Les Misérables

Topics: Les Misérables, Jean Valjean, Victor Hugo Pages: 3 (1123 words) Published: May 1, 2005
Les Misérables is an epic tale of hope, empathy, sympathy, redemption and hate set in post-revolutionary France. Written by acclaimed author Victor Hugo, Les Misérables follows the transformation of its two main characters from criminal to honest man and from dedicated reactionary to compassionate fellow man. Written sometime between 1845 and 1862, Hugo provides a detailed look into nineteenth century France's society and politics. BY combining his story of redemption with the wrongdoings of the French government, Hugo sharply criticized French political policies and hoped his work may encourage change for the future.

Hugo describes the setting of Les Misérables with great detail. Part of the motives of Hugo were to set a tone of miserable elements for the lead character Valjean, and for anyone who lived under the poverty line in France in the early nineteenth century. Poverty was rampant during these times and with the radical "science" of reactionaries, many people were condemned for life due to a mistake they may have made early in their life. The surroundings and details described are very accurate and play a very large role in the storyline. This description of the elements faced by the poor and underprivileged was an obvious stab at the government and greatly emphasizes the story's plot of redemption.

The characters in Les Misérables, while not historically factual characters, are very easily believed and would fit perfectly into the time period. Jean Valjean, the protagonist, is an ex-convict who leaves behind a life of theft and deceit for a life as an honest man. He takes on a new persona and makes his fortune honestly and ultimately makes his goal in life redemption. Javert is the story's antagonist and is a reactionary who believes in the law and will stop at nothing to enforce the harsh laws of France. With no pity, he believes that humans are either inherently good or bad. He sees Valjean's fortunes as an injustice and chases him relentlessly....
Continue Reading

Please join StudyMode to read the full document

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Essay on Les Miserables

    ...Ethical Theories Reflected Upon the Main Characters from the Film Adaptation Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Non-Consequentialist theories of morality are best expressed by the character Inspector Javert. His actions are lead by the theory that it is better to lead a life where rules are followed. It is your duty to obey the laws and it is your duty to always act in this manner. Consequences are not to be considered when judging a persons actions (Thiroux, Krasemann, 2012, p. 46). Inspector Javert's position in society supports his actions. This man must follow the laws set by his government, and lead his community by example. His duty was to carry out the law which are examples of rule absolutes which offer no room for exceptions (Thiroux, Krasemann, 2012, p. 87). The Inspector becomes obsessed with the capture of Jean ValJean, a criminal who must be caught and brought to justice. The film begins with the story of a man, Jean ValJean, who is first introduced to the viewer in a prison setting, where later you find out he was imprisoned for theft. After serving nine-teen years of punishment in prison for his crime he is then rewarded release on parole. Following his release he encounters another situation where he acts in contrast to those beliefs of a rule utilitarian like Javert. These contrasting characters are examples within their guiding principles. Non-Consequentialist Theories are based on the idea that consequences are...

    Read More
    1725 Words 7 Pages
  • Les Miserables Essay

    ...Reaction Paper – Les Miserables Les Misérables translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims) (1862) is a novel by French author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. It follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a twenty-year period in the early 19th century, starting in 1815, the year of Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo. The novel focuses on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. It examines the nature of law and grace, and expounds upon the history of France, architecture of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. The story is historical fiction because it contains factual, historic events, including the Paris Uprising of 1832 (often mistaken for the much earlier French Revolution). Les Misérables is known to many through its numerous stage and screen adaptations, such as the stage musical of the same name, sometimes abbreviated "Les Mis". These are the lead characters of the novel: Jean Valjean — Convicted for stealing a loaf of bread, he is paroled from prison nineteen years later. Rejected by society for being a former convict, Bishop Myriel turns his life around. He assumes a new...

    Read More
    1477 Words 6 Pages
  • Essay on Les Miserables

    ...In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo portrays human nature in a neutral state. Humans are born with neither good nor bad instincts, but rather society affects our actions and thoughts. Hugo portrays the neutral state of mind through Jean Valjean and Cosette. The two extremes of good and evil are represented through Thénardier and the bishop. Good and evil coexists in the society and affects Valjean and Cosette. It is the two extremes of good and evil that dictate the lives of Valjean and Cosette. The bishop represents charity and love. Everything he's ever had, he gave to charity. When the bishop first met Valjean, he said, "You need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; be welcome. And do not thank me; do not tell me that I take you into my house..... whatever is here is yours." (pg. 15-16) The bishop didn't look at him as a convict; he looked at him as a fellow brother. Later, when the bishop found out that Valjean stole his silver, he wasn't mad, but offered all of his silver to Valjean saying, "Don't forget that you promised me to use this silver to become an honest man." Thénardier, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of the bishop. He represents the corruptive nature of society. He's the one that changes people for the bad. An example of how Thénardier represents greed and evil...

    Read More
    819 Words 4 Pages
  • Les Miserables Essay

    ...Mikhail Rivera TREDFOR – EE 10812601 Film Analysis Reflection paper “All are called to love. This is the vocation of every person.” In what way was this expressed/articulated or communicated in the film? Explore the depth of the message of the film. In what did the theme challenged you as a person? The film, Les Miserables, I have to say has a bitter-sweet ending. I would describe the film to be displaying dynamic message as the story did not revolve around one setting, place, or one character such Jean Valjean (Prisoner 24601), Marius Pontmercy, or even Cosette. The film showed an equal importance to the majority of the characters as each of the characters of Jean Valjean (Prisoner 24601), Javert, Frantine, Marius, and Cosette were highlighted in the film. It showed intense not just the poverty and struggles of the lives of Jean Valjean, Fantine, and Cossette who were abused, used, cheated, wronged and taken advantage of but from the setting itself as there is an ongoing revolt between the government and the poor. But despite the many hardships and wrong the main characters faced in the film, still they choose the path of righteousness as many of the characters who were wronged still chose to forgive the people who wronged them and in a way loved thy neighbour. For the vocation of every person, “All are called to love”, this one was first expressed in the situation where Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) was released from parole of...

    Read More
    1336 Words 6 Pages
  • Les Miserables Essay

    ...In Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserable’s, one character plays a part in each of the other character’s lives. Cosette, a little girl, is created to develop the rest of the “miserables” throughout the book. Fantine, Cosette’s mother, digs herself into the shameless lifestyle of prostitution and poverty, while trying to support Cosette. The Thenardiers become her home while her mother leaves in search for work. There, Cosette is used to clean and work. Through Cosette, the Thenardier’s are shown as they beat and punish Cosette, their “slave”. Jean Valjean uses Cosette in a different way. He takes her in as his “daughter” and finds companionship through her. Cosette is loved and cared for. As Cosette’s character develops she is passed along from a pitiful mother who cannot support her; to the Thenardier’s who beat and starve her; then, to Jean Valjean who takes Cosette in where she becomes his everything. Fantine, desperately in love with a man, Felix Tholomyes, whose feelings vary from hers, and yet she bears his child despite his fickle appearance. The illegitimate child, Cosette, is the outcome of her dying love toward him. Cosette is used to show Fantine as a “miserable.” Fantine leaves Cosette with the Thenardier’s and goes in search for a job to support Cosette. As Cosette’s character grows, she reveals how pitiful Fantine becomes. Fantine’s devotion for Cosette, a little girl who is too young to give anything back in return,...

    Read More
    1093 Words 5 Pages
  • A More Descriptive "Les Miserables" Essay

    ...Les Miserables at its most basic is the story of Jean Valjean. He lived with his sister and her family in extreme poverty in France after the French Revolution. In one act of desperation he broke a window and stole a loaf of bread. His sentence was lengthened by multiple escape attempts until he was finally released 19 years later. His hardness and bitterness increased by the response he got when he was required to show his papers at each new town he visited, resulting in lower pay and refusal of the townspeople to rent him a room or serve him a meal because he was an ex-convict. An act of grace by a bishop resulted eventually in transforming him. When he traveled into a new town, his help in saving someone’s life and the confusion and excitement around the event resulted in the town officials’ forgetting to ask him for his papers. He was hired on in a factory and devised a way to improve the factory’s production, leading to his promotion, eventually to the head of the factory, and further still to his being elected the mayor. He was known as a quiet but kind and and benevolent man, using much of his wealth to aid those in need. Thus it would seem his life was set on a new course of usefulness and happiness, except…except… Except for Javert, a former prison guard who became the new police inspector in Valjean’s town, who thinks he recognizes the mayor as an ex-convict who has broken his parole. Intersecting Valjean’s story is that of Fantine, a...

    Read More
    614 Words 3 Pages
  • Les Miserables

    ...Hena Alyssa Marie L. Capati Mrs. Ma. Victoria Bacani IV-BSED LES MISERABLES (Reaction paper) The movie, Les Miserables is based on the novel of Victor Hugo, though the book is 100 of times better than the movie and there is a different final, they only talk about the same thing. Les Miserables is all about an illiterate boy who stole bread and convicted for 19 years. When he was discharged on his parole, he again committed same offense for the last time; stealing. In the movie, as he was been refused by other people to let him give food and shelter, he came to Monsigneur Myriel. There the bishop gave him food and let him sleep in a real bed. But desperately speaking, Valjean steal the bishop’s silver spoons, but in the book version, it was silver plates. When he was caught, the bishop gave him another two silver candlesticks, and let him go. The bishop believed him that he will become a good man, as he was said last night and Valjean promised that. So, after the incident, Valjean tried his best to become one. In the book version, he did his last temptation to do wrong; to steal two francs from a boy, but immediately he felt guilty. In the book, there is an instance where he rescued two children of the police captain in the burning town hall. Where I think was not shown in the movie. Although both in the movie and book, he was just a factory worker, after the...

    Read More
    1324 Words 6 Pages
  • Les Miserables Movie Summary Essay

    ...Les Misérables “Whether true or false, what is said about men often has as much influence on their lives, and particularly on their destinies, as what they do.” Les Misérables is a 2012 British musical drama film produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is based on the musical of the same name by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg which is in turn based on Les Misérables, the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo. Characters Jean Valjean: A Frenchman released from Toulon prison after 19 years of imprisonment for stealing bread and failed attempts of escaping from the prison. Inspector Javert: A police inspector who releases Valjean on parole, then later dedicates his life to imprisoning him again. Fantine: A struggling factory worker and mother of an illegitimate child, Cosette. Cosette: The illegitimate daughter of Fantine. Marius Pontmercy: A student revolutionary who is friends with the Thenardiers' daughter, Éponine, but falls in love with Cosette. Madame Thénardier: A swindling innkeeper and Éponine's mother....

    Read More
    1069 Words 5 Pages

Popular Essays

Become a StudyMode Member

Sign Up - It's Free