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Colonel Georges Pontmercy is Marius's father. With "a face where God had imprinted kindness," he is a timid, kind, and gentle man. Pontmercy is an important symbol of Napoleon and the Republic. He served as a colonel under Napoleon, was intensely loyal to the general, and fought for him at the Battle of Waterloo. He embodies the politics that went on to influence and inspire a new generation of revolutionaries, symbolized by the Friends of the ABC, though they favor democratic values and ideas over the glory of Napoleon’s empire that Marius describes at length.
Though a minor character, Georges Pontmercy heavily influences and develops other characters in the novel. He is banned from seeing his son by his father-in-law, Gillenormand, due to political differences. The conflict between Pontmercy and Gillenormand symbolizes the debate between republicanism and monarchism. A genuinely kind and selfless man, he allows Marius to be taken from him in order to prevent Marius from being disinherited. Banished from his beloved son's life, Pontmercy adores Marius from afar, often observing him at Mass. His selfless love for Marius is evocative of Fantine's similarly selfless love for Cosette.
After Pontmercy's death, Marius begins to learn more about his father and grows to idolize him. Hugo writes that "the rehabilitation of his father led in the natural course of events to the rehabilitation of Napoleon." Pontmery therefore serves as a turning point for Marius, revolutionizing him and thoroughly altering his worldview. As he embraces his new politics, he cuts himself off from his grandfather and strikes out on his own to carve out his own identity and political beliefs, eventually meeting the Friends of the ABC.
Pontmercy also develops Thénardier, furthering the latter character's connection with deceit. Pontmercy goes through his entire life wrongly thinking he owes Thénardier a great debt for saving his life. This debt eventually transfers to Marius after Pontmercy dies. Though Thénardier takes credit for saving Pontmercy's life at the Battle of Waterloo, in actuality, he was merely looting the bodies of dead soldiers. This not only foreshadows Thénardier's choice to loot the bodies of dead revolutionaries in the sewers after the June Rebellion, but also provides insight into Thénardier's character and the depth of his lack of morals and integrity.
