Echoes of Redemption: Exploring the Depths of Les Misérables
"Les Misérables" is a renowned novel by Victor Hugo that delves into the themes of justice, redemption, and the human condition, set against the backdrop of 19th-century France. The novel features a diverse cast of characters including Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Cosette, Marius Pontmercy, and Eponine, among others.
The story follows the life of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who seeks redemption after serving a long prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. His encounter with the righteous police inspector Javert sets the stage for a moral and existential conflict throughout the narrative. Alongside Valjean's journey, the novel intertwines the lives of other characters, including the destitute Fantine, the orphaned Cosette whom Valjean adopts, and the revolutionary Marius Pontmercy.
"Les Misérables" is a masterpiece of literature that explores the complexities of human nature and society with profound depth. Through vivid characterizations and intricate plotlines, Hugo masterfully weaves together themes of compassion, sacrifice, and the pursuit of justice. The novel's timeless relevance continues to captivate readers, offering poignant insights into the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.
Introduction
Characters
Plot Summary
Review
Conclusion
Introduction
I finally had the opportunity to read Victor Hugo's masterpiece "Les Misérables." Although I had heard of its fame, I had always put off reading it, treating it like an unfinished homework assignment due to various excuses. The novel gained significant popularity with its film adaptation of the same name in South Korea. Therefore, I was curious about the original work, but the weight of its considerable volume and the sense of it being a classic prevented me from picking it up. However, once I started reading, I found myself deeply immersed in the emotions evoked by this masterpiece.
Characters
The main character is Jean Valjean, who had a family in the past but now lives a lonely life, disconnected from his family. Bishop Myriel is the person who accepts Jean Valjean and helps him start a new life. He meets a woman named Fantine, who is an unwed mother with a daughter named Cosette. Later, he falls in love with and marries a man named Marius. Inspector Javert spends his life suspecting Jean Valjean, seeking to capture him and bring him to justice. Despite his villainous acts throughout the novel, an important character in the storyline is Thénardier. He has five children, including his eldest daughter who secretly loves Marius and his third son, who is a prominent character.
Plot Summary
Even without reading "Les Misérables," I was familiar with the story of Jean Valjean, who went to prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Jean Valjean is sentenced to five years in prison for stealing bread to feed his starving sister and nephews. Despite several attempts to escape, his sentence continues to increase, and he ends up spending an astonishing 19 years in prison.
Upon release, Jean Valjean finds no warm welcome anywhere as a former convict. Finally, Bishop Myriel accepts him and provides him with shelter and food. However, Jean Valjean steals silverware from the bishop's house and is caught by soldiers when he attempts to flee. The bishop tells the soldiers that he gave the silverware to Jean Valjean and even insists that he take the silver candlesticks with him.
Bishop Myriel encourages Jean Valjean to start a new life. Under the guidance of Myriel, Jean Valjean, now completely reborn, adopts the name "M. Madeleine" and becomes highly successful in the jewelry business in the city of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Recognized for his endless charity and contributions to the community, he eventually becomes the mayor of the city. However, Inspector Javert, a plainclothes police inspector, begins to suspect his true identity and starts to pursue him.
Meanwhile, Fantine, a woman working at Jean Valjean's jewelry factory, is an unmarried mother to a daughter named Cosette. Facing social stigma as an unwed mother, she leaves Cosette in the care of the Thénardiers, who run a restaurant, while she works at Jean Valjean's factory. She sends most of her earnings to the Thénardiers for Cosette's care. Eventually, Fantine is unjustly dismissed from the factory, and in her desperation to pay for her daughter's upkeep, she resorts to selling her hair and teeth and eventually descends into prostitution.
One day, Fantine gets into an altercation with a man who mocks her, and Inspector Javert witnesses the scene while passing by. Jean Valjean witnesses the incident and ultimately saves Fantine. Learning about Fantine's unjust dismissal from his factory, he resolves to help her.
Meanwhile, Javert, still suspecting M. Madeleine is Jean Valjean, hears news of Jean Valjean's capture. He informs Jean Valjean that the real criminal has been apprehended, which plunges Jean Valjean into deep turmoil. He feels guilty for someone else being sentenced to prison because of him.
Ultimately, Jean Valjean decides to attend court and reveals his true identity, resulting in his re-incarceration. While serving his sentence, he saves a man from drowning, but his own death is mistakenly reported. Jean Valjean, alive and well, fulfills his promise to Fantine and rescues Cosette from the Thénardiers' abusive care, fleeing to Paris with her. Jean Valjean and Fantine live in hiding, relying on each other, but are inadvertently discovered by Javert. Jean Valjean assumes a new identity and seeks refuge in a convent in Paris.
Meanwhile, Marius, the grandson of the staunchly royalist Monsieur Gillenormand, discovers his true identity after his father's death. Despite his grandfather's disdain, Marius becomes fiercely republican. While living in poverty, he meets and falls in love with Cosette during a chance encounter in the park. However, Jean Valjean, consumed by suspicion and jealousy toward Marius, takes Cosette away and relocates, causing Marius great distress.
