The film Les Misérables, based upon Victor Hugo’s 1845 novel and directed by Tom Hooper, follows the life of Jean Valjean upon his release from prison and his attempt to live honourably in successive years. Valjean spends his life working his way out of poverty, dealing with many different social classes and ways of life during the French Revolution. The characters Javert, Fantine and the bishop all demonstrate different approaches to life; Javert focusing on enforcing the law, Fantine willing to do anything to support her child, and the bishop demonstrating generosity and forgiveness towards Valjean's wrongdoings. As Valjean encounters each character, he learns to accept differing mindsets, circumstances, dreams and desires. Through these encounters, Hugo’s underlying message and ideology remain the same. Compassion and empathy are essential for human fulfillment. Through the musical Les …show more content…
Valjean, upon leaving prison, quickly comes to realize that being empathetic is essential to his success. Valjean first learns this lesson when he steals silver from the bishop. When the police arrest Valjean and attempt to return the stolen silver, telling the bishop “[Valjean] had the nerve to say you gave him this”, the bishop immediately tells the police that Valjean “has spoken truly” (Hooper, Les Misérables). Although the bishop knows that Valjean has indeed committed the crime, he aids Valjean because he is empathetic to him and his situation. The compassion displayed by the bishop demonstrates his acceptance of others, such as Valjean, who are habituated to a different way of life, knowing only to steal when in need as they are incapable of finding any other source of income. The bishop’s compassionate and empathetic demonstration teaches Valjean the importance of accepting others, despite their differences, demonstrating Hugo’s message of empathy as essential for human
John Steinbeck was one of America’s great authors, and had written several remarkable novels during his time. His novels always seem to consist of men who have committed crimes that are considered unforgivable, and instantly mark a person as evil. In his text, Of Mice and Men, Lennie was a big guy but a little special in the head, he was sweet but had no control over the strength in his body. He would always end up doing sinful things, but not because he was simply a bad person. In Steinbeck’s other text, Grapes of Wrath, he had another character that had committed unforgivable crimes. The character was Tom Joade who had killed a man at a bar. In the beginning of the novel they follow Tom on his way from jail, and continued to follow his family once he had found them. The family is one of the many who have to travel to California to their life started again, the setting takes place during the great depression. Tom Joade is one the most memorable characters involved with the plot. What the best qualities that Tom Joade contains is his passion toward his family, the way that he treats him mom, and his passion to help others.
Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Damn is an animated film based upon Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name. The main characters Quasimodo, the hunchback who lives in the bell tower of Notre Damn, Esmeralda, the gypsie girl, Claude Frollo, the cruel Archdeacon of Notre Damn, and Captain Phoebus, the antagonist who defies Frollos’ orders, are all representative of the social classes and turmoil that occurred throughout the early 19th century in France. The original novel was written during the July 1830 Revolution, with strong influences from Hugo’s personal beliefs in social and political equality for all people as well as his opposition to the monarchy that begun after Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at Waterloo. This film is accurate in the sense that it shows the class struggle of the time in a way that both honors the novel and its historical context but is also appropriate for its younger
As the novel comes to a close the depth of Holden Caulfield’s character advances. As Holden comes to terms with his emotions and learns how to deal with them effectively. At the same time, he learns about others’ sentiments and how to react to their emotions. When talking to his sister, Phoebe, Holden withdraws from the conversation as it progresses into more emotional depth than he is comfortable with. Aware that his sister “gets very emotional” Holden shy’s away from the conversation as, at this point in time, Holden has not prepared himself to cope with her emotions (Salinger 182). His unwillingness is due to Holden’s inability to endure his own feelings, let alone the emotions of another person. Later in the novel, Holden insinuates
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Compassion and empathy inspire change in a society whether it be changing individual’s usual way of thinking, uniting, or accepting those who are different. Individuals can use their compassion for something to cause a change in someone else’s thought of that thing. Several people have used empathy to bring others feelings together. People can also use empathy to show others to have acceptance towards ones who may not be like themselves.
Afghanistan was a war country where people got attacked by the talibans. In the kite runner a novel by Khaled Hosseini Afghanistan, was a dangerous country. It's the story about a relationship About 2 boys called Hassan and Amir that at this time in the book they were victims and innocents and don't deserve a punishment on the story. People gain empathy when others need the help, when they lose someone, when there's a bond between people and are demonstrating when others have help us we want to help them.
Devising the perfect murder is a craft that has been manipulated and in practice dating back to the time of the biblical reference of Cain and Abel. In the play, “Trifles” exploration is focused on the empathy one has for a murderer who feels they have no alternative from their abuser. As a multifaceted approach, the author Glaspell gives her audience a moral conflict as to whether murder should be condemned based on the circumstances rather than the crime. Presenting Mrs. Wright as the true victim of the crime of domestic abuse rather than a murderer gives Glaspell a stage which shows her audience the power of empathy.
