chicken wing

[motherhubbard]

Toward the end of the story it says that Jean sat down to dinner and ate a chicken wing with a good appetite. My question is does a chicken wing make a dent in a good appetite? Do you suppose that there was a time before big gulp and super size me that a chicken wing was considered a reasonable portion? I think that if I were to sit down to a chicken with a good appetite I would go for the thigh!

http://hinessight.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/chicken.jpg

[Sarasvati21]

Perhaps it had just been an exceptionally large chicken...:p

[B-Mental]

Think back to the begining when Jean stole bread for the children, his nieces and nephews I think. I'm sure that he would eat something else with it, but it could have represented a substantial meal.

[Sarasvati21]

Ah, that's true, B. Especially considering his years in prison. Because he had become used to scant portions, a chicken wing could have been enough for him.

[kiki1982]

I didn't pick up on this topic before... But it's very interesting!

Firstly there is indeed the fact that he had enough with a little food because of his time in prison.
Secondly there was the fact that Jean Valjean didn't think himself worth of good food. Although he seems to enjoy this... I wonder whether he actually wasn't kind of happy that he would have Marius out of the way by going to England with Cosette... So probably the little piece of chicken Jean eats there he really relishes bcause he isn't allowed any more...

Maybe the chicken wing stands for the fact that he really wanted to fly away but was kept over there because of the bishop Myriel and could only eat one chicken wing in stead of two...