Explain these quotes from Les Misérables?
What is being meant here:
“Both had wings, one like an angel, the other like a goose”
”.. As he naturally imbibed by a sort of infiltration and slow penetration, the ideas and opinions that formed, so to say, the air he breathed, he came little by little to think of his father only with shame and with a closed heart.”
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8 Answers
It means that one was light and angelic in character and the other one was waddling and earthbound.
The goose wings are practical transportation. The angels wings exist on a spiritual level.
Who translated this? Can we have the quotes in French?
Many geese are beautiful in flight and use a magical V formation to migrate100’s of miles. The distinction between un ange and une oie may be different in French (other than being able to pronounce “un ange”).
I just found these quotes; the context matters. In isolation, they can mean too many things.
@gailcalled In context, Hugo probably meant a French farm goose waddling about; ready to become pate de fois gras. Such a goose cannot fly. Upon reconsideration, I support @marinelife s interpretation.
In translation, Les Mis sounds cumbersome, wordy and gushy. The wings refer to two sisters, and Hugo has more to say about them.
@gailcalled do you know where these quotes are? I have an idea, but I’m not about to go leafing casually through the brick. Plus, I’m not sure they’re in my translation.
I googled each quote, in English and got a page of text. The pagination of your gigantic tome may be different from the one I found. Let me look..I have a few minutes free.
Here’s the first, embedded in the English text; pp.24 and 25. Book Second (Marius); The Grand Bourgeous:Chapter VIII; Two do not make a pair::Google
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