Les Misérables · Chapter
Just Indignation of a Hairdresser explained
A hairdresser shaves an old soldier of the Empire while they discuss the Emperor's horse and battle wounds.
What happens
A hairdresser shaves an old soldier of the Empire while they discuss the Emperor's horse and battle wounds. Their conversation is interrupted when a stone thrown by Gavroche shatters the shop window, prompting the hairdresser's outrage.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Marius’s psychological peak occurs as he is overwhelmed by a “whirlwind” of confusion, realizing that his pers…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- The Human Condition and Fate
The soldier's matter-of-fact recounting of his many wounds contrasts with the hairdresser's romanticized view of dying in battle, highlighting different perspectives on fate and suffering.
Characters to notice
- Gavroche
Throws a stone through the hairdresser's window as he flees, recalling the two little boys he had earlier taken in.
Key passages
“How did the Emperor ride, sir?”
The hairdresser asks the veteran about Napoleon's horsemanship.
Reveals the common man's curiosity about the Emperor's personal habits.
“You're not over fastidious.”
The soldier dismisses the hairdresser's wish to die gloriously in battle.
Shows the veteran's pragmatic view of war's horrors versus the civilian's romanticism.
