Les Miserables: Individual Redemption

The characterization of Cosette and Eponine as foils in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables advocates for the implementation of altruism by the rich to help the poor and less fortunate. These two character foils originate from similar backgrounds and beginnings – Hugo even has the two live together for several years – but the stories they later embody are incredibly divergent. This difference between them can be attributed to Jean Valjean’s benevolence when he, “seized the handle of the bucket which [Cosette] was carrying” as she went to fetch water for the Thenardiers. This simple act symbolically freed her from the burden of poverty, as the distressing labor she was doing was essentially involuntary – congruent to the situation poverty forces the

Valjean is an ex-convict who is trying to escape from the police. When Valjean adopts Cosette, he brings her along to avoid the police and she is now guilty for helping a convict. This causes Valjean and Cosette to remain quiet and stay inside from the world. They always have to move city to city if there is any suspension of them. This prevents Cosette from discovering

It is in this moment that Hugo shows the change that is brewing within Javert, as he is beginning to not only realize that there is more that one solution to those who commit crimes, but he’s beginning to make an effort to perform actions that show he does believe in second chances. Javert knows that time is running out and he must make a decision on what to do with JVJ

During his eight years in hiding, Valjean became a wealthy factory owner and the mayor of a town called Montreuil-sur-Mer. A worker in Valjean’s factory named Fantine, has her secret of sending money to the Thénardiers, the caretakers of her child, Cosette, exposed, and is fired from her job. Fantine, left with no other options, resorts to prostitution to support Cosette. During an altercation with an abusive customer, now police inspector, Javert, arrests Fantine, but Valjean stops him, and takes Fantine to a hospital where she is diagnosed with a terminal case of tuberculosis. While at the hospital, Valjean learns that a man suspected to be the missing prisoner himself, is put on trial for a crime he

Javert’s narrow mindedness is put to the test when Jean Valjean spares his life is and as a result changes Javert’s life that benefits society. Javert continuing on the only path he had known becomes a spy for the French National Guard during the June rebellion, however not a very good one. He gets captured by the leaders of the rebellion for being a spy and would have been shot dead instantly if it wasn't for more imminent matters that the ABC’s had to take care of. They leave him tied up waiting

<br>First off, is the element of forgiveness. In a book of mistrust, poverty, and hate…forgiveness thrives in the world of Les Miserables. The first example of this was at the very beginning, when Jean Valjean stayed with the bishop. Valjean stole his silver…and ran off. He ends up being caught by police, but when the police questioned the bishop, he claimed to have given the silver to Valjean. Jean was confused…and the

In the end Jean valjean proves that with his life all his past when he was a criminal was what he hated the most and finally figured out that he was a good man at the end when he was dying. Valjean felt like a good man after all that has happened because he did his best to save the people he cared about and the people he did not know. When Jean Valjean was dying he could see Fantine as a angel and that moment meant that he was a good person and kept his promise for Fantine which was to take care of Cosette. Fantine was singing to Valjean because she was the one taking him and she looked happy because her dae took care of hughter and was relieved. The words that Javert has told Jean Valjean was that he himself was a thief and how his past was

From the moment on he dedicated his life solely to her, to protecting her from the sorrows of poverty. From that moment he could no longer be Jean Valjean, or Monsieur Madeleine, he had to start his life over once again and Cosette was all he had in it. He sacrificed in order to gain self-approval and the ability to forgive himself.

