After chasing after Jean Valjean for years, Javert ultimately let’s Jean Valjean go, as he finally realizes that Jean Valjean is truly a virtuous man and the law does not define his moral values. Javert was caught by the revolutionaries at the barricade for being a spy, and they gave him to Jean Valjean to kill. Jean Valjean unties Javert and lets him go, but not before telling him his address so Javert can come and arrest him after fighting at the barricade. Javert, shocked that Jean Valjean forgives him after years of harsh treatment from Javert, chooses not to arrest him. Javert, still unsure of his decision, “saw before him two roads, both equally straight, but he saw two, and that terrified him- him, who had never in his life known but …show more content…
one straight line” (530). After only seeing one road his whole life, Javert is confused with the split roads he now sees before him. Before, the law was everything to him; it was his religion, his morals, his life.
Now, by letting Jean Valjean go he sees a different road, and that “terrifies” him, as he is slowly realizing the values he set his life on don’t always correspond with society. The roads are “equally straight” because no matter what road he chooses, it is the right road. By turning Jean Valjean in, Javert obtains justice for the law. By letting Jean Valjean go, Javert frees a man that saved his life. Ultimately, Javert is a changed man because of the kindness Jean Valjean shows him when he could have killed him, and he comes to the conclusion that there is more to the world than the law, or “one straight line”. Unable to comprehend this quickly, “Javert felt that something horrible was penetrating his soul, admiration for a convict. Respect for a galley slave, can that be possible? He shuddered at it, yet could not shake it off...” (531). Javert has always disrespected convicts while enforcing the law, and now that a ex-convict has spared his life, he acknowledges them differently. After always feeling superior to the people of the galleys, Javert’s finds his sudden “respect” for Jean Valjean …show more content…
“horrible”. His “admiration” towards Jean Valjean means he looks up to Jean’s ways of helping those around him, unlike Javert who hurt the people around him in order to enforce the law. While Javert “shudders” at this thought, he can’t “shake it off”, as he realizes that not all convicts are bad people, and maybe even believes that a convict may be a better person than him. Javert, looking over a bridge, contemplates as “an entire new world appeared to his soul...the possibility of a tear in the eye of the law… he perceived in the darkness the fearful rising of an unknown moral sun… since he had been of the age of a man, and an official, he had put almost all his religion into the police” (532).
After finally recognizing a new world where the law doesn’t always comply to people’s morals, Javert is severely conflicted. The law was always the most sure thing in Javert’s life; the law was predictable and hardly ever changed. On the other hand, however, after Jean Valjean freed him from the barricade Javert recognizes a “tear” in the law. Javert sees an “unknown moral sun”, the sun that encompasses Jean Valjean’s morals. By putting his religion into the police, Javert has a moral dilemma when he finds a flaw in his “religion”. For Javert, if the law isn’t true, than what it? Crushed and conflicted, Javert jumps off the bridge and into the water, to escape from the world that he finally sees. After being freed by Jean Valjean, Javert finally faces the fact that the law is not an absolute right, and doesn’t arrest
Jean.
In Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, he uses methods of gothic language, partial language, biased facts and repetition to portray prisons in a negative light, allowing him to subtly persuade the reader, he often times does this through the negativity of prisons focusing on: prison guards, the structures themselves and the mistreatment of the prisoners. This method is a vital form in storytelling, but often times detracts from the overall message of Just Mercy and the injustices of the prison system.
“Religion Gives Meaning to Life” outlines how life is given meaning through theistic religion in Louis Pojman’s opinion. In this short reading, autonomy is described as in the meaning of freedom or self-governing and argues how it is necessary for ideal existence. By being honest and faithful with ourselves shows how we can increase our autonomy. “I think most of us would be willing to give up a few autonotoms for an enormous increase in happiness” (553) shows our willingness to practice good purpose.
...ion and his misunderstanding about why he should and needs to obey it. By observing the behavior of the bystanders, the reader understands the rash outcomes of the situation which tend to be for the worse. The reader also can understand the power of people speaking against authority and how good outcomes can happen for pressing against unjust laws for what is morally right even if it results in consequence.
In the movie Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, John Stuart Mill's theories on Social Justice and Utility are depicted within the context of the 20th century. Haggis' representation of a multicultural society is one built on racism and inequality, which limits the social justice people can acquire. In this film prejudice and stereotyping are prevalent when discussing legal rights and moral rights. The social situation has profound impacts on the choices people make. This society's foundation is based on injustice, although in the end, justice is served through the concept of `justice of desert'.
Jean Valjean understands the deep emotions felt when the desire to love others persists in one’s heart. Valjean originally felt this desire specifically within his own family. Though during his years in prison, he lost it. In striving to feed his starving family by stealing a loaf of bread, Valjean earned himself “nineteen years” in prison. “He entered in 1796 for having broken a pane of glass and taken a loaf of Bread” (Hugo 86) Valjean loved his family so dearly that he risked rotting in jail rather than seeing them starve. He demonstrates pure charity in this act, for no sane person, would risk his life for others, unless his motivations lie in love. Then love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7) Valjean perfectly demonstrates the infinite measures people will take out of l...
