We often hold 19th century romantic literature to be completely distinct from modern psychological theory and science. However, Les Misérables has proven time and time again to offer profound insights into a multitude of phenomena ahead of its time through Hugo’s depiction of his observations and experiences. While theories of practical wisdom have been abound since Aristotle, something profound about the chapter A Tempest in a Skull is its perfect reflection of a number of proposed theories of wisdom from the modern age. I evaluate the proceedings of the chapter and some of the surrounding context from the lenses of popular modern theories of wisdom, including Tiberius’ theory of reflective wisdom, Schwartz & Sharpe’s characterization of Aristotle’s practical wisdom, and Baltes & Smith’s Berlin Wisdom Paradigm.