▁as ▁to ▁seem ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁an ▁entirely ▁different ▁work . ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁this ▁' d igr ession ' ▁occup ies ▁such ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁text ▁dem ands ▁that ▁it ▁be ▁read ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁' over arch ing ▁structure ' ▁discussed ▁above . ▁Hugo ▁draw s ▁his ▁own ▁personal ▁conclus ions , ▁taking ▁Water lo o ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁pivot - point ▁in ▁history , ▁but ▁definitely ▁not ▁a ▁victory ▁for ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁reaction . ▁ ▁One ▁critic ▁has ▁called ▁this ▁" the ▁spiritual ▁gateway " ▁to ▁the ▁novel , ▁as ▁its ▁chance ▁encounter ▁of ▁Th én ard ier ▁and ▁Colonel ▁Pont mer cy ▁for esh adows ▁so ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁enc oun ters ▁" bl ending ▁chance ▁and ▁necessity ", ▁a ▁" con front ation ▁of ▁hero ism ▁and ▁villa iny ". ▁ ▁Even ▁when ▁not ▁turning ▁to ▁other ▁subjects ▁outside ▁his ▁narr ative , ▁Hugo ▁sometimes ▁interrupt s ▁the ▁straightforward ▁rec itation ▁of ▁events , ▁his ▁voice ▁and ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁line ▁un const rained ▁by ▁time ▁and ▁sequence . ▁The ▁novel ▁opens ▁with ▁a ▁statement ▁about ▁the ▁bishop ▁of ▁D igne ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁and ▁immediately ▁sh ifts : ▁" Al though ▁these ▁details ▁in ▁no ▁way ▁essentially ▁concern ▁that ▁which ▁we ▁have ▁to ▁tell ..." ▁Only ▁after ▁ 1 4 ▁chap ters ▁does ▁Hugo ▁pick ▁up ▁the ▁opening ▁thread ▁again , ▁" In ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁October , ▁ 1 8