Les Misérables

Les Misérables is a very important novel from French history and was very influential in the world. Victor Hugo published this famous novel in 1862. The novel falls under the genre of Historical Fiction as the setting is full of facts from the time period beginning in 1815 with the opening of the novel. The main character of Jean Valjean is one of the most remmebered chracters of universal literature as his story is unique and shares his own view. Jean was punished for taking care of people but in the end has the people he wants there most beside him.



Author Biographical Information
Victor Hugo was born February 26, 1802 in Besançon, France. He grew up with his father who was a general in the army. Hugo attended law school in his younger years as he became increasingly more interested in poetry and plays. Victor wrote many influential novels with Les Misérables being one of his best. He is accredited with providing a prolific jolt in the Romanticism movement of literature in France. Victor died on May 22, 1885 in Paris, France.

Setting: Historical Information
The time at which the novel begins is a very important moment in French history. Napoleon’s age was in decline and the character of growing culture and diversity in Paris is present. Characters in the novel were inspired by actual people that influenced the author. The bishop was based on Miolles of Digne who helped a convict in a manner which is described in the novel. Baron Pontmercy’s character was inspired by Hugo’s father as well as Cosette being created from the character of Madame Hugo. Marius may be the most perspective character as he was inspired by his own self. Hugo was a law student who was active in politics previous to the publishing of this novel. Cities in this novel also bring a historical reference to the fiction. The beginning date for the setting is the year 1815.

Genre
Historical Fiction: Stories contain elements that can be perceived as actual. The events that take place could indeed take place. The setting of the novel is set in a historical period. The descriptions contain facts from the period it is focused in.

Plot Summary
Jean Valjean is a criminal but for the right reasons. Jean stole food to feed his sister and her children who placed him into jail for almost twenty years granted his attempts at escaping made his visit longer. Jean is released but he is lost in the world that he has not been in for twenty years. Being a convict Jean’s passport is unique in that it allows anyone who sees it to know his past or at least he had been a criminal. For this reason it is hard finding a place to stay on his first days out. When he happens through the right town after asking to stay in the prison, Jean finds a bishop who is willing. The bishop allows him in and supper and during the night Jean repeats his previous crime. This time instead of bread it was the silver ware that the bishop possessed. The bishop kept his calm through this as he went about his own way. When Jean is questioned about the silver,the bishop then sticks up for him and says that it was a gift. The bishop wanted to make a change in Jean’s life and it does get through. After this the character of Fantine is introduced as she has a child with no husband. Fantine is looking for a new start and a new job. To do so Fantine finds a family at an inn that would take care of her daughter Cosette in return for payments. Fantine travels from there to M-Sur-M. She obtains a factory job and it is referenced that a mysterious man had become mayor. Going under the disguise of the name Madelein it is in fact Jean Valjean. After the talk with the bishop, Jean moved there and created a whole industry which brought wealth to him, the town, and the mayor position to his door. Valjean conducts many good deeds and is liked by many. Fantine to work would mean she did not have illegitimate children which when found out she was fired and then arrested for her next occupation. Jean stepped in for her and she then gets very sick. Fantine’s wish is to see Cosette but before Jean can fetch her he is told by Javert, the police chief, that someone is being prosecuted in his name. Jean cannot stand this to happen and Jean travel to the court where everyone perceives him as Madelein the mayor of M-Sur-M. Jean speaks out to safe the innocent suspect and is to be arrested for the charges of many counts including the robbing of Petit Garvais and the bishop. Jean travels back before Javert can do anything and he returns to have Fantine die. Jean is placed back in prison and later escapes to go find Cosette to keep his word. He buys Cosette from the innkeepers and takes care of her in Paris. Javert becomes hot on their trail as a new character of Marius who falls in love with Cosette is introduced. Javert almost captures Jean when a robbery is put to a stop. Marius with some of his friend of the ABC begins a revolution where the army is brought in to bring them down. Javert is also there as a spy but is found out and bound up. Eponine, the innkeeper’s daughter, sacrafices her life to safe Marius and bring about the letter which would lead Valjean to save Marius. Valjean arrives to let Javert loose and carry Marius wounded through the sewers of Paris to his grandfathers. Javert wishes to arrest Jean but feels obliged to him and drowns himself out of his own debt to Jean. Marius and Cosette are married after Marius recovers but a secret is let out, the one the ruined Jean before. Marius commands Cosette not to be around Jean because of his criminal background but he didn’t known that Jean had saved him from the barracks. Jean accepting that he will ever get over his failure is ready to die and he has nothing left in life. But at the last second Marius discovers the story and what Jean had did for him. Out of regret and a feeling of debt they rush to see him, but Jean is close to death. To make the ending Jean dies happy that he had something to hold on to in his death and not everything was lost for helping people.

Characters
Ex- convict he is the central point in which the story unfolds around. He becomes the Mayor of M-Sur-M and takes care of Cosette after a promise to Fantine. Good, moral, honest- after the bishop intervenes, trustworthy, respectable, wealthy- from the factories, and loving.
 * Jean Valjean - Main character, Protagonists.


