Les Misérables · Chapter
VII: The Situation Becomes Aggravated explained
As dawn breaks, the barricade is fortified and the insurgents prepare for a renewed assault.
What happens
As dawn breaks, the barricade is fortified and the insurgents prepare for a renewed assault. A cannon is brought into position and fires upon the barricade, but Gavroche's return lifts spirits as the ball causes only minor damage.
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 Falling 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
- Revolution and Social Upheaval
The barricade is fortified and the insurgents prepare for a decisive confrontation with the army, highlighting the intensity of revolutionary struggle.
- Suffering and Sacrifice
The combatants embrace despair as their last weapon, ready to sacrifice themselves in the face of overwhelming force.
Characters to notice
- Enjolras
Commands the barricade, orders further fortification and gives the order to fire on the approaching cannon.
- Courfeyrac
Comments wryly on the barricade being a fortress but a rat hole, and later jokes about the cannon.
- Bossuet
Praises the cannoneers and engages in technical discussion about cannon design.
- Combeferre
Provides detailed analysis of the cannon's construction and ballistic properties.
- Gavroche
Returns to the barricade just as the cannon fires, climbing over the auxiliary barricade and lifting spirits.
Key passages
“A fortress but a rat hole too”
Courfeyrac jokes that the barricade, though strong, traps them inside with no escape.
Courfeyrac's remark underscores the fatalistic humor of the insurgents.
“despair—the last weapon, which sometimes gives victory”
The narrator observes that despair can be a powerful force, even leading to triumph against the odds.
Reflects the theme of sacrifice and the paradoxical strength found in hopelessness.
