In his novel, Les Miserables, author Victor Hugo makes a strong statement about society being the cause for evil in man. Les Miserables is based on a poor man, Jean Valjean, who was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's starving baby. Valjean is sentenced to 20 years for his crime, and, when he is released, he is shunned for his past, which he has more than paid for. Society turns him out at every turn for his past crime, and will hear no excuses for his deed. With this scenario,Hugo shows the cruelty of a "civilized" world that would cause a man to suffer unending prejudice for stealing a single loaf of bread to feed a small child. As the ill treatment continues, Valjean becomes more...show more content...
He even gave Valjean the twosilver candlesticks he had not taken. When the police left, the Bishop explained his action, saying that with his act of kindness, he had bought Valjean's soul for god and that Valjean must now live a life of good in return. Valjean was saved from his downward spiral of decay, showing the author Hugo's high regard for some parts of the Church. However, Valjean continually tried to turn his life around, and although many times it seemed as if he had succeeded, his past and an ignorant society always caught up with him, forcing him to once again flee to rebuild his life.
Hugo also uses the Thenardiers as an example of society's corruption. They may even be Hugo's ultimate view of society's problems. They are a family of despicable thieves and con–artists. They first appear when they agree to take in Cosette, but only so that they can later force Fantine to pay them endless expenses for Cosette's well–being. Of course, the Thenardiers never intended for any of the money to be used on Cosette. Instead, they spend it on themselves and their own daughters.
The endless bills sent by the Thenardiers become so great, Fantine can barely support herself, because she sends all her money to Cosette. Eventually, the foreman of the factory learns Fantine has a daughter and no husband. Because of the society they live in, he and the other workers believe Get
Les Miserables is one of the most captivating plays of our lifetime! It grabs the audience and pulls you in head first. You can't take out eyes off of the stage, and even if you can, the music will take your breath away! I have seen the play 3 times and I don't think I enjoy anything in this world more than watching that play!
Les Miserables starts off on a chain gang in France. The sheriff comes out and gives one of the convicts hisrelease papers. This convict is the lead role who name is Jeran
Valjean, who has served 19 years on the chain gang for stealing a mouthful of bread. Jean Valjean leaves the prison and sets out to find...show more content...
They treat her daughter horribly and when the boss finds out that she has a daughter he thinks of her as a prostitute and kicks her out of the factory, which is in the town in which the new honest Valjean is the mayor. To support her child Fantine sells her chain and her locks of hair. Then later because she can't find work becomes a prostitute. Later a respected person in the community felt an itch for a poke at a female and went to Fantine. Fantine realizes that day that she can no longer be a prostitute because of her morals and refuses. The man beats her and when Fantine fights back he drags her to the police. As the police are taking her away Jean Valjean, the mayor, comes in the stops them. He believes Fontine and promises to help her.
Valjean goes to the innkeepers house and pays for their troubles even though they have been absolutely horrible and abusive to her. The daughters name is Cosset and she instantly falls in love with her new "father." On the long trip home the two become very close and when they get back they find out that Fantine, Cossets mother has died. So Cosset agrees with delight to stay with Valjean. 20 years later in Paris we find that Cosset is grown up and Valjean has grown old and withered. This is now the time of the French Revolution and you can smell war in the air. But an old face shows
Victor Hugo made it so that the characters in Les Miserables progressed throughout the novel. The theme "progress" can be seen and used widely. Three main characters, Jean Valjean, Cossette, and Javert expressed positive and negative forms of growth.
Jean Valjean began the story as an ex–convict who was searching for food and shelter after working in the galleys for sixteen years. Unfortunately, he failed to receive compassion from any lodging, or home. While he was wandering through the streets after been rejected so many times, "he came to the prefecture then to the seminary. On passing by the cathedral square he shook hisfist at the church" (22). Through this discrete action, it was clear how he had felt toward the church....show more content...
Valjean's turning point of growth begins after the last words the Bishopshares with him. "You belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying from you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts, and from the spirit of perdition. I give it to God!" (39) The reader is aware of the obvious change in Valjean's life, as his identity was changed twice (Monsieur Madeline, and Monsieur LeBlanc) to hide away from his past convict life. Eventually, Jean Valjean was faced with a dilemma. He had to make a choice between the death of an innocent man (who is accused of being the convict, Jean Valjean), and his own fate of hiding once again. The only thing that stood in the way for him to make a rational choice, was his promise he made to Fantine (a lower class, ill–fated prostitute). That is, to take care of her daughter after she died. He expressed goodness from then on in every aspect of the novel. By keeping his promise to Fantine, saving an innocent man's life, not redeeming Javert from his position as inspector (considering he denounced him Jean Valjean before admitted), and not killing Javert when he could have (even though Javert continued to chase him down since he possessed Cossette). Because of the Bishop's compassion for Valjean, it influenced Valjean to lead on a better, forgiving life. Jean Valjean started out as a resenting convict, but progressed through letting go of the past, Get more content
If one were to ask what the basis of human nature and civilization encompasses, I would tell them to read Victor Hugo's epic novel, Les Miserables (1862). Set in various locations in France, spanning from 1815 to 1832, the novel follows the main protagonist, Jean Valjean. The story begins with the Bishop of Digne and his daily life. Jean Valjean, a released convict, stumbles upon the town where the Bishop lives and is shunned from every inn he goes to due to his status as a former prisoner. The only one who will let him take shelter is the Bishop of Digne. This act of kindness transforms Jean Valjean from being spiteful of humanity to being saint–like towards it, in regards to the Bishops wishes. Several years later, Jean Valjean becomes...show more content...
