While the Thénardiers’ values have remained much the
same, their move to Paris is a comment on the uprooted and debased nature
of the French middle class following the restoration of the monarchy.
Since leaving their inn in Montfermeil, the Thénardiers have become
much poorer, and their greedy misbehavior has degenerated into serious
con artistry and fraud. The Thénardiers’ debased status is largely
due to their obsession with money. Despite—or perhaps because of—their
singular pursuit of francs, the Thénardiers are now worse off than
they were in Montfermeil, since all of them are now packed into
a wretched one-room tenement. Regardless of the cause of their misfortunes,
however, the Thénardiers are a warning of what happens when one
social class loses so much so quickly. Early on, the Thénardiers
are petty swindlers, but their increasing poverty has made them
so desperate and selfish that they go so far as to throw their youngest
son, Gavroche, out onto the streets.
Gavroche exemplifies Hugo’s belief that material wealth
is unnecessary for—and can even impede—true happiness. Although Gavroche
is the Thénardier who possesses the least, he is the happiest and
most generous of the lot. He is less driven by the need for wealth
and possessions, which makes him freer than the other Thénardiers
to pursue his more authentic desires. Gavroche’s carefree existence
stands in striking contrast to the Thénardiers’ home life, which
consists of sitting idly in a cold, dark room all day, waiting for
money from one of their schemes to come in. The difference between
Gavroche and the rest of his family shows the misery that can accompany
an obsession with money, as opposed to the happiness that can come
with freedom.