 * Fantine- Cosette’s mother and a factory worker in M-Sur-M. She wants to start anew and in doing so she pays a family to keep Cosette. This set up for the promise that Jean makes to Fantine when she becomes sick. The promise is to take care of Cosette. Nice, wants to do what’s best for her daughter, misunderstood, hurt by the ones who frowned upon her having an illegitimate child, and she is very loving.


 * Cosette- Fantine’s daughter. She is the subject of Jean’s promise to Fantine. She is the reason that Fantine moved to M-Sur-M. Fantine did this so that she could make a better life for her. She is saved from the innkeeper by Jean. She also falls in love with Marius. Young, smart, good, moral, and loving.


 * Javert- The investigator who persures Jean throughout the novel. Javert is constantly after Jean. He first catches him when he confesses at the trial of a man who was being tried in the own name. Javert also hunts for Jean after he escapes. Persistent, dutiful, intelligent, grateful- for Jean saving him from the barracks, Obliged, and indebted.


 * Marius- Cosette’s lover and present at the barracks. Marius lives with his grandfather and when he meets Cosette he falls in love. He brings happiness at the end to Jean after he recognizes him for saving his life from the barracks. Young, brave, loving, proud, humble, and individual.


 * Eponine- The innkeeper’s daughter. She sacrifices her life to save Marius and to bring her a letter from Cosette. Loving, bad to begin with, and brave.


 * The Bishop- The bishop of Digne. He saves Jean’s soul and wellbeing. He made him promise to change his ways and he became someone. The bishop stuck up for Jean. Good, Godly, Understanding, and Patient.


 * Mr. and Mrs. Thénardier- The Innkeepers and Cosette’s care takers. They accept Cosette in but treat her poorly. They use the money that her mother sends her for themselves and they use her as a servant and they receive joy out of her abuse. Evil, Rude, Greedy, and Narcissistic.

Author's Style
Hugo has a very likable style. His foreshadowing is very effective. The choppiness of the sentences adds a lot to the emphasis and then is contrasted with longer sentences which make for a very realistic novel. The way that this is broken up in his grammatical structure is typical with conversation as some thoughts would be short and some really long. This style makes the reader feel more comfortable with the book as it is fairly more to the extremes on both sides with some middle ground of length. The story feels more personal through this style as it is very friendly and conversationally structured.

“Jean Valjean listened. Not a sound. He pushed the door.”

“ When he had taken this observation, he turned like a man whose mind is made up, went to his alcove, took his haver-sack, opened it, fumbled in it, took out something which he laid upon the bed, put his shoes into one of his pockets, tied up his bundle, swung it upon his shoulders, put on his cap, and pulled the visor down over his eyes, felt for his stick, and went and put it in the corner of the window, then returned to the bed, and resolutely took up the object which he had laid on it.”

“And how do you know that he will come?”

Setting
The setting takes place in France starting the year of 1815. The story begins in Digne as it is the first town that Jean comes to. The setting then shift to M-Sur-M. M-Sur-M is a town that has wealth brought about it from the invention of Jean and the accomplishments of the factories. Arras is the next setting which is shifted to. Arras is the location of the trial where Jean admits to being himself. Monfermiel is where Jean goes to rescue Cosette. Paris is the heart where the story finishes off.

Themes

 * You Can’t Erase the Past- Even though Jean did change for the better his past still affected him. No matter what other things he did since he had finished his time in prison, what was done was done. Everything good that Jean did afterwards did not counteract or justify his failures. This theme is universal to other later novels such as Tess of the d’Urbervilles.


 * Love Is Powerful- Love had different effects on people during this novel. For some such as Eponine it was worth dying for and doing everything you can do to obtain it. Jean sought out for love and searched for it to give meaning to his life and escape his past. When Jean receives this at the end of the book from Cosette he is content and dies peacefully.


 * Doing What Is Right Can Overcome Dislike- Jean exhibited this in the novel. He did what was right in rescuing Javert. Javert disliked Jean but what he done for him pushed his feelings aside and made him see himself for the tormenter of Jean when he only thought of Jean as a self- centered criminal.

Motifs

 * Orphan's Struggle
 * The Misunderstood
 * Prevailing Love

Symbols

 * The yellow passport signifying Jean as a convict was an important symbol. The color of yellow suggests how important it was to people in that time period. The yellow color made it easy for people to be warned and aware of that person’s past. The color yellow has also come to symbolize violence and the approach of death in literature.


 * The silver candle sticks symbolizes the acceptance the peace and the strive to do well. The bishop allows Jean to keep these even though he took them without asking and Jean hold on to them. The silver of which the candle sticks are made of symbolize the eternity of his promise to the bishop because silver can withstand the test of fire.


 * Another symbol that occurs frequently is comparing the innkeeper’s family to snakes. Snakes symbolize them of course for their crudeness and the way that they treat Cosette and take advantage of her during her stay there.

