Keli R.

UCCA 102.11

Dr. Dedo

October 1, 1998

Les Miserables: Worthy Throughout Time

The book Les Miserables, written by Victor Hugo in 1862, created a sensation throughout the world (Royston and Schlesinger 2). That impression continued through theatrical productions and most recently the musical, but the book contains greater detail and adds a deeper understanding of Hugo’s epic story than the movie or musical portray. Regretfully, few people in World society take the time to relish this masterpiece. Living in a fast paced world, many people today consider reading a time-consuming, senseless activity, and those who still read most likely choose a shorter novel rather than the 1500 page story of Les Miserables. However, the author states, "I don’t know if it will be read by everyone, but it is meant for everyone" (Royston and Schlesinger 2). This statement applies to this time period as well. The sincere characters, intriguing sub-plots, and moral theme of Les Miserables relate to people today even 130 years after its publication.

Popular characteristics that today’s reader admires coincides with the characteristics of the characters in Les Miserables. Readers look for a hero that they relate with, so the hero who possesses admirable qualities as well as demeaning faults appeals to most people. The heroes of Les Miserables, Jean Valjean and Marius, both portray average men with flaws in their character. Jean Valjean, the main character, steals from a bishop who treated Valjean decently when other people only saw him as a convict. This single act makes Valjean appear ruthless, but later in the novel, his eagerness to help people and his willingness to accept punishment makes Valjean’s error seem trivial. Valjean’s mistake secures his realness, but his good deeds make him a hero. As Dwight Hillis wrote, "[Jean Valjean] was possessed of every virtue . . . his the strength of Socrates to receive the poison cup" (149). Young men connect with Marius in his battle between friends and love. Marius feels compelled to help his friends fight at the barricade, but he also loves Cosette whom he desires to marry. This decision forces Marius to choose either his loyalty to his friends or his love for Cosette. Young men also usually face this decision at some point in their lives. Marius, therefore, appears genuine, and he rises to the position of hero by accomplishing both loyalty to his friends and eternal love to Cosette.

Also, the female characters in Les Miserables connect with women today. Fantine devotes her time, money, and eventually life to her illegitimate daughter Cosette. Common in the 1990’s, some single mothers today may share in Fantine’s love and commitment to her daughter, and her self-sacrifice for her daughter’s life shows the pain and desperation certain single mothers may face. Fantine’s daughter Cosette, like Marius, represents the younger generation. She struggles with knowing the truth about her past while also loving Marius during a revolution. Although she appears frivolous and immature by deserting her father for Marius, Cosette eventually learns the truth and realizes as stated by Dwight Hillis, "that having neither name nor home nor friends, that one whom she had neglected had lent her patrician place and luxury and happiness" (149). As Cosette appears selfish in her youth, the reader sees her evolve into a mature woman. Women living today admire the ability for the heroine to error and then learn from that error.

Along with sincere characters, readers also enjoy the ability to tie different stories into the main story without confusion. By dividing the book into different stories, Hugo enables the reader to anticipate the outcome of the book with each page read. Les Miserables accomplishes the task of using sub-plots to enhance the story without the book becoming too complex for the reader. The story focuses on Jean Valjean, but many stories surround the events of his life. First of all, Valjean rescues Cosette from the deceitful Thenardiers. Later the Thenardiers try to accuse Valjean of murdering Marius. Daughter to the Thenardiers, Eponine adores Marius who sees her merely as a friend. This creates a vague love triangle between Eponine, Marius, and Cosette. Along with the personal stories surrounding Valjean’s life, the beginning of the French Revolution encompasses the lives of all the characters. The feeling of discontentment among the people and loyalty to the barricade helps to shape the outcome of each individual sub-plot. The outcome of each story affects Valjean’s life in various ways and degrees. Society today anticipates an action filled novel to entertain them, and Les Miserables provides intense action through its many stories without confusing or boring the reader.

Finally, the theme of Les Miserables still entices people in this decade. Dwight Hillis describes the theme by stating, "Les Miserables is unique, in that it exhibits the worst man as having a divine spark that no injustice can extinguish, a spark which God guards and feeds, making it incorruptible in this life and immortal in the next" (123). The idea that goodness always prevails and receives its award strongly exists in the hopes of people today as it did when Hugo wrote the novel. Jean Valjean stems from the classification as a thief and rises through his good deeds in life to "become a saint" (Lee 1). Not only do people today enjoy reading about the good defeating the evil, they also envision that defeat as a possibility in their own lives and society. As Kathryn Grossman describes, they love to watch a character "triumph over love and hate, pride and despair, pleasure and pain, demonic forces both inside and out in hopes that they may accomplish the same victory" (43). Jean Valjean glories at the end of Les Miserables just as people today wish to gain their glory in their lives.

All in all, Hugo’s novel relates to this time period through its sincere characters, intriguing sub-plots, and moral theme. Written over 130 years ago, it remains influential even today. Although the book requires an immense amount of time to read, the outcome proves beneficial and invigorating to anyone who chooses to embark on the adventure of Jean Valjean’s life in Les Miserables.

Works Cited

Hillis, Newell Dwight. Great Books as Life-teachers: Studies of Character, Real and

Grossman, Kathryn M. Les Miserables: Conversion, Revolution, Redemption.

Lee, Rob. The Barricade on the Rue de la Chanvrerie: Les Miserables - The Novel.

Royston, Peter and Sarah Schlesinger. About the Novel Les Miserables. Internet. 1997.