▁on ▁some ▁indust ries , ▁and ▁on ▁working - class ▁people ' s ▁w ages ▁and ▁living ▁standards . ▁He ▁asked ▁his ▁mist ress es , ▁Lé onie ▁d ' A un et ▁and ▁Jul iet te ▁Dr ou et , ▁to ▁tell ▁him ▁about ▁life ▁in ▁convent s . ▁He ▁also ▁sli pped ▁personal ▁an ec d otes ▁into ▁the ▁plot . ▁For ▁instance ▁Mar ius ▁and ▁Cos ette ' s ▁wed ding ▁night ▁( Part ▁V , ▁Book ▁ 6 , ▁Chapter ▁ 1 ) ▁takes ▁place ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁February ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁which ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁date ▁when ▁Hugo ▁and ▁his ▁lif el ong ▁mist ress ▁Jul iet te ▁Dr ou et ▁made ▁love ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Volume ▁I : ▁Fant ine ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁begins ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁in ▁D igne , ▁as ▁the ▁pe asant ▁Jean ▁Val je an , ▁just ▁released ▁from ▁ 1 9 ▁years ' ▁imprison ment ▁in ▁the ▁B agne ▁of ▁Toul on — five ▁for ▁ste aling ▁bread ▁for ▁his ▁star ving ▁sister ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁and ▁four teen ▁more ▁for ▁numerous ▁escape ▁attempts — is ▁turned ▁away ▁by ▁inn keep ers ▁because ▁his ▁yellow ▁pass port ▁marks ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁former ▁conv ict . ▁He ▁sle eps ▁on ▁the ▁street , ▁angry ▁and ▁bitter . ▁ ▁D igne ' s ▁bene vol ent ▁Bishop ▁My riel ▁gives ▁him ▁shelter . ▁At ▁night , ▁Val je an ▁runs ▁off ▁with