In the same way, the power of society suffocates and confuses Meursault as it bears down on him with its views on morality. The sun is also present at the trial, just as is the force of society which claims to possess the right to judge people. The force of society is absent in the prison, likewise the sun is absent from Meursault's dark cell, and because the overpowering force of society has been removed, Meursault is finally able to "[open himself] to the gentle indifference of the world. " At one point Meursault leans from the window in an attempt to feel the sun's last rays at evening.
Since he cares little for the affairs of the world, claiming they do not mean anything, then justice—a major concern of the world—also means nothing to him. His actions both before and after his decision to kill a man without provocation demonstrate his apathetic view of the world, and his indifference to justice. Therefore Meursault’s search for justice, culminated by the court’s decision to execute him, remains an example to all of the inability of society to instill justice in criminals. Meursault’s perpetual refusal to acquire a sense of morality and emotion instigates skepticism in all who learn of his story of society’s true ability to instill justice in the
...hung from the church’s walls john has ended the pain for his family and John was hung. All the event that occurred showed that John’s action effect the people around him in a positive and negative way, having cheating on his wife had an major effect on his wife and there relationship he completely took away all the trust she had for him, also form being a very selfish man and only caring for himself to a man who gave him life for his wife so that she can live a easier life.
“Ecrasons l’infame,” which is interpreted, “We must crush the vile thing.” This is the expression Voltaire used to articulate his feelings for organized religion. With many natural theists soon to follow his path, Voltaire expressed his hatred for cultural religions, opting for a universal God of nature. Given a few more centuries, Darwin would have given Voltaire the scientific theory to support his desire for atheism. But alas, with no other theory in place, intelligent individuals of 18th century France were forced to use creationism to explain the world in its beauty and organization. This, as previously stated, was not a problem for Voltaire. His issue was the moral implications that separated religious groups, often to the point of war with one another. Religious intolerance was a subject he dealt with in many of his works, especially Candide. The religious characters in this work were mostly negative with the exception of Brethren predecessor, the Anabaptist, and the old woman. His opinion of various religions was also established in Candide, although it was simply a vague one, clumping all organized religions into an “evil superstitions” category. The conclusion of this work also gave us insight on Voltaire’s view of religion as either positive or detrimental to society and the individual.
The author’s purpose is to also allow the audience to understand the way the guards and superintendent felt towards the prisoners. We see this when the superintendent is upset because the execution is running late, and says, “For God’s sake hurry up, Francis.” And “The man ought to have been dead by this time.” This allows the reader to see the disrespect the authority has towards the prisoners.
What is one man to judge another? Either monarch or peasant, can any mortal really say whether someone is right or wrong in his ways? Man will always try to play God, and with justice we give it our best shot when we compile all of our brightest minds together to create laws and make verdicts. Even with these laws, the human race’s best attempt at justice, the French Nobel Prize winning author Albert Camus was still unimpressed. With his 1942 novella The Stranger, Camus shows readers why men judging other men is not justice. Camus’s protagonist Meursault firmly believes that he lives his life just the way that he wants, and that, even when a jury announces him guilty and a judge sentences him to death, no one can evaluate the quality of his life but himself. Though this is true, such self-interested attitudes leave little in the way of salvation for society as a whole. That is why real justice has no place in America’s courtrooms. Laws are set in place to conform to a large number of people, and therefore they are imperfect. Laws are set in place to generalize moral belief systems, and therefore they are imperfect. Laws are set in place by people, and therefore they are imperfect.
The trial portrays the absurdist ideal that absolute truth does not exist. This ideal destroys the very purpose of the trial, which seeks to place a rational explanation on Meursault’s senseless killing of the Arab. However, because there is no rational explanation for Meursault’s murder, the defense and prosecution merely end up constructing their own explanations. They each declare their statements to be the truth, but are all based on false assumptions. The prosecution itself is viewed as absurd. The prosecutor tries to persuade the jury that Meursault has no feelings or morals by asking Perez if “he had at least seen [Meursault] cry” (91). The prosecutor then continues to turn the crowd against Meursault when he asks him about his “liaison” with Marie right after his mother’s death. Though Meursault’s relationship with Marie and his lack of emotions at his mother’s funeral may seem unrelated to his murder, the prosecutor still manages to convince the crowd that they are connected to one another. The jury ends up convicting Meursault not because he killed a man, but because he didn't show the proper emotions after his mother ...
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.
In conclusion, Javert’s only flaw is that in his mind, a man is guilty when the law declares him so. Therefore, when Valjean gives Javert an irrefutable proof that a man is not necessarily evil just because the law says he is, he is incapable of reconciling this new knowledge with his beliefs. He finally wants to set Valjean free, but this completely contradicts his goal of living his life without breaking a single rule. Even the thought of setting a criminal free makes Javert feel as if he is dishonoring his work. Thus, the only option left for him is to commit suicide. It is difficult to feel anything other than pity for Javert, who assumes his duty with such savagery that he seems more animal than man does.