C D’s Reviews > Les Misérables > Status Update

Mademoiselle Baptistine, who had accompanied her brother, M. Myriel, on his way to Digne, had been devoutly religious throughout her life. She acquired a character of goodness and transparency through maturity, allowing the “glimmers of the angel within” to become visible to others around her. Madame Magloire was plump and old with asthma, while M. Baptistine was thin.

Hugo says that the gossip that was “initially engrossing … were entirely forgotten.” Hugo comments on how those who had gossiped about M. Myriel were “petty,” meaning they were concerned and overly interested in trifling matters. Hugo shows a negative opinion toward those who gossip often despite lacking sincere interest in the objects of their short-lived fascination.

As an old man who had been living in seclusion, M. Myriel learned he had been appointed as the Bishop of Digne. Before the Revolution, the Myriel family was not well known.

After the Revolution began, M. Myriel emigrated to Italy, where his wife had died of a lung disease. He had experienced his family’s downfall during the collapse of the old French society, causing questions as to whether his experiences had caused him to venture into a life of solitude. He returned from Italy as a priest.

Summary

Monsieur Charles Myriel was Bishop of Digne. He was the son of a judge of the Superior Court of Aix, who had arranged a marriage for M. Myriel at a young age. M. Myriel was handsome, elegant, and witty, so he gained attention despite how he’d already been married.