Les Misérables Volume 5, Chapter 7 Summary

Summary

At dawn the quarter opposite the barricade lies eerily quiet and deserted. The insurgents have fortified their position overnight, barricading the Rue Mondétour and raising the walls; the work has made their stronghold three-fronted but without an exit, a ‘‘fortress but a rat hole.’' Enjolras inspects and organizes the defence: sentinels are posted, men take chosen places behind paving-stone walls and redans, and a strict order settles over the group as they await the approaching attack. The atmosphere is tense and disciplined; a ration of brandy is issued, guns are cocked, and a shared resolve—almost despair—pervades the defenders.

A new assault arrives from the Saint-Leu quarter unlike the previous night: the rumble and clank of a heavy iron construction announce an approaching cannon. Artillery-men roll a brass field-piece into the middle of the street, set it in firing position and begin to load. The insurgents observe closely and debate the cannon’s make and potential faults, with Combeferre and Bossuet exchanging technical and historical remarks that mix military detail and wry commentary. Enjolras commands the barricade to fire as the cannon is planted. As the defenders reload, a loud ‘‘Present!’’ is heard — Gavroche darts back into the barricade at that instant. A cannon-ball slams into the mass of rubbish but does not cause catastrophic damage: an omnibus wheel and an old cart are hurt, but the barricade holds. The arrival and survival of Gavroche elicit relief and laughter among the defenders. Bossuet taunts the artillery to continue, as the immediate crisis is defused though the danger remains imminent.

Key events

1. Dawn reveals deserted streets and the heavily reinforced barricade
2. Enjolras closes the Rue Mondétour, making the barricade three-fronted
3. Insurgents take positions, cock guns, and await the assault in disciplined silence
4. A brass cannon is rolled into the street and prepared for action
5. Enjolras orders the barricado to fire; artillery returns fire
6. Gavroche leaps into the barricade as a cannon-ball strikes the rubbish but fails to breach it

Analysis

This chapter shifts the novel from the intimate, preparatory scenes of comradeship to an immediate, mechanized threat, emphasizing the collision between youthful revolutionary fervour and the impersonal machinery of state force. Hugo uses detailed, almost clinical description of the barricade’s structure and the cannon’s arrival to dramatize the asymmetry of power: human bodies arrayed in makeshift defences versus industrial artillery. The transformation of the defenders’ behaviour—from chaotic building to strict, performative discipline—underscores a recurring theme: peril forges social order and moral clarity among the rebels. Enjolras functions here as the stoic, almost ritual leader who channels their communal despair into readiness; his presence converts scattered energy into unified resistance.

Hugo sprinkles technical and historical digressions (Combeferre’s remarks on rifled cannon, Bossuet’s quips) that both ground the scene in martial reality and provide tonal contrast—learned, sometimes ironic commentary amid imminent violence. The cannon’s failure to produce the hoped-for breach, and Gavroche’s dramatic reappearance, introduce a brief release of communal relief and laughter, reinforcing bonds and morale. Symbolically, the brass cannon represents the state’s cold, mechanical power; the barricade’s resilience suggests the precarious but potent resource of collective will. Narratively, the chapter accelerates tension through sensory detail (sound of chains, rumble of wheels, smoke) and closes with a small triumph that postpones but does not remove the impending catastrophe.

Important quotes

“A barricade before the arrival of danger is chaos; in danger, it is discipline itself. Peril produces order.”

NarratorStates how imminent threat crystallizes the insurgents’ scattered activity into disciplined readiness under Enjolras.

“A cannon made its appearance.”

NarratorMarks the turning point when the mechanical force of the army arrives and the nature of the threat becomes clear.

“Gavroche flung himself into the barricade just as the ball dashed against it.”

NarratorGavroche’s daring return provides a moment of relief and human courage amid the artillery assault.

Characters in Volume 5, Chapter 7

• Enjolras
• Courfeyrac
• Bossuet
• Combeferre
• Gavroche
• Jesus Christ
• Napoleon