Update Dec. 2

Bellwrite: Are Cosette and Marius really in love? What is love?

We practiced our memorization of Mosiah 4:17-20. We also had a reading check (Students should be on page 418 by today.).

We then worked on discussing the following questions from Les Miserables.

1. What does Hugo mean by the "reduction of man"? Which characters have been reduced? Describe all that is lost when man is reduced. (291, bending continually more and more 66)
2. Describe the reduction of Monsier Mabeuf. (removed Marius' cataract 263, descending 341, misery unbinds 342, 402)
3. Why does Hugo include the description of the criminal ring Patron-Minette? How does the description evoke mythological imagery? How does the description show the final reduction of man? (280-282)
4. Why is the significance of Eponine's teeth? (teeth gone 285, bread 289)
5. Why does the animal imagery predominate the scenes in the Jondrette's "den"? (eat the whole world 293, nor of living 293, idleness 294, animal imagery 303, gone crazy from misery 314)
6. Why does Thenardier blame Valjean for his misery? (diseased perception 318-319)
7. Why does Valjean burn his own arm? (327)
8. Is Gavroche reduced? (332-333, and passage from unabridged)
9. Why did Valjean leave the convent? (350)
10. What is the significance of Valjean's box? ("Inseparable" 351)
11. Were Cosette and Marius truly in love? (odorous garden like Eden 353, Marius dazzled 298, love at first glance 357, the love letter 364-365, read in his eyes 366, what is your name? 370)
12. What is the significance of the mirrors? (Eponine sees a mirror 287, Cosette dazzled by herself 355, Fantine's mirror 66)
13. How does love affect perception? (385)
14. Note: Marius redeems Cosette by refusing to play her the way Fantine had been played, when his grandfather suggests he make her his mistress. (397)

Homework

• Read Les Miserables through page 440.
• Free write for Letter to the Editor due tomorrow.