Symbolism In Les Miserables

741 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Themes and issues in les miserables

Title
Les Miserables is about a crucial time in French history it shows why the French revolution happened through exaggerated symbolism. It shows how the misreables or the undesirables are not given a fair chance by society and forced into a life of crime out of necessity. They are punished by the law system which creates more criminal the exact opposite of what a just system is supposed to do. This creates a society that is nefarious and filled with envy and despair. Les Miserables is actually the revolution, which is when people grow tired of the constant despair and band together to fight the system. It’s about justifying the actions of the revolutionaries which are seen as the scum of the earth.
Jean Valjean is a convict, sentenced to 20 years for just stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family. This is an exaggerated way of show of how the ‘miserables’ are forced to do crime out of necessity and instead of being shown pity and understanding they are severely punished. After being released he is once again forced to become a criminal out of necessity and is once again punished brutally for it. This system creates a never ending cycle of crime which does the opposite of justice, forcing Valjean to be a thief forever.
Valjean is forced to become a thief he cannot reform his life. Jean Valjean spends the night with a priest after being denied lodging by everyone else in town. Contempt with his new way life he steals his silver and runs into hiding. After being captured by the police Vlajean expects the same treatment from the priest, swift punishment. Instead to Valjean’s disbelief the priest gives him the rest of the silver and has Valjean released. All he is asks in return is that Valjean gives his soul to God. Thi...

... middle of paper ...

...sunderstanding this can be taken to the extreme that I realize was my action and then does exactly what I tried to combat. I did not act as the Bishop of Digne but as the Javert, however honest the intention. It is possible that I forgot that bad and good is still a product of humanity and will exist in humanity, and that means it exists in all of us, not one in each of us. It is a matter of choice.’(448 Hugo)
In conclusion, Victor Hugo uses Les Miserables as way to justify the action of rebels in France’s revolution. It shows how they how the rebels are trying to fix a broken system that corrupts itself by criminals out of necessity and then harshly punishing said criminals which the society created. When all these said criminals need is love and compassion to turn into contributing members of society. Les Miserables also shows that humans are not inherently bad.

Show More
Related

  • The Grand Spirits of The Miserable Javert and Valjean

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    Javert, born in jail, saw himself as an ostracized adolescent with but two paths open to him. He could choose either to be a policeman or a criminal. He chose to be on the right side of the law. Valjean, a peasant, spent time in jail as a young man and came out of it hating society. He believed himself to be apart from it, and chose to live in hatred and crime. Fortunately, the action of a kindly old bishop prevented him from wasting the rest of his life. Valjean switched to tread the path of life on a more morally upright road. He became mayor, protector of society.

    Read More

  • Symbolism And Imagery In Stranger Than Fiction

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the film, Stranger than Fiction, director, Marc Forster conveys idealistic concepts through the use of symbolism and imagery. Alluding to René Magritte's Son of Man, the green apple was a prevalent symbol in the film -- often being held or eaten by Harold Crick. It exemplified the idea that the beguiling sight of that which is hidden by what is visible was sought after by Harold. This motif is portrayed when Harold abruptly stopped everything in pursuit of determining how he would die after hearing the narrator express that a small act “ … would result in his imminent death” (Stranger than Fiction), therefore becoming enmeshed in his efforts to see what is hidden by what is visible. In doing so, Harold disregarded the miniscule feats that could potentially change his fate, and only focused on that which he had no control over. Forster

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    In many stories, authors use symbolism, which is using symbols to represent something, to show a moral. “The Masque of the Red Death,” is a fictionalized story about a deadly disease that pervades through a country, killing many people. A young prince, in an effort to save himself and his elite friends and family, he withholds them all in his grand castle. The castle is unique in that it has seven very distinct rooms, that all seem to represent something important. In the short story “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, the seven colored chambers symbolize the cycle of human life, from birth to death.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Ballad Of Birmingham

    613 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is no safe place in the world. “Ballad of Birmingham” proves that by telling the tragic tale of a young girl and her mother. No matter what a building symbolizes or how much determination is spent on keeping love ones safe, life or destiny will occur. “Ballad of Birmingham” approaches the bombing of Birmingham in 1963 from a sentimental point of view, providing a unique insight into the story. The story of a mother and daughter, as described in the “Ballad of Birmingham,” cannot be understood unless the loss of a loved one has been experience first-hand.

    Read More

  • King Louis Xiv Research Paper

    1292 Words  | 3 Pages

    O: Rage and revolt can describe the country of France at the time of the Revolution faced because of turmoil and struggle they faced. Different estates were formed based on what you did and your class in society. The people of society wanted more say in the government and decisions that King Louis XVI made. The public didn't approve with much of what King Louis did. His lack of ability to be a strong king and leader affected his reputation to the public eye. King Louis was tried for committing treason to the country of France. Treason is the attempt to kill a sovereign and overthrow the government. Some of the reasons were his attempt to flee to Varennes, living in Versailles which was not in Paris, and reforms he passed as a ruler. These actions performed by King Louis isn’t what a King does, but that doesn’t prove any

    Read More

  • Symbolism in The Masque of the Red Death

    1690 Words  | 4 Pages

    Edgar Allen Poe, in the short story “The Masque of the Red Death”, shows how people may try to outsmart death and surpass it, but in the end they will die since death is inevitable. He reveals this in the book by showing all the people closed up in the abbey that belongs to Prince Prospero. They are trying to escape the “Red Death” and think that they can escape the death by hiding away in the abbey. They manage to stay safe for six months but in the end they all die after the stroke of midnight during the masquerade ball Prince Prospero puts on from the Red Death itself which appears after midnight and leaves no survivors in the end. Poe develops the theme of how no one can escape death through the use of the point of view, the setting, and symbolism.

