(no subject)
Brittany Terry
January 23, 2005
G Period Rm. 225
Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Comment 6
Les Miserables ends with Javert’s suicide, Marius’s recovery and marriage to Cosette, and then finally Jean Valjean’s death. At first Javert’s suicide surprised me. He did not seem like the type of person to do such a thing. He was always much too arrogant and set in his ideas for me to believe he would regret something so much, but then I thought maybe his experience with Valjean was an enlightening one, that led Javert to realize his inflexible interpretation of the law was unreasonable in this situation. Valjean’s compassion for the less fortunate, the poor, and even for Javert himself, despite all the hate he should have felt, convinced Javert that although Valjean was not innocent, he was a good man. It seemed that Javert couldn’t bring himself to arrest Valjean, but he also couldn’t bear going against the law and letting him go free either. Do you think Javert felt it was the only way to free himself of making a decision, or do you think the decision he finally made was what led him to commit suicide? I am still unsure.
This section, as well as others, leads me to think one of the most important themes in this book was compassion, and the importance it holds in life. Valjean’s compassion towards Fantine and her child Cosette bring him a life of happiness. His compassion towards Marius at the battlefield, which is also in a way a loving understanding of Cosette’s feelings, helps him earn his forgiveness from them. His compassion towards the man trapped under a wagon ended up finding him a safe shelter for Cosette, as well as a place for her to learn. Javert lacked compassion until the very end and, while this change brought around problems and his suicide, he felt a fulfillment from his decision that he had never felt before.
Another theme is social injustice of the time around the French revolution. The fact that a man can be in prison 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread, while people like the Thenardier's live freely, is absurd. The heated hostility between the sides of the Revolution is shown not only in the battle scenes, but also in Marius’s relationship with his grandfather. Another form of social injustice was shown through Fantine, and that is of the treatment of women, especially in education. Fantine is shunned for having an illegitimate child, and because of her lack of education, she eventually must resort to prostitution. This is not becasue she is cheap, or a slut. She must provide a life for herself and her daughter, and without an education, that is nearly impossible.
What are other themes that present themselves in the book do you think? How did you feel when Jean Valjean was dying? Any ending thoughts or
January 23, 2005
G Period Rm. 225
Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Comment 6
Les Miserables ends with Javert’s suicide, Marius’s recovery and marriage to Cosette, and then finally Jean Valjean’s death. At first Javert’s suicide surprised me. He did not seem like the type of person to do such a thing. He was always much too arrogant and set in his ideas for me to believe he would regret something so much, but then I thought maybe his experience with Valjean was an enlightening one, that led Javert to realize his inflexible interpretation of the law was unreasonable in this situation. Valjean’s compassion for the less fortunate, the poor, and even for Javert himself, despite all the hate he should have felt, convinced Javert that although Valjean was not innocent, he was a good man. It seemed that Javert couldn’t bring himself to arrest Valjean, but he also couldn’t bear going against the law and letting him go free either. Do you think Javert felt it was the only way to free himself of making a decision, or do you think the decision he finally made was what led him to commit suicide? I am still unsure.
This section, as well as others, leads me to think one of the most important themes in this book was compassion, and the importance it holds in life. Valjean’s compassion towards Fantine and her child Cosette bring him a life of happiness. His compassion towards Marius at the battlefield, which is also in a way a loving understanding of Cosette’s feelings, helps him earn his forgiveness from them. His compassion towards the man trapped under a wagon ended up finding him a safe shelter for Cosette, as well as a place for her to learn. Javert lacked compassion until the very end and, while this change brought around problems and his suicide, he felt a fulfillment from his decision that he had never felt before.
Another theme is social injustice of the time around the French revolution. The fact that a man can be in prison 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread, while people like the Thenardier's live freely, is absurd. The heated hostility between the sides of the Revolution is shown not only in the battle scenes, but also in Marius’s relationship with his grandfather. Another form of social injustice was shown through Fantine, and that is of the treatment of women, especially in education. Fantine is shunned for having an illegitimate child, and because of her lack of education, she eventually must resort to prostitution. This is not becasue she is cheap, or a slut. She must provide a life for herself and her daughter, and without an education, that is nearly impossible.
What are other themes that present themselves in the book do you think? How did you feel when Jean Valjean was dying? Any ending thoughts or