3.6.3
On one hand Marius and Cosette glancing at each other is likened to Spring which is a very Symbolic description of new things stirring and Marius’ walks in nature have led to this moment. It is also likened to ‘a flash of brilliance’ and ‘dawn breaking in the sky’ - light metaphors linked to new feelings and love stirring.
On the other hand, I wish Hugo would not talk about women because he comes across as really gross here with the whole talk about a woman’s gaze deliberately trapping a man. Women aren’t laying down traps for men when they look at them. It is a very stereotypical, boy and girl discover love at first sight, but I wish Hugo didn’t make it out as if women’s looks are wily, deceiving and full of traps and talk about ‘a virgin with a woman’s gaze’ because Cosette is fifteen, it would not be acceptable to talk of her at an older age too but she is fifteen so it is deeply uncomfortable when Hugo writes about a fifteen year old girl this way.
It is interesting though, I think it’s probably the first time Marius really has noticed someone properly and seen how he might appear in their eyes, which also causes him to notice how people see him.
3.6.4
I really like this line, ‘I have seen Marius’s new hat and coat with Marius in them.’ Courfeyrac is such a troll, he’s always making fun.
The appearance of the bourgeois and his admonitions of avoiding extremes is interesting especially since he himself does not seem to be avoiding any extremes, perhaps he is meant as a warning for Marius to not overdo things? But I can’t really take him and his warning seriously, so maybe we are not meant to.
I do find it hilarious that Marius has the same opinions that Hugo does comparing Racine and Moliere. Hugo in his Preface also compares them and even though it has been a while since I’ve read the Preface to Cromwell, I think he does not care for Racine’s classical bent and the Aristotelian unity, whereas he might be slightly more sympathetic to Moliere’s comedy. Hugo’s preface is not perfect in its arguments, but it is interesting as a Romantic Manifesto.
I also love how self-conscious Marius is with regards to his clothes and how amusing it is that Hugo attributes his own work to Marius, which was published when Marius was all of ten years old.
It’s also amusing that Marius thinks that Monsieur LeBlanc must think his new hat and trousers to be splendid and therefore judge him a good person and it is very much like Marius to forget to eat in his preoccupations.
3.6.5
Courfeyrac gives everyone nicknames. It is said that he does not take anything seriously but I’m not sure if he is meant to be very terrible, Brujon does not seem such a bad nickname. And yet we do know that Courfeyrac takes some things like politics very seriously. He’s showing his playful side here and probably also does not mean to be offensive with the nickname, although we don’t really get to see things from his point of view here. I also find it interesting how being in the fandom has made me approach the amis probably slightly differently than I would have if I didn’t already like them a lot, so I am willing to think a lot more favourably of Courfeyrac than maybe I would. Maybe I would be as confused with him as Marius is. I do think Courfeyrac is very much a paladin and a thoroughly decent guy but he has his mischievous/playful streak.
Also, once again Madame Brujon seems to be made fun of by the narrative, she’s only curious where Marius is going everyday in his new hat and coat everyday which is a valid concern, since he is living in cheap accommodations, he might be doing something suspicious. I find it annoying how Hugo so easily dismisses or makes fun of minor women characters.
3.6.6
Cosette and Valjean’s approach towards Marius is once again compared with all the light symbolisms. Cosette glances at him but once again I find the whole bit about her beauty being feminine and angelic kind of off-putting because she is still very young but this time we get to see it from Marius’ point of view and what he thinks of her and yet he is still worried about his boots, which is a very Pontmercy thing and I do like it. I like Marius being a dork and he’s being a dork in the way that I find sweet.
I don’t like Hugo going, ‘A woman’s look is like powerful mechanisms’ that work on you while you are not aware, and you find you have given up your future and your soul. It’s not…it’s not how love is supposed to work. Cosette was just going about her way, being a young girl- this is blaming Cosette for her casual look which was not meant to make anyone think that she was interested (granted I am speaking from a 21st century feminist perspective, but I really think Hugo is not being fair here even from a 19th Century perspective on love).
It’s also, I don’t know, their love at this moment feels passive in many ways. Cosette glanced in his direction without any intentions to fall in love and Hugo was the one being weird about how women’s looks are traps which start a process over which Marius has no control. I guess this is how love at first sight maybe happens, I don’t know (Hugo knew Adele before they fell in love so it can’t really be about his own courtship), but it still feels slightly too much of a thing that happened to them rather than both of them choosing it. It feels more like a coincidence or something that was meant to be, without their choosing.
Courfeyrac makes a passing remark to keeping women as a collection, and he makes the remark outside of the hat shop girl’s hearing, perhaps to emphasise that he is not like Tholomyes, but in some ways he is. He seems to have some of his views on treating love as a transaction, although as other people mentioned, he would make sure to not abandon his lover and also that everyone was having a good time, so he is not.
Prouvaire called amorous in his description should be the first to notice that Marius is seriously in love, is no surprise, I do think it really sweet- Prouvaire recognising Marius is in love and taking it seriously. I do find how the amis still think of Marius and like him really wonderful and I do sort of like Marius here with his dorkiness on full display.
