Les Misérables Volume 1, Chapter 3 Summary

Summary

Bishop Myriel continues his rigorous pastoral rounds across the mountainous, sparsely connected diocese of D——, which contains many curacies, vicarships, and auxiliary chapels. Because of poor roads and steep terrain he travels on foot, in a tilted spring-cart on plains, and on a donkey in the mountains; his two old female companions accompany him when possible. Once, arriving at the ancient city of Senez mounted on an ass, his modest transport provokes scandalized laughter from the mayor and some citizens, to which the Bishop replies calmly that he rode the animal from necessity and humility, not vanity.

On these visits the Bishop emphasizes kind, practical instruction over formal preaching. He addresses local shortcomings by pointing to concrete examples of neighborly justice and communal charity from other districts—Briançon, which grants mowing rights to widows and orphans and rebuilds ruined houses; Embrun, where villagers harvest for a sick man whose family is absent; Devolny, where property customs preserve family harmony; and the valley of Queyras, where civic life replaces litigation and shared resources support itinerant schoolmasters. He uses brief parables and vivid images rather than elaborate rhetoric, and his conviction gives force to his words, persuading listeners by example and moral practicality.

Key events

1. Description of the difficult geography and numerous parishes of the diocese of D——.
2. The Bishop travels on foot, cart, or donkey; his two old companions sometimes accompany him.
3. Arrival at Senez where the mayor and citizens react with scandal to his riding an ass.
4. The Bishop answers the mayor, explaining his necessity and humility.
5. He preaches by example, citing communal charitable customs from Briançon, Embrun, Devolny, and Queyras.
6. He extols shared solutions like itinerant schoolmasters and local, unpaid justice as models for virtue.

Analysis

This chapter develops Bishop Myriel's character through concrete action and speech rather than abstract description, establishing him as a model of pastoral humility and practical charity. The difficult diocese and the Bishop's simple modes of travel symbolize both the physical hardships of ministry and the moral distance between clerical ideals and worldly prestige; his willingness to ride an ass confronts bourgeois expectations and exposes social vanity. The repeated citation of neighboring communities functions as a rhetorical device: rather than preaching rules, the Bishop uses comparative examples to instruct local listeners, which underscores Hugo's interest in social remedies that rely on communal custom rather than institutional authority.

Structurally, the chapter offers a counterpoint to more dramatic episodes by focusing on steady, everyday goodness and social imagination—small civic practices that prevent crime and destitution. The recurrent motifs of travel and example create a pattern that frames later moral judgments in the novel: virtue is shown in routine acts and communal arrangements, not in grand gestures alone. The narrative voice admires the Bishop's simplicity and persuasive clarity, and the parables emphasize themes of solidarity, education, and local justice—principles that Hugo treats as foundations for social health and human dignity.

Important quotes

““Monsieur the Mayor,” said the Bishop, “and Messieurs Citizens, I perceive that I shock you. You think it very arrogant in a poor priest to ride an animal which was used by Jesus Christ. I have done so from necessity, I assure you, and not from vanity.””

Bishop MyrielThe Bishop responds calmly to the scandalized mayor and laughing citizens upon arriving in Senez on a donkey, explaining his humility.

“Look at the people of Briançon! They have conferred on the poor, on widows and orphans, the right to have their meadows mown three days in advance of every one else.”

Narrator (reporting the Bishop)One of the concrete community examples the Bishop gives to illustrate practical charity and local customs that protect the vulnerable.

“But what a disgrace to be ignorant! Do like the people of Queyras!”

Narrator (reporting the Bishop)The Bishop urges villages without schoolmasters to emulate Queyras, which supports itinerant teachers, using strong moral language to promote education.

Characters in Volume 1, Chapter 3

• Bishop Myriel
• Sister Simplice
• Mayor of Senez
• citizens of Senez