Les Misérables · Character

Champmathieu

A poor man mistakenly arrested as Jean Valjean.

minor

Also known as Father Champmathieu, the pretended Champmathieu

First appearance: xiii the solution of some questions connected with the municipal police

Champmathieu shows up with force in How Jean May Become Champ. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Mentioned as the man mistaken for Jean Valjean, about to be tried at Arras.

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In How Jean May Become Champ: Mentioned as the man mistaken for Jean Valjean, about to be tried at Arras. Later, in How Jean May Become Champ: The innocent man mistakenly identified as Jean Valjean by Brevet,…

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See Champmathieu in xiii the solution of some questions connected with the municipal police

Character Web

12 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Minor characters and supporting figures
Main characters and revolutionaries

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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…

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Champmathieu appears across 15 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

How Jean May Become Champ
Mentioned as the man mistaken for Jean Valjean, about to be tried at Arras.
How Jean May Become Champ
The innocent man mistakenly identified as Jean Valjean by Brevet, Cochepaille, and Chenildieu. He is set to be tried at the Assizes in Arras.
Book VII: The Champmathieu Affair
An innocent man mistaken for Jean Valjean, facing trial.
Book VII: The Champmathieu Affair
The innocent man mistaken for Jean Valjean, facing trial.
III: A Tempest in a Skull
The innocent man mistaken for Jean Valjean, whose impending condemnation triggers Valjean's inner turmoil.
A Place Where Convictions Are in Process of Formation
The accused, mistaken for Jean Valjean, sits bewildered on the bench, denying the charges and the theft of apples.
X: The System of Denials
The accused, a poor wheelwright, gives a rambling defense of his innocence, claiming he picked up a broken branch with apples and never stole, and that he worked for M. Baloup in Paris.
X: The System of Denials
The accused insists his name is Champmathieu, a poor wheelwright from Paris, and denies being Jean Valjean.
Champmathieu More and More Astonished
The wrongly accused man who is freed after Valjean's confession, left stupefied by the events.
Champmathieu More and More Astonished
The wrongly accused man who is freed after Valjean's confession, leaving in a state of stupefaction.
Book VIII: A Counterblow
The innocent man mistakenly arrested as Jean Valjean, facing trial for his supposed crimes.
Javert Satisfied
Acquitted and set free after Valjean's confession.
Javert Satisfied
Mentioned as the innocent man who was nearly convicted but is released after Valjean's confession.
Book VI: The Sleepless Night
The innocent man mistakenly identified as Jean Valjean, facing wrongful conviction.
Book VI: The Sleepless Night
The innocent man mistaken for Jean Valjean, facing wrongful conviction.

Chapter companion notes

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See Champmathieu in xiii the solution of some questions connected with the municipal police

See Champmathieu in How Jean May Become Champ