Next door to Marius, the Thénardier family resides. They are involved in various fraudulent activities, including receiving false pensions, and Jean Valjean becomes entangled in their schemes. When Thénardier recognizes Jean Valjean, he attempts to extort money from him, but they are all apprehended and sent to prison due to the arrival of Inspector Javert and other police officers. Amidst the chaos, Jean Valjean manages to escape and goes into hiding.
Marius discovers Cosette's whereabouts through Thénardier's daughter, and the two finally meet and confirm their love for each other. However, Jean Valjean flees with Cosette once again.
Meanwhile, the June Rebellion of 1832 erupts, and Enjolras and his friends take to the streets, erecting barricades and engaging in struggle. Marius, distressed by Cosette's disappearance, joins the revolution and sends a letter through a comrade to Cosette, informing her of his imminent death. The letter falls into Jean Valjean's hands, and as the barricade falls and most of the revolutionaries meet their demise, Jean Valjean rescues the unconscious Marius and escapes through the sewers.
Upon emerging from the sewers, Jean Valjean is apprehended by Javert, but at Jean Valjean's request for mercy, Javert delivers Marius to the Gillenormand residence and assists Jean Valjean. Subsequently, Javert falls into severe distress and commits suicide.
Marius eventually marries Cosette. However, Jean Valjean, burdened by guilt and longing for Cosette, rapidly deteriorates in health. One day, Marius learns about Jean Valjean's identity and how he saved him through Thénardier. He also discovers how Jean Valjean rescued him and Cosette, prompting him to seek out Jean Valjean with Cosette. Jean Valjean, in their embrace, confesses his life story and peacefully passes away.
Reflection
Reading this novel felt like delving into a grand saga where the theme of forgiveness resonated deeply. Indeed, forgiveness is a recurring theme in Victor Hugo's works.
Bishop Myriel forgives Jean Valjean for stealing silverware, and Jean Valjean forgives Javert, who tormented him throughout his life. Marius and Javert, despite their differing political views, forgive each other. Cosette forgives Jean Valjean for hiding his true identity. The intertwined relationships among the characters unfold, ultimately leading to mutual forgiveness.
The 19th-century France that Victor Hugo inhabited was a politically tumultuous and unstable era marked by recurring revolutions. During such times, people divided along political lines, hating and tearing each other apart. Royalists and republicans regarded each other as enemies, resulting in bloodshed.
Through this work, Victor Hugo seems to suggest that forgiveness and acceptance are the only ways to resolve such issues. Particularly, the scene where Marius and his staunchly royalist grandfather reconcile symbolizes this message.
Ironically, Jean Valjean, who was generous in forgiving others, was miserly in forgiving himself. Unable to accept himself, he lived in constant fear. He believed he didn't deserve to share in the happiness of Cosette and Marius's marriage. Only through the forgiveness of Marius and Cosette, albeit belatedly, did Jean Valjean find liberation from his guilt before his death.
The title of this work, "Les Misérables," symbolizes the fact that we are all pitiful individuals in need of forgiveness from one another. Through this novel, the author seems to convey that forgiveness, reconciliation, and harmony alone can liberate us all.
In the novel, Javert's suicide also left a deep impression. Javert, being a police officer, naturally pursued criminals as part of his duty. Despite Jean Valjean living under a different identity, Javert believed that Jean Valjean's criminal nature remained unchanged beneath the surface, and it was his duty to apprehend him. Relentlessly hounding and chasing Jean Valjean, Javert did his utmost to ensure that he faced justice. However, his convictions were shaken after the incidents where Jean Valjean saved his life and, in turn, spared his. Javert came to realize that there was a higher law above the law of the land, namely the law of conscience.
Upon discovering that he had failed to uphold either the law of the land or the law of conscience, Javert threw himself into the Seine River, succumbing to the turmoil within himself. When one realizes that what they have believed in is false or incomplete, they can't help but feel a sense of emptiness. Moreover, the shock of realizing that the convictions or values they have upheld throughout their lives are wavering is unimaginable. While everyone else forgave, Javert couldn't forgive himself, which led him to choose death.
In the novel, Jean Valjean appears to exhibit excessive fixation on Cosette. After rescuing Cosette from the Tenardiers and taking full responsibility for her upbringing, Jean Valjean pours all his resources into caring for her. Towards the end of the story, Cosette becomes Jean Valjean's entire life and even his reason for living. Entrusted with Cosette by Fantine, despite knowing he is a sinner, Jean Valjean couldn't betray Fantine's trust. Moreover, feeling a disproportionate sense of responsibility towards Cosette, who follows him without knowing his true nature, Jean Valjean sees her not just as a daughter he must care for but as a symbol of the new life he leads. Reflecting on this, I now somewhat understand the reasons behind Jean Valjean's obsession.
Final Thoughts
The story of going to prison for stealing bread is a common example often used to illustrate concepts of law and justice, and I initially thought that this anecdote, with some additional embellishments, would comprise the entirety of this novel. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the novel is much more extensive in scope than I had anticipated. Upon finishing it and seeking out the opinions of others, I discovered that many renowned authors worldwide have praised this work. Victor Hugo himself once said about this novel, "If Dante drew hell with words, I tried to create hell with reality." While I may still lack the depth to fully appreciate the nuances of this novel, I would highly recommend it to others despite this.
