Les Misérables · Chapter
Basque and Nicolette explained
M.
What happens
M. Gillenormand's theory on marital finances is explained: a man who cares little for his wife should let her control the purse-strings to buy peace. He applied this theory himself, allowing his second wife to manage his fortune until only a modest annuity remained. He renames his servants arbitrarily, calling all male servants 'Basque' and all female servants 'Nicolette,' as illustrated by a cook named Olympie who is renamed Nicolette.
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Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- 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 readingCharacters to notice
- M. Gillenormand
Explains his theory on letting one's wife control finances; applied it to his own marriage, leaving him with a modest annuity; renames his servants Basque and Nicolette.
- Basque
M. Gillenormand's last valet, a big, foundered, short-winded fellow of fifty-five born at Bayonne, renamed Basque.
- Nicolette
Generic name given to all female servants in M. Gillenormand's house; a haughty cook named Olympie is renamed Nicolette.
Key passages
“When a man is passionately fond of women, and when he has himself a wife for whom he cares but little, who is homely, cross, legitimate, with plenty of rights, perched on the code, and jealous at need, there is but one way of extricating himself from the quandry and of procuring peace, and that is to let his wife control the purse-strings.”
If a man loves women in general but has a wife he dislikes—who is unattractive, ill-tempered, legally entitled, and jealous—the only way to find peace is to give her control of the money.
M. Gillenormand's theory on marital strategy.
