Gomez 4
Mariana Gomez
Dr. Griffin
English 12
15 January 2013
Student Learning Objective Baseline
It ’is quite evident that every main character in Hugo’s Les Miserables encounters misery in their lives in some way, shape or form. All of them the characters face their own individual misery but in a sense, the narrator experiences displays it all. While reading along with the narrator, the reader gains a bit of insight on almost every character’s situation and with each passing idea or theme,. theThe narrator seems to reiterate and support this every encountered theme with a profound quote or a beautiful piece of text. “There is only one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky. There is one spectacle more grand than the sky, it is the interior of the human soul” (Hugo Page14).” Right off of the bat the narrator gives you an image of how captivating the human soul really is and how much of a spectacleunknown wonder it really is. Victor Hugo does not narrate to give simple solutions to the characters problems for the reader but rather, the narrator is enthralling the reader in the text as much as possible; trying to make the reader empathize with the character’s every struggle..
The first main character encountered is Jean Valjean and the narrator takes the reader through the struggle he has been through his journey. The very first struggle we the reader will find is see is Jean Valjean isbeing considered a convict and a criminal once he is released from prison being released from prison and marked as a convict. Absolutely no one would have him and it as if he was a burden to the people around him. After Jean Valjean is shunned immediately after being released, tThis is where we meet the Bishop in the story. The kind Bishop was not fearful of Jean Valjean but called him “brother”, took him in and treated him with the utmost respect. The narrator illustrated the bishop almost as grace, a blessing towards Jean Valjean. i In that moment of his Valjean’s life and that’s that is exactly what he the Bishop was. Here Furthermore the narrator shows and example of something that we often lacked as a a people society; fraternity. To feel brotherhood towards yourone’s fellow man is one the strongest loves, love being one the most needed emotions in life. Consider this; Jean Valjean had not felt anything similar to it since before he was imprisoned 19 years prior, therefore he had no idea how to respond to when that love given shown to him. Jean Valjean goes as far as to rob the Bishop of his silver candlesticks candelabras and is caughtonly to be byapprehended by the police surely to be thrown back into prison. and even after this; tThe Bishop willingly says to the police that he indeed gave them to Jean Valjean. “Jean Valjean, my brother, you belong no longer to evil but to good. It is your soul I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God” (Hugo Page 30)!” It’s It is as if Jean Valjean has seen the lord’s countenance and has received the chance he never deserved.
HeFrom that point on, Jean Valjean vows to then started abegin new life and does this as Monsieur Madeleine, not only an esteemed owner but as well as a mayor. Despite his glorious new life, his past continued to find him. Jean Valjean hears that another man is to be prosecuted as Jean Valjean and at first he is ecstatic but then begins to think the situation more thoroughly. “He could only enter into sanctity in the eyes of God, by returning into infamy in the eyes of man” (Hugo Page 78).” Meaning, that no one else would know of this except himself and God but he would not be able to live with it. In order to gain penancepeace of mind, he would have to come forward and reveal himself as the convict he is. to those around him. By doing so, Jean Valjean This would be retorting back to his old misery which he thought he had rid himself from.
“There are instincts for all crises in life” (Hugo 138).” This is another Just as before, this is an example of how one instinctively knows how to may carry on under the pressure of a certain situation. Maybe Perhaps this instinct would be to give in to whatever’s is weighing on your one’s heart shoulders. or pPerhaps the first instinct response would be to persevere. AgainIn any case, this all based on how one chooses to handleface adversity. or inIn the case of the novel, the adversity being faced is misery. For instance Cosette is approached by a total stranger in the woods who offers to take her away and she accepts. Even though the Thenardiers are the closest thing to family she’s Cosette has known, she still chooses to be go away with Jean Valjean., why? This is Becausebecause something inside of her pulled her towards that decision, some might call it intuition, othersand others know it as instinct. As humans we Humans tend to do things wethat might not always understandalways be fully understood, but inside we know we’ve made the right choice has been made.
Last but not least, one of the strongest themes of the novel was love. The love that Fantine shows for Cosette, the love Jean Valjean shows for Cosette, even the unrequited love Eponine shows for Marius, it all falls under the same theme. In the beginning of the novel we see the reader is introduced to Jean Valjean as a hardened criminal who would steal the shirt off your one’s back be transformed and gradually sees him transform into a man who wants nothing more but the light of his life to be happy. Jean Valjean was once I a character who would barely give hisbe hesitant to give anyone his help help to anyone, to a man who drags a man muck through the sewers of France simply because his daughter feels so strongly about himfor someone else’s happiness. After everything Jean Valjean puts himself through, the ultimate misery must have been selflessly giving away the person that made him happy for so many years, for her own happiness his own happiness for the love of his daughter. It’s It is almost ironic that for his own happiness (to see have Cosette’s happinessbe happy), he had to endure a new misery; a life without her. Once he is wearyWeary and very close to death he says Jean Valjean utters “To love someone is to see the face of God” (Hugo Page519).” Meaning This means that now that he has loved in love has been present in his life, he has all that he needs to experience in life experienced all that needs to be experienced in life and is ready to let his children live their lives and find the same fulfillment.
Works Cited
Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables.Ed. Paul Benichou. Trans. Charles E. Wilbour. Washington Square Press, 1964. Print.