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Symbolism in lrs miserables
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Revived in modern society through the popularity of Les Misérables (the movie and musical), Victor Hugo is an author unafraid to address the ironies interwoven into the fabric of life in the 1800s. In his writings, Hugo alludes to the idea that life itself is a form of war as people battle individual enemies specific to their circumstances. Les Misérables and Quatre-Vingt-Treize are didactic in nature, ironically depicting the false stereotypes associated with social class and religion, while expanding on the absolute that every action has an equal consequence, and the thought that man cannot save his soul from destruction. Les Misérables opens in the year 1815 with the Bishop of Digne’s backstory of how he-- the son of a well-to-do judge-- …show more content…
Victor Hugo’s fondness for war and destruction is once again put on full display, as the story takes place on a war ship armed with dozens of cannons and loads of ammunition. As a loose canon wreaks havoc aboard the ship, the once contained and inanimate weapon is depicted as “the living chariot of the Apocalypse” (2). Just as the Apocalypse is foretold as the end of days, destined to strike humanity in punishment for its multitudes of sins, the escaped weaponry is also comparative to distributing payment for the sins of the oblivious gunnman; it is because of him that the whole crew is in danger. A machine built for death reduced an entire crew of sailors “accustomed to laugh in time of battle” to a trembling heap at the sight of their murdered kinsmen (2). In a twist of ironic fate, the cannon was punishing them with the very thing they were prepared to dole out to their enemies, death. Trying to right his wrongs, the perpetrator fought the canonic beast himself “in a Titanic scene”, playing what he saw as his rightful role in a deadly “contest between gun and gunner” (3). Hugo describes the scene with exceptional clarity, as all remaining men watched with trepidation as the “gigantic insect of metal, having or …show more content…
In Les Misérables, Jean Valjean’s lengthy stay in prison disillusioned him to the idea of God, with his “realities [becoming] full of specters” (92). He cast away any notions of a higher power watching over him, damning his soul for eternity even as he was liberated from his shackles in Toulon. The Bishop’s subsequent introduction to Valjean’s newly freed life is the catalyst needed to spark a flame of passion for God in his soul; his presence in the convict’s life is also a much-needed warning that “liberation is not deliverance” (96). An anointed man of God fulfilled his purpose in Valjean, saving him “from the spirit of perdition,” and becoming for him a door to a new life as a son of God (104). Before he could explore this new avenue, though, Valjean had to learn a key lesson that would become one of many themes found in Les Misérables. In order to be truly free, Jean Valjean had to reconcile with the truth that only God alone could save him from his own mind, which was frequently tortured with “a frightening accumulation of laws, prejudices, men, and acts… whose weight appalled him”; only then could he leave the past behind (91). Likewise, in "A Fight With A Cannon", the gunner’s futile and courageous efforts to thwart the cannon’s blazing path of destruction yielded no progress until an older man on board the ship who
The Return of Martin Guerre, written by Natalie Zemon Davis, is the tale of a court case that takes place in sixteenth century France. Martin Guerre is a peasant who deserted his wife and family for many years. While Martin Guerre is gone, a man named Arnaud du Tilh arrives at Martin’s village and claims to be Martin Guerre. Bertrande, who is Guerre’s wife, Guerre’s sisters, and many of the villagers, accepts the imposter. After almost three years of being happily married, Bertrande takes the fraud to court under pressure of Pierre Guerre, her stepfather and Guerre’s brother. Arnaud du Tilh is almost declared innocent, but the real Martin Guerre appears in the courthouse. Throughout this tale, many factors of the peasant life are highlighted. The author gives a very effective and detailed insight to a peasant’s life during the time of Martin Guerre. Davis does a successful job of portraying the peasant lifestyle in sixteenth century France by accentuating the social, cultural, and judicial factors of everyday peasant life.
Stereotypes within our society have shaped the way we perceive each other. Throughout the book Punished by Victor Rios, a lot of stereotypes were not only reinforced but also used against a lot of the boys. A lot of the boys presented throughout the book had never actually committed a crime but they were treated as if they had. These boys were constantly labeled and categorized, like folders into a filling cabinet or a bin. Sure Oakland, California had a lot of gang-infested areas but that does not mean everyone in that area is part of a gang or is committing a crime. Thus, this book really demonstrates how one can be perceived or labeled as a criminal due to his or her surroundings and how these stereotypes can destroy one’s chance of freedom.
