Blind Justice Research Paper

Blind Justice is the juridical term for describing equal and fair treatment to a person or between peoples in a particular (juridical) case. But is justice really blind? Well, we'll discover the answer using the exemple of the unfair justice treatment of Jean Valjean (a repented thief), and the family Thénardiers (Monsieur Thénardier and Madame Thénardier) in the famous novel of Victor Hugo Les Misérables. Les Misérables follows the struggle of Jean Valjean trying to become a better man in the Post-Napoleonic France society fulled of unfair justice.This will lead us to the meaning of mercy and the role of mercy in Les Misérables.

Blind Justice represented as Lady Justice, is the allegorical personification of the moral force in juridical systems.

Victor Hugo wrote Les Misérables to describe the misery of the people of Paris and the countryside (the crountryside had two meanings: it was used to describe the farms, villages and the rest outside the cities but it also meant the rest France even the other cities and industrial zones) in the 19th century. When we look at Jean Valjean and the Thénardiers we see the injustice that Jean Valjean faces. But firstly we need to explore theirs backgrounds. Jean Valjean son of poor farmers had to feed the family of his sister after the death of her husband. He didn't earn enough to feed his sister, her 7 children and himself so he decided to broke into a house and stole a loaf of bread, he was caught and arrested by Javert, and was sent to jail in Toulon for 4 years, where he tried and failed to escape which costed him 15 more years in prison (Jean Valjean & Javert, 'Proloque: Work song'). After 19 years of prison he was set free but had nothing until the bisshop of Toulon Myriel helped him by giving him expensive silver cultery and chandeliers. This is the turning point that completely changed Jean Valjean, he was turning into a good man. He became rich and mighty under a false identity by fear Javert, a police-officer who never stopped tracking like an animal Jean Valjean. Javert actually said it to Jean Valjean: "I warned you I would not give in! I won’t be swayed" (Javert, ''Night of Anguich'). The Thénardiers, is a criminal family who disguise themselves as important and well-loved persons to gain their trust to robb them easier. They commited a lot of crimes: the father Monsieur Thénardier was a deserter of Napoléons Grande Armée (the name of the French army under Napoléon) but lied and disguised himself as a war hero. Later with his wife, they commited robberies and they're even suspected of murder! They all did those attrocities for their own pocket. Javert who represented the law never bothered