Mercy and Justice in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables

Mercy Thesis Paper Mercy is the second chance for all beings to improve upon themselves. Without this second chance people do not have the opportunity to evolve and help others, thus making the world a better place. Through mercy we can improve not only ourselves but the lives of the people around us. Showing mercy does not just involve compassion towards others, but also involves showing forgiveness. Forgiveness is a key part of giving second chances, and plays a major part in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. In Les Miserables, the ex-convict Jean Valjean is released from prison and spends one of his first nights of freedom in the house of a kind bishop. When leaving, Jean Valjean steals some of the bishop’s silverware and is later on captured and taken back to the bishop. The bishop then denies that the silver was ever stolen, and insists that he had given them to Jean Valjean as a gift. In this way the bishop forgave Jean Valjean for what he had done and gave Jean Valjean a second chance to become a better person. Through forgiving him the bishop gave Jean Valjean mercy, allowing for him to improve upon himself. In doing so, Jean Valjean was given the opportunity to change himself and become a kinder person to other people. Through his deeds, Jean Valjean was able to better humanity, all thanks to the bishop who forgave him and allowed him to have that second chance. If ever mercy is no longer given and no longer exists between humans, then earth indeed would be a very dark and lonely place, with only one chance to set things right. The minute a mistake would be made, then there would be no way of climbing back to the surface. Mercy is the chance given to rectify mistakes. Without mercy, the world would be one great social caste system. In India the social stratification of the caste system puts its people in social classes that do not allow for any change in class, not even allowing for intermarriage between two classes. A world without mercy is much the

Cited: Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. New York: The Modern Library, 2009. Print. Stearns, Peter N., et al. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. Sixth Edition, AP* Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.