Who Is Javert A Criminal

“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool” –William Shakespeare. In the book, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Javert is a man of the law, nothing more, nothing less. From the first time Javert and Jean Valjean met, he pretty much knew that was not going to be the last time. While I read the book, I noticed that Javert was going to do all he could to find Valjean but he let him slip a few to many times which classifies him as a coward. Now, I’m not going to call him a coward because I believe he is the best man in the book, but he goes against the law. As much as he wants to stay true to the law by making criminals serve time for what they have done, he is unable to keep up with Jean Valjean’s actions. Throughout
Nobody likes Javert because he is considered the “villain” in the novel. For example, “He then turned to Fantine and said: "You're getting six months."” (Hugo 54) Javert doesn’t care what you did, whether you did something to save another person’s life, he goes according to the law. Most police officers these days would give a little grace and work with you or get that person some help, but this story takes place in the 1800’s so there is no grace with anything. You do something wrong, you serve time for it. As much as I think that’s how it should be today, it’s still quite harsh because Fantine had a rough life. Javert was born and raised in the law so he doesn’t know any different just as I was born and raised in farming, we both take our profession very seriously. In the movie, Javert
As much as Javert wants to be a man of the law, he lets himself slip a few times while trying to catch Jean Valjean. Some would say Valjean was just really good at hiding, but I think Javert was doing it on purpose because he knew he meant well. Valjean had so much going for himself, why would he show up for court? I know I wouldn’t. Javert tried being the best he could at his job and stayed as loyal as he could to the law, but he couldn’t. I think he was just so overwhelmed by everything that he had a hard time staying on track. “He was troubled; this brain, so limpid in its blindness, had lost its transparency; there was a cloud in this crystal.” (Victor Hugo). As said in this quote, he was troubled, lost in its transparency. The law was pounded in him as a young child so he knew it very well but was very lost in himself. There are some things in life that I get very stressed out about because my father was rather adamant about. Those things in particular are the things that I screw up on because I try so hard at doing my best at. Javert secretly wants to be a good guy and let something slide, but he knows that it is wrong so that’s why he comes off as a jerk. In the movie during the barricade scene, Javert is on the rebels’ side and tries to help them out by going to see when the army will be coming. “I have overheard their plans, there will be no attack tonight. They intend to starve