Empathy is a complicated - but significant - trait in society. This characteristic binds people together, resonates within souls, and strengthens bonds. The ability to personally identify with and share others’ emotions, it can make the world a better place in various ways. Shown in the 1960s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, this is an important topic and theme that continues throughout its entirety. It is in her hometown of Maycomb that Scout, the protagonist, faces many biases, slightly atypical neighbors, and unexpected events, and her personality changes preferably. One important character is Boo Radley, believed to be violent and psychopathic, and rumored that he murders, has stabbed his parents, and conducts similar malicious crimes. Scout’s gradual expansion of empathy through her experiences and interactions within Maycomb reveals its importance in understanding people, ultimately suggesting that this
Almost all of the characters in the film are a depiction of aristocracy and their struggle to maintain their status and glory and to live their lives as expected by the society they live in. Infidelity is also evident in the film wherein Jourdain and Elmire are included. Disloyalty also comes in on the part of Moliere as a servant to Jourdain, when he had an affair with Elmire and on the part of Dorante as a friend of Jourdain, when he fooled Jourdain. Hidden agendas and plans are also apparent on the part of Jourdain’s older daughter: her secret love with her piano teacher and on Dorante’s part of performing his hidden evil plan to Jourdain.
Empathy is used to create change in the world by reaching out to the emotions of people and attending to them. It is used to help others learn and decide on matters that would not be reasonable without feelings attached to them. Empathy helps bring together communities that would have long ago drifted apart, but instead welcomed all who were different. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This attribute of human-beings really allows us to not only attend to situations as if they were our own, but it allows us to feel most of what others feel because humans are very much alike in some ways. In many of the articles and novels that we have read this quarter, characters from different pieces of context have portrayed empathy whether it was toward
Some critics discuss the breakdown in sympathy for Othello during the 20th Century. Do you agree that this is the case and does it apply to Giovanni? As defined by Aristotle in his analysis of tragedy, an audience must experience a sense of catharsis to be affected by a tragedy, meaning it is key that sympathy is felt for the tragic hero or the tragedy will be ineffectual. What makes Othello a successful tragedy is the way that Shakespeare establishes pity for Othello throughtout the play, even in his lowest moments as a character, and it is the lack of this in Tis Pity She’s A Whore that means the audience loses any sense of pathos by the end of the play.
Empathy is one of the greatest powers that a human being can ever hope to achieve; one person being able to understand the inner-workings of another is something truly amazing. However, empathy isn’t something that one is always naturally able to accomplish; in fact, it usually takes a long time for one to develop any empathy at all. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the reader follows Scout Finch as she experiences her youth in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. In this story, we experience her empathy for others as it increases or decreases. Though there are many examples of these alterations in Scout’s relationships, there is one that is both prominent and more complex than a few others; her relationship with her aunt, Alexandra. There are three specific instances in which we can track the progression of Scout’s empathy towards her aunt; meeting Aunt Alexandra, Scout wanting to invite Walter Cunningham over, and the assault by Bob Ewell of Scout and Jem.
In my essay I will be discussing the many ways in which Shakespeare causes us to feel sympathy towards Romeo and Juliet in the final scene of the play, after a brief summary of the events previous. In the beginning, Romeo and Juliet meet each other for the first time at a party. They fall in love and eventually decide to get married. As a result of Romeo killing Tybalt for revenge, he is banished from Verona. Juliet is being forced to marry Count Paris. A plan comes about that Juliet is to be drugged which would cause her to appear dead and therefore preventing her from having to marry Paris. However Romeo fails to receive the details of the plan and thinks that she is dead. He therefore returns to Verona to pay his last respects and end his own life. This brings us to the final scene of the play.
Griet, from Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier and Jean Valjean from Les Miserables are both expected to steal because of their low class, limiting their position in the eyes of their respective societies. In Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is branded as a thief, although he stole for his struggling sister's sake. He is then hounded by the police inspector, Javert, even after serving his sentence, because his low class makes people expect him to continue to steal. When he is under the persona of Monsieur Madeleine and revealed to be Jean Valjean, Fantine dies from shock (Victor Hugo). She would not expect a seemingly rich man like Monsieur Madeleine to steal, because of his high class as a mayor. However, if he was known to be Jean Valjean,
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 bishop claimed that with the silver, he had purchased the convicts soul, and had given it to God, and from that day forward, Valjean must be a good man. Another example of forgiveness goes two ways. Javert, in his relentless pursuit of Valjean, is captured by revolutionaries. In reward for saving the lives of a few of these revolutionaries, Valjean asks for, and gets, permission to take Javert outside, and kill him. Once outside, a small monologue occurs…and Valjean releases Javert, and lets him go free. Valjean just wanted to be left alone in peace, and hoped this act of kindness would change Javert, and make him realize that Valjean was no longer the man he was. The second way…is that in the end, after Javert finally captures Valjean, he lets him go. Since Javert had broken the law… that he loved so dearly, he kills himself shortly thereafter, by jumping into a river.
The protagonist’s transformation begins when the bishop recognizes Jean Valjean’s human soul that is capable of goodness. When he is put out into the streets, Valjean goes from place to place being rejected for being a convict until he meets the bishop who sees him as a common person, “That men saw his mask, but the bishop saw his face”(75). Even though people might be good, they don’t always see someone’s true soul. The bishop’s simple act of kindness and deeper understanding leads to Valjean living a better, more moral life, “From that moment we have seen, he was another man… It was more than a transformation-it was a transfiguration” (72). Since the bishop recognizes Valjean as an “another man” (72), he fulfils what he wants Valjean to become, a better more loving person.