Jean Valjean, noticing Marius's continuous gazes towards Cosette, stops going to the park and Marius soon becomes depressed. However, eventually, Marius discovers Cosette's address and visits her frequently. Cosette disappears and in an oath to die because of her disappearance, Marius acts in the Paris Uprising. In the meantime, Jean Valjean discovers the love affair between Marius and Cosette and goes to the Uprising to assist Marius. Jean Valjean saves Marius and Javert from being killed in the revolt. Afterwards, Cosette and Marius marry, leaving Jean Valjean devastated from having to share Cosette's love. Jean Valjean reveals his past as a convict to Marius and is soon unwelcome from the house; however, Cosette does not know his secret. Visits stop between Jean Valjean and Cosette and as a result and he remains in his bed. At the end of the novel, Marius learns that Jean Valjean is responsible for saving him in the Paris Uprising. The couple visits Jean Valjean and listens to his final words. He dies as the two kiss his hands. In my opinion, Les Miserables is an incredible piece of literature. Hugo is the master of similes and metaphors and uses it effectively in this novel. In one of his descriptions of human society and the social classes, he compares civilization as a mountain and the poor as the caverns. How do you expect to know the whole mountain without viewing the caverns?
Throughout the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Eponine's love for Marius is very evident. Marius is oblivious to this, and only recognizes it once Eponine confesses her love for him. Marius is blind to the fact, and overlooks Eponine. Eponine falls blindly in love with Marius, knowing that he will never love her. The first time she meets him, was at his apartment to give him a begging letter from her father. Trying to impress him, she shows her ability to read and write by reading aloud a passage from a book, and then writes, "THE COGNES ARE HERE" (Hugo 231). She then opens up to him about her life and her hardships. Marius feels pity for her and gives her five francs, and she thanks him.
In the movie, Eponine says "Little he knows. Little he sees." She is talking to Marius and how he doesn't really see the true potential in her.
Eponine is smart and tough, but is also sensitive and lonely. Since he doesn't love her, she feels little self–worth. Marius's moods change though according to his circumstances, so he doesn't always recognize what she is feeling. When Cosette leaves for Paris, Marius asks Eponine to find Cosette's address. She finds out that he is only in love with Cosette. While unhappy with his request, she still agrees to help him find her for him after making him promise to give her anything she wants as...show more content...
"Now for my pains, promise me– "and she hesitated. "What?" asked Marius. "Promise me!" "I promise you." "Promise to kiss me on the forehead when I'm dead. I'll feel it" (Hugo 290). Eponine just wants Marius to love her, and wants her last memory before she dies to be with Marius. Marius ends up kissing her forehead. "And then, do you know, Monsieur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you" (Hugo 290). This is one of the last things that Eponine says, while at the Barricade. He is unsure how to respond to this, and then she ends up passing peacefully by his Get more content
Business Ethics – Les Miserables Analysis
When faced with concepts like crime and punishment, there is a majority of people who would claim that the law must be obeyed under all circumstances, without any exception. It would actually be quite difficult to find someone who openly stated beliefs that criminals should sometimes get away with crime instead of being brought to justice. The character of Javert in Les Miserables is a classic example of an absolutist who believes in the supreme power of the justice system. This character proves that absolutism can actually cause underlying issues and moral dilemmas. This is one of the first ethical theories that is addressed in Les Miserables. Rule–based theory, also called deontological theory, ...show more content...
An absolutist who devotes his life to believing that redemption is impossible and the law must always prevail, and then discovers that this is not always the case, would probably not see any other options as viable.
Lying to help people, with arguably positive consequences, occurs by a character who would seem rather unlikely to lie, a Bishop. The act of generosity and kindness portrayed by the Bishop lying to the police in order to save Valjean, especially after the sins Valjean had already committed against the Bishop and the church, changes Valjean's attitude. He decides to live his life as a redeemed man. The Bishop, who represents Christ and the Church, is acting generously and nobly, it is questionable as to whether or not he is actually acting ethically. He lies to the police, but in the process he saves Valjean's life, which acts as the catalyst for all of the good, and even great, decisions Valjean makes throughout the rest of his life.
While Valjean occasionally uses utilitarian reasoning in his approach toethics, he is more representative of a third approach to ethics, a virtue–based approach. If a deontological approach to ethics first asks "what does the law say?" and a