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Discussion prompts:

1. Remember Pontmercy from the Waterloo chapters? We meet him again in this chapter.
2. A rather long chapter describing the difficult life of soldiers who were under Napoleon but living during the Restoration. Any insights? Apparently Georges Pontmercy is modeled after Hugo's own father, Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo.
3. Any thoughts on Pontmercy surrending Marius to the Gillenormands? Do you think he made the right decision?
4. Other points of discussion? Lines that stood out to you?

Final line:

 Twice a year, on the first of January and on St. George's day, Marius wrote duty letters to his father, which were dictated by his aunt, and which one would have pronounced to be copied from some formula; this was all that M. Gillenormand tolerated; and the father answered them with very tender letters which the grandfather thrust into his pocket unread.

Link to the previous chapter

Link to the 2020 discussion