Jean Valjean sacrificed much as he sought redemption. One of the first sacrifices that Jean Valjean makes is that of his identity, during the Champmathieu affair. As Monsieur Madeleine, Jean Valjean was a trusted official in a high position. He struggled with himself when he heard that the ‘real’ Jean Valjean had been caught: should he stay in M—sur m—where he was comfortable and popular, or do the right thing, remove a man from an undeserved galley life, and become a convict once more. When Madeleine revealed himself as Jean Valjean, he forever gave up that comfortable position of authority. He became a convict again – a wanted convict. He would now live out the rest of his life hiding, of not running, from the police. Jean sacrificed his safety. Saving Marius’ life by carrying him through the sewers also proved to be a sacrifice. Jean’s entire existence revolved around Cosette. She was what kept him on the track the bishop set him on. He adored her. He was devastated to learn that she was in love with Marius, yet he saved

Jean Valjean is a bad person according to the law but he is doing it for the right reason, to help his sister’s son. Valjean goes through a lot of turmoil to maintain the façade that he must stay a free man. He is always on the run therefore making it hard for Javert to find him. Valjean always finds a way to escape the deathly grasp of Javert; he never goes back prison. He dedicates his life to the safety and protection of his dearly beloved daughter, Cossette.

Jean Valjean, the main character of the book, has two obsessions throughout the novel; living by the Bishop's word (becoming a man of God's will,) and protecting and raising Cosette away from the evils of the world. In the beginning of the story, Jean Valjean can not find anyone to take him in for the night. Because he is a convict, marked by a yellow passport, the Bishop's home is the only door open to him. "A convict may leave the galleys behind, but not his condemnation" (26). Despite the Bishop's kindness, during the night Jean Valjean steals all of the silver from the house and flees the town. Not far from the Bishop's house, Jean Valjean is captured and returned to the Bishop, who tells the police he gave the silver to the convict. Once the police excuse themselves, the Bishop says, "Jean Valjean, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man . . . . You belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I give it to God!" (33). From that moment on, Jean Valjean dedicates his life to helping the misfortunate and vows to never again commit an act of

The book begins with the convict, Jean Valjean, being released from a French Prison. He has served nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and subsequent escape attempts. He is set free, but only with his identification papers yellow. This marks him as criminal, and now in the new town, no one is willing to house him. In despair, Jean Valjean goes to the bishop M. Myriel. The kind man allows him to stay, but Jean Valjean repays him by stealing the bishop’s silverware then running for it.

In Les Miserables and The Kite Runner a big theme is a feeling of illegitimacy. In Les Miserables Jean rescues Cosette from the Thenardiers and this creates a father daughter bond that neither one questions until Marius comes along. When Marius finds out Jean is an ex-convict his tries to separate Cosette and Jean, but still honors Jean’s request to keep this from Cosette, this is the first time that Jean really feels that he is not Cosette’s actual father and has no right to keep seeing her if it is against Marius’ wishes. This creates a rift between the two because Jean feels like an illegitimate father. Things are not fixed between the two until Marius figures out that Jean is not a murderer or a thief and he allows Cosette to go to Jean’s deathbed.

In the beginning of the movie, Jean Valjean is in prison for 19 years, however Javert releases him and tells him not to forget what the law has said. When Valjean is released, he struggles to find warmth and food. A Bishop stumbles upon Jean and offers him that warmth and food. He allows Valjean to stay at the church able overnight, but seeing all the silver and someone who needs money, Jean steals but shortly is caught by Javert for stealing and brings him forth to the Bishop. The Bishop demonstrates the “spirit of the law” by saying Jean did not steal any of this silver, but he gave it to him. Seeing how the Bishop was so generous to Jean, he decides that he will become an honest man and uses the silver to start a new identity and become mayor of his new town.

When Valjean has Javert trapped in the barracaid he tells him “you are free” (pg. 264) but reality was that those words really made Javert a prisoner of his own mind. Javert believed that once a criminal always a criminal, and that all criminals wanted revenge and would do anything to get it. That took a big turn when He was proven wrong by Valjean when he didn’t take revenge on him and set him free because it went against all of his beliefes that’s why Javert told Valjean to “take your revenge” (pg. 264). because he knew he couldn’t live knowing he was set free by a criminal let alone the one he had spent most of his life trying to catch. After Valjean let Javert go he couldn’t understand why someone he thought was so bad would do something so nice for someone who could easily be considered an enemy in the eyes of a criminal like valjean. This thought ate and