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
The Knight’s Tale is another story where the lady is seen as the “troublemaker.” When
This passage is set before Meursault’s execution with the chaplain entering the scene, and telling Meursault that his “heart is blind”, leading to Meursault to yell and delve into his rant, and moment of consciousness. The passage has a calm in the beginning as if Meursault catches his breath from yelling previously, and he starts to reassure himself that he is not wrong for expressing his views as it went against the public’s religious beliefs, and states that this moment was so important to him that it was if his life was merely leading up to it. Why this particular scene is important to Meursault is that this is an instance where he successfully detaches himself from the world, and begins to deconstruct the world’s ideals as his rant shifts on to focusing on how nothing in life mattered. Meursault describes his gripes with the chaplain’s words as he explains his reasoning as to why the concept of a god is flawed as Meursault saw that everyone was inherently the same, with equal privileges just how often people could express them separated them. The passage continues with Meursault arguing that everyone would be faced with judgment or punishment one day, and explains why his own situation was not significant as it was no different. After that explanation the passage ends with Meursault posing the concept of everything in the world being equal both in wrongdoing and life in general, evident in his example of saying “Sala¬mano's dog was worth just as much as his wife.” Although the passage shows Meursault challenging the ethics and morals that the world around him follows, it does have instances like the end in which we see that the rant is still expression of Meursault's complex emotions, as it is unclear whether it is fear or a...
“The light of the unknown world was already visible in his eye,” (397) this light was seen through Jean Valjean’s eyes as he neared death. This light symbolizes the bishop’s goodness and God’s love for him. When he saw this light, he knew he was ready for his journey to Heaven. The story is in Les Miserables is heavy with themes of grace, mercy and redemption as seen through Javert and Jean Valjean.
Bishop Bienvenu’s influence on Jean is similar to that of a father’s influence on his son. Bishop Bienvenu’s influence is critical to the start of Jean’s life after prison. The Bishop was the only person that would shelter Jean for that long first night. During the night Jean stole his silver wear. Instead of being angry, the Bishop confirms Jean’s story and gives him the silver candlesticks too. ‘“Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. I have bought your soul, that it may not be lost.”’(26). The Bishop’s Influence on Jean will stay with him for the rest of his life.
In society, even today a clash between justice and the law often exists. The purpose of the law is to preserve justice and maintain order. Therefore, justice and the law should work in unison. However, many times law and justice clash. In Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, the tension and clash are demonstrated. Jean Valjean and Bishop Myriel represent justice and mercy, while Javert portrays the law. They are all honorable in their principles, yet they clash as opposing tides of society.
Vickery, Olga W. “The Sound and the Fury: A Study in Perspectives.” The Sound and the Fury. Ed. David Minter. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1994. 285.
Les Misérables is a story about hope, it is a story about looking for the good times in life so that they can overexpose the dark times, it is a story that epitomizes the saying “Life is a rollercoaster…it has its ups and downs, 8 times up and 7 times down, but there are always more ups than downs.” Even though the three groups of people handle misery in different ways, Hugo tries to provide various slices of humanity so that nearly all of his audience has something they can relate to. This effort to include all readers contributes to the success of this story over 150 years
Brochu, André. Hugo: amour, crime, révolution; essai sur Les misérables. Montréal: Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1974.
“It is precisely of him that I wished to speak. Dispose of me as you please; but help me first to carry him home. I only ask that of you.” Upon examination of Les Miserables, it is clearly evident that the elements of Forgiveness, Self – Sacrifice, and Courage are only a few of the main themes Hugo wanted to develop.
All humans have different morals that change based on their environment and circumstance. Jean Valjean, in the novel Les Miserables(1961), changes from someone with confused morals to a man with more morals than most whom with respect learns to love and share.
Demain des l’aube is one of Hugo’s more famous poems, and many people, especially living in Europe, are familiar with it. T.M. Pratt, the author of Nottingham French Studies, gives praise to this poem, writing about the unique way in which Hugo expresses his personal feeling, and at the same time, relays a universal experience that readers can relate to. He also praises Hugo’s desire to represent humanity in his work. I tend to agree with Pratt concerning the unique experience that Hugo brings in his poetry. I have seen similar themes in modern poetry, but during this time period, Hugo’s style was different from other poets I had read. But praise for Hugo’s work goes far beyond this
In any good novel, and even in life, people can be influenced in both positive and negative ways. In the three novels that we have read so far, Great Expectations, Lés Misérables, and Wuthering Heights, the main characters are faced with negative challenges and influences. Positive guides and influences also affect the characters in these books; the positive guides usually end up winning in the end.