in Outlander. So when it comes to accents, I absolutely hate when authors write to the accent. Because it takes me longer to read and half the time I still can't make heads or tails of it??? (Especially Scottish, apparently????) And I feel like I need subtitles to understand what's even going on. So I would rather the author tell us that they have an accent but then write correctly. However, that's the only kind of slang that bothers me. Using phrases that are true to the culture (as Hugo talks about when he discusses the origins of words and how they've passed from other languages to French) are totally fine and I think they add to the story rather than subtract. Bu' if ya be writin' lyke dis t' sher they talk wi't an acc'nt, then I probably want to slap you through the book.

4. What happens the day after Marius runs into Éponine? So Éponine had been following Marius every day that he visited Cosette but she hadn't gone near enough the house. Well, after the day that Marius saw her and wasn't quite right to her, the next day he saw her walking toward him and went another way. So that day, Éponine followed him all the way to the house. Well that was the day Thénardier and the other escaped convicts decided to rob the place. Éponine had already said, through the biscuit code, that the house wasn't worth robbing. But they decided not to listen to her and rob it anyway. But they found Éponine waiting there and she wouldn't let them. She told them that if they made any move to go through the gate, she would scream and raise the whole neighborhood and have them all sent back to prison. And at first they were just going to go on with it, but finally the leader of the group said there had been too many bad signs that day and it wasn't worth it.

5. What sad news does Cosette tell Marius? She says her father has told her to start packing their things. He has business elsewhere and they will be leaving to attend to it. He hasn't told her when they'll be leaving or how long they'll be gone. But he did say that they'll probably be going to England. And, because he's her father, Cosette doesn't really have any choice but to go with him.

6. Why does Marius visit his grandfather? He visits his grandfather to ask permission to marry Cosette. Apparently, because Marius is still under the age of twenty-five, his grandfather is considered his guardian and he has to have his permission to marry. Otherwise, if he were older, it wouldn't matter. At least, that's how I'm understanding it? I honestly thought he was asking for money to follow Cosette to England. But even though his grandfather tries to give him money to buy new clothes, he doesn't take it.

7. Why has Jean Valjean decided to leave Paris? He saw Thénardier but Thénardier hadn't recognized him because he was in disguise. But then he started seeing him more frequently so he assumed Thénardier had now begun to frequent that area which meant it was no longer safe. Because Thénardier is the embodiment of all the dangers threatening Jean Valjean and his family's safety. Plus he also saw the address Marius had scRATCHED INTO THE WALL (literally as he was doing that I was like ???????? that's not smart????) and he decided they might be in danger. So Jean Valjean has decided to get out of France altogether and go somewhere safer.

8. What caused the June uprising/revolt/insurrection? Okay wow. So Book Ten is, uh, really dense, haha. And I was half asleep when I read most of it. So. Bare with me while I figure this out. Paris was already on the brink of an uprising but it just needed a spark to set it off. So that spark was the death of General Lamarque. So basically he was a guy who was beloved by all because he was pretty neutral politically and understood the causes of both sides. So when he died, it was not unexpected but it definitely caused a reaction because he was a real loss to France. The day of his death was a day of national mourning and the day of his funeral was the day of the revolt. So basically the procession for his funeral allowed an opportunity for the uprising which was conducted by two groups who were able to cause a commotion in the crowd because everyone gathered to watch the funeral procession. (Is any of that even right though???? haha)

  Section Eight Reading Journal

Wow. So. I reaaaaally need to finish this book. Because the cover started popping off again and this will make the third or forth time I’ve glued it, haha. Apparently even my copy is like wiLL YOU FINISH ME ALREADY??? IT’S BEEN TOO LONG.

But, anyway, so this section was interesting???? It had not one but TWO Hugo ranting tangents. And then tiny bits of story thrown in. It’s not that I mind the Hugo tangents because, honestly, they’re usually fascinating but, wow, Book Ten was dense. Or maybe I was just really tired every time I sat down to read it. It was also pretty long? Like 20 pages or something? I think the other rant was only, like, ten??

Anyway, the Thénardier stuff was fascinating. Especially the part about RENTING OUT THEIR TWO YOUNGEST CHILDREN??? If there were ever a list of people who should not be parents, uh, they would be at the top??? How even??? Worst parenting of all time??? Though, I guess, keeping them would’ve been equally bad since they couldn’t afford to feed the family they already had. But. Still. Those poor children who did nothing but be born and born to the wrong parents and in the wrong time period, at that.

And I’m so interested to see how Cosette and Marius plays out. It feels like they barely know each other at this point??? And he’s already planning to propose just to stop her from leaving. But, I guess, that’s also how marriages generally worked during this time frame? So. I’m super interested in all of that and to see how that plays out.

So. Continuing to really love this book. But I also wish we would get back to Les Amis. I feel like we haven’t really seen them in a while and I really want to get back to them. Can’t wait to read the next section! I am loving this book!!