The pupil dilates in darkness and in the end finds light, just as the soul dilates in misfortune and in the end finds God.

Hugo draws an analogy between a physical reflex and a spiritual process: the eye’s pupil widens in darkness to admit more light, and likewise the human soul can expand under the pressure of suffering. Misfortune, in this view, is not merely deprivation but a condition that can deepen perception, enlarge inner capacity, and make one receptive to transcendent meaning. The comparison implies a paradox—darkness can be the very circumstance that prepares one for illumination—framing hardship as potentially transformative rather than purely destructive. It also reflects a Romantic-era tendency (strong in Hugo) to read moral and metaphysical lessons in nature’s workings.