▁police ▁when ▁rec ount ing ▁Val je an ' s ▁rescue ▁of ▁Fant ine ▁in ▁the ▁novel . ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁February ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁when ▁he ▁had ▁begun ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁novel , ▁Hugo ▁witness ed ▁the ▁arrest ▁of ▁a ▁bread ▁th ief ▁while ▁a ▁duch ess ▁and ▁her ▁child ▁watched ▁the ▁scene ▁pit il ess ly ▁from ▁their ▁coach . ▁He ▁spent ▁several ▁vac ations ▁in ▁Mont re uil - sur - Mer . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 2 ▁revol t , ▁Hugo ▁walked ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Paris , ▁saw ▁the ▁bar ric ades ▁blocking ▁his ▁way ▁at ▁points , ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁take ▁shelter ▁from ▁gun fire . ▁He ▁participated ▁more ▁directly ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁Paris ▁ins urre ction , ▁helping ▁to ▁sm ash ▁bar ric ades ▁and ▁suppress ▁both ▁the ▁popular ▁revol t ▁and ▁its ▁monarch ist ▁al lies . ▁ ▁Victor ▁Hugo ▁drew ▁his ▁insp iration ▁from ▁everything ▁he ▁heard ▁and ▁saw , ▁writing ▁it ▁down ▁in ▁his ▁di ary . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁he ▁witness ed ▁an ▁alter cation ▁between ▁an ▁old ▁woman ▁sc av eng ing ▁through ▁rub b ish ▁and ▁a ▁street ▁ur chin ▁who ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁G av ro che . ▁He ▁also ▁informed ▁himself ▁by ▁personal ▁ins pection ▁of ▁the ▁Paris ▁Con cier ger ie ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁and ▁Water lo o ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁by ▁gather ing ▁information