Significance of the Opening/Closing Scenes
The opening scene gives the background information on Jean Valjean. It establishes that Jean has a good nature but is still set in his ways until bishop corrects him. This also shows the way in which criminals were viewed in that time period as only the bishop would take Jean in. This opening scene foreshadows how the fact of Jean being an ex- criminal will carry on with him and continue to affect him.

The closing scene allows for much needed closure for Jean. He had been tormented his entire life by being a criminal, even when he had been wealthy and a mayor it still had more bearing. Jean has given off on life and is on his death bed with the rejection from Marius. Marius finds out that Jean had saved him and Cosette along with him arrive in time before Jean dies. Them being there was all that mattered to him. It allowed him to know that through it all he had not lost everything. He truly loved Cosette and she was there for him in the final moments. The book ends with Jean dying but the fact that he had closure allowed him to pass out of the world, he had finally became at peace and it was all thanks to the bishop who had placed him on the right track.

Memorable Quotes
“Gentlemen of the jury, release the accused. Your honor, order my arrest. I am Jean Valjean.” Pg. 83
 * This quote is significant for the reason that Jean is convicting his own self. Even though he knows what could happen he stands up for what he thinks is right. When he stole the bread for his sister, this explained why. Jean did what he thought was right regardless of the cost. This quote speaks to the fact that Jean placed others above him and regarded his person lastly.

“What a wretch I am!” Pg. 43
 * This quote is significant without saying. Jean realizes how his life has become for doing what he had and he wants to change. This quote is synonymous with the title. This quote strengthens Jean’s mostly good nature.

“Behold the great martyr.” Pg. 330
 * This quote sums up the conclusion of the novel. Through it all Jean had did what he though was best and in all respects died for it. The time he served in prison was hard on his body and the emotions that flared had taken a toll on him. He died for his cause, but there is a resolution in this. At the end his cause was there with him. Cosette and Marius were there. He had rescued Marius and Cosette and he had risked a lot to do so. He escaped jail to get Cosette to keep his promise to Fantine and Marius was rescued from near death at the barracks. But they were there his causes lived and he had been successful in all and this was his closure. Convict or not, Jean Valjean was a respected man who stood up for what was right in the face of adversity.

“Jean Valjean listened to her without hearing her. He heard the music of her voice rather than the meaning of her words; one of those big tears which are the gloomy pearls of the soul, gathered slowly in his eye. He murmured: “The proof that God is good is that she is here.” ” Pg. 329
 * The significance of this quote is that Jean was changed by the bishop other than by his acts. He states that he is respectful of God and acknowledges him. He does not blame what has happened on anyone, he accepts it. This also shows his acceptance of death coming and letting go of regrets he had as he has come to peace.

Adaptations
Les Misérables (2012)

Drama | Musical -   14 December 2012 (USA)

Reviews
From Library Journal Hugo's classic tale set against the backdrop of political upheaval in 19th-century France retains its timeless appeal in this notably condensed rendition of the struggles of former convict Jean Valjean. While the abridgment inevitably cuts many of the intricate subplots and minor characters who enrich Hugo's vast tome, this suspenseful central plot tracing Valjean's endeavor to emerge from desperate circumstances while being pursued by the duty-obsessed Inspector Javert remains intact and comprehensible to listeners. The principal characters retain their epic proportions, and the major themes of redemption through good works and the importance of authentic charity are undiminished. Narrator Michael York adds vigor and distinct characterizations to the broad cast of characters in this fittingly dramatic performance. Suitable for collections that do not already contain one of the many audio versions of this work (e.g., Audio Reviews, LJ 5/1/93).?Linda Bredengerd, Hanley Lib., Univ. of Pittsburgh, Bradford Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

By A Customer from Amazon.com Format:Mass Market PaperbackI'm a high school sophomore amd we had to read this book for school last semester. Honestly I wasn't encouraged by it's seemingly impossible thickness, nor by its slow start. Having never before seen any Les Mis movie or play or the musical (which is ALMOST as awesome as the book) I didn't know anything about the plot or the great characters and the whole experience was new to me. This is the only book I've ever read that has kept me up hours as night just to finish one beautiful part after another. My sister made fun of me that I would always talk to the book but when the believable characters act in ways that so thoroughly move your heart it's hard to resist sighing or commentary. Hugo is truly a master at combining every element of everything human to create characters from all walks of life and intertwine them into a poetically romantic plot that can only be described as beautiful. But don't skip the descriptions just to move from event to event. Hugo, I feel, has the unique ability to convey idea and thoughts and descriptions in a way that touches your heart and makes you think and yet at the same time doesn't bog you down with flowery adjectives. The language in his page-long paragraph descriptions flow so naturally you find yourself nodding and flipping pages and before you know it you're on to the next event in the plot. My friends laughed at me when we recently traveled to Paris and I wanted to buy the two-volume unabridged original Les Miserables- even though I don't know a word of French! It is a tragedy for any person with a poetic mind or a romantic heart to miss this book-truly a human classic.