Cosette's Love

Cosette and Jean Valjean undoubtedly represent the strongest parent-child relationship throughout the whole novel, and therefore, provides the clearest illustration of Hugo’s love theme. When Jean Valjean first “saw Cosette, when he had taken her, carried her away and rescued her, he felt his heart moved”(Hugo, 183). After the death of Cosette’s and finding the little girl in such poor condition, the white-haired man feels obliged to take care of the poor girl. Not much time goes by before Cosette starts calling the man who “rescued”(183) her a “Father”(183), and they begin to love each other. Their love becomes so great that Jean Valjean compares the time he found Cosette to the life-changing day he meets the Bishop. His experience is described as, "the second white vision he had seen.
Because of Jean Valjean, Cosette wears a convent schoolgirl dress instead of the rags she is forced to wear under the care of the Thenardiers. She feels loved instead of ashamed. This love and change in appearance strengthens Cosette’s heart and gives her the confidence to love another person. Not only does Cosette find the strength to love Jean Valjean, but she eventually loves Marius as well. Because of Cosette’s love, Jean Valjean is saved and instead of feeling the “bitterness”(186) and “disgust”(186) that comes from being imprisoned in the galleys, he feels the need to give to the poor. For example, he gives plenty of money to the Thenardiers later on in the novel and he is known as their “benefactor”(298). Raising Cosette, Jean Valjean “was the support of this child, and this child was his prop and staff”(186-187). Cosette and Jean Valjean’s love for each other give them the strength to support one another. If the old man does not love Cosette, then he may not be able to find the strength to raise the young girl which "took up nearly all of Jean Valjean's