    Read More

  • Compassion And Empathy In The Movie 'Les Misérables'

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Les Miserables Connections to Charity

    2201 Words  | 5 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Triumph of Les Misérables

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    Les Misérables (1862), a novel set in early nineteenth century France, presents a story of obsessions in honor, love, and duty, and through it redemption and salvation. It is the story of the poor Jean Valjean, condemned to an unfair amount of time in prison and a life on the run for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family. The kind act of forgiveness from a Bishop with whom Jean Valjean stays one night, changes the course in which he chooses to live his life. Under a different identity, he becomes wealthy from a business he starts and later is elected mayor of the small town of Montreuil. He falls madly in love with Fantine, one of the workers in his factory. Because Fantine, one of the very poorest and most pitiful residents of Montreuil, has a child born out of wedlock, Jean Valjean as the respected mayor must keep his love for her a secret. When Fantine dies unexpectedly, Jean Valjean vows he will raise her daughter Cosette, and shield her from all the evils in the world. Through all of this, Jean Valjean is being pursued by Javert, a policeman whose entire life has been dedicated to finding Jean Valjean. While running from Javert, Jean Valjean and Cosette find themselves in Paris in the middle of the 1832 Revolution. As Cosette matures, she falls in love with Marius, a young revolutionist. Despite the objections of Jean Valjean, Cosette continues to secretly visit Marius at night. During the revolution, Marius is injured badly and Jean Valjean, after finding a love note from Marius to Cosette, quickly comes to the rescue of the wounded gentleman. Eventually Jean Valjean and Marius' Grandfather consent to the wedding of Cosette and Marius. In this novel, "there is a point at which...

    Read More

  • Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    The French Revolution can best be described by Dickens in the opening phrase of his novel A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (Dickens 1). A Tale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens in 1859, takes place in London and Paris during the French Revolution. The book tells the story of a circle of people living and fighting during this dangerous time. These characters include Dr. Manette, a doctor and prisoner of the Bastille for eighteen years who is just reunited with his lovable daughter, Lucie, for the first time since his imprisonment. Mr. Lorry is a banker and family friend of the Manette’s and Charles Darnay is a kind, generous man with a corrupt, noble family who marries Lucie. The Defarges are a married couple who lead the peasants’ revolt in the Revolution, and Sydney Carton is a lawyer’s assistant with a seemingly wasted life, but finds his life’s worth in the end. From these characters and this story, the theme of sacrifice is well displayed, especially the sacrifice for loved ones. The book shows us that love overcomes evil every time through the sacrifices of Miss Pross, Dr. Manette, and Sydney Carton.

    Read More

  • Women in Pieces

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu peacemaker, once stated, "To deprive a man of his natural liberty and to deny to him the ordinary amenities of life is worse than starving the body; it is starvation of the soul, the dweller of the body." Being "starved" does not only mean physically not eating, but it also means a count for being deprived from what is needed to continue in a healthy lifestyle. In the preface of Victor Hugo's novel, Les Misérables, he explains that as long as "social asphyxia", and the three great problem of the age remain on Earth, his book is useful. Understanding the existing condition of the ruin of women through starvation is useful because it helps one see the world more cautiously and be sure not to fall into society’s trap. Fantine was destroyed when she was fired and could no longer support herself. The female Thénardiers are broken when they lose Cosette and have no one to do work for them. Equally as important, Cosette is spoiled when she is treated like a slave by the Thénardiers.

    Read More

  • Les Miserables, Theme (forgiveness, Self Sacrifice, And Courage)

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • The Price Of Freedom In Charles Dickens's A Tale Of Two Cities

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prior to the liberating events of the French Revolution, the French nobility were a dreaded source of grief and mourning, striking wrath upon whomever they pleased with "lettres de cachet" and the imprisonment of their enemies within the Bastille. Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities explores the lives of characters in various states of physical as well as mental incarceration who undertake journeys with the potential to "recall" them to life. The plight of

    Read More

  • Violence In The French Revolution Essay

    969 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... because it helped destroy the Ancient Regime, make France a republic, and reform justifiable rights for the Third Estate. The Storming of the Bastille, inspired other revolutionary activities, like the Great Fear, to revolt. Additionally, the execution of King Louis XVI, completely changed the ways of the Ancient Regime into a new government with a radical change. The French Revolution marked a symbolic form of power in history that influenced the ideals of equality, liberty and fraternity all over the world. This inspired other European countries to fight against their kings. Conflicts like the French Revolution continue today, like the the Syrian Civil war. They are going against the government, in a violent manner, for a reinforced system of equality. People want to be treated equally, and when they have been mistreated with restricted rights, they will revolt.

    Read More

  • A Historical Interpretation of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

    1775 Words  | 4 Pages

    The main focus of Dickens’ novel is the French Revolution. This was a tragic time that took place between the years of seventeen eighty-nine and seventeen ninety-nine. It was the lower class revolting against the corrupt authoritarian government. The ideals that the French stood for were liberty, equality, and brotherhood. Dickens uses this for the background of his novel. Marie Shephard once said that Dickens was helped by his friend Carlyle for a background on the French Revolution, and tried to focus more on the plot than a character (51). Another historian said that “the French Revolution exists in the novel only insofar as Dickens’s characters vivify it, live through it, react to it, and make its reality manifest to the reader”(Allingham). Dickens understood this and used it to help him write the novel, and to help us in understanding it.

    Read More

More about Symbolism In Les Miserables

Open Document