Book Review - Les Miserables

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Victor Hugo is one of the most famous French writers of the 19th century. He was born in France in 1802. He was married at very early age of 20. Hugo made a name for himself as a novelist, a poet and a playwright; by the time he reached his thirties. Among his many works in French, Hugo is best know for his novels The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Les Miserable (1862), which were translated in many languages. He died in 1885, at the age of 83.

BACKGROUND

‘Les Miserables ’ first appeared in 1862, and at the same time published in nine different languages. In his early days Hugo began to gather notes for a book that would tell the story of "a saint, a man, a woman, and a child," but over the years different kind of new and peculiar characters enriched his valuable notes. When it was finally published in 1862, it had attained, both in quality and quantity, indeed a stature of masterpiece. The story is set between 1815 and 1832, the years of Hugo's youth. Hugo's masterpiece covers a large portion of Revolutionary French history. The battle of Waterloo, the revolving door of governments, and the numerous street barricade rebellions of the city of Paris during the 1830s all serve as a background for the story. The French word "miserables" means both poor wretches and scoundrels or villains. The novel offers a huge cast that includes both kinds of "miserables." LES MISERABLES is a powerful social document. The story is set between 1815 and 1832, the years of Hugo's youth. The story of how the convict Jean Valjean struggled to escape his past and reaffirm his humanity, in a world brutalized by poverty and ignorance, became the gospel of the poor and the oppressed. The novel is the parallel story of the recovery of Jean Valjean and France—and to a larger extent, the story of humanity's political and social progress.

THE STORY

In 1815, in France, a man named Jean Valjean was released after nineteen years in prison. He had been sentenced to a term of five years because he stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving sister and her family, but the sentence was later increased because of his attempts to escape.
He was free at last; he started out on foot for a distant part of the country. Innkeepers refused him food and lodging because his yellow passport revealed that he was a former convict. Finally he came to the house of the Bishop of town D-, a saintly man who treated him kindly, fed him, and gave him a bed. During the night Valjean stole the bishop's silverware and fled. He was immediately captured by the police, who returned him and the stolen goods to the bishop. Without any condemn, the priest not only gave him what he had stolen but also added his silver candlesticks to the gift. The surprised gendarmes released the prisoner. Alone with the bishop, Jean was confused by the churchman's attitude, for the bishop asked him “You would use the silver to help you become an honest man”.

A new character was introduced. A beautiful girl named Fantine lived in Paris. She gave birth to an illegitimate child, Cossette, whom she left with Monsieur and Madame Thenardier to take care of with their own children. As time went on, the Thenardiers demanded more and more money for Cosette's livelihood yet treated the child cruelly and deprived her even of necessities. Meanwhile, Fantine had gone to the town of M--and obtained a job in a glass factory operated by Father Madeleine, a kind and generous man whose history was known to no one, but whose good deeds and kindness to the poor were public information. He had arrived in M--a poor labourer, and by a lucky invention he was able to start a business of his own. Soon he built a factory and employed many workers. After five years in the city, he was named mayor and was beloved by all the citizens. He was reported to have exceptional strength. Only one man, Javert, a police inspector, seemed to watch him with an air of suspicion. He was determined to discover the facts of Father Madeleine's previous life. One day he found a clue while watching Father Madeleine lift a heavy cart to save Father Fauchelevant who had fallen under it. Javert realized that he had known only one man of such exceptional strength, a former convict named Valjean.

Fantine had told no one of Cosette, but knowledge of her illegitimate child spread and caused Fantine to be fired from the factory without the knowledge of Father Madeleine. Finally Fantine became a prostitute in an effort to pay the increasing demands of the Thenardiers for Cosette's support. One night Javert arrested her while she was walking on the streets. When Father Madeleine heard the details of her troubles and learned that she was sick, he sent Fantine to a hospital and promised to bring Cosette to her. Just before the mayor left to get Cosette, Javert confessed that he had mistakenly reported to the Paris police that he suspected Father Madeleine of being the former convict, Jean Valjean. He said that the real Jean Valjean had been arrested under an assumed name. The arrested man ,Champmathieu, had to face trial after two days.

That night Father Madeleine struggled with his own conscience, for he was the real Jean Valjean. Unwilling to let an innocent man suffer, he went to the court for the trial and identified himself as Jean Valjean. After telling the authorities where he could be found, he went to Fantine. Javert came there to arrest him. Fantine was so terrified that she died. Valjean was able to escape from Javert. He went to Thenardiaers and took Cosette, a girl of eight, with him away from the Thenardiers. He grew to love the child greatly, and they lived together happily in the Gorbeau house on the outskirts of Paris. When Javert once more tracked them down, Valjean escaped with the child into a convent garden, where Fauchelevant, whose life Valjean had saved when the old peasant fell beneath the cart, rescued them. Fauchelevant was now the convent gardener. Valjean became his assistant, and Cosette was put into the convent school.

Many years passed. Valjean left the convent and took Cosette to live in a modest house on a side street in Paris. Meanwhile Thenardier had brought his family to live in the Gorbeau house and he now called himself Jondrette. In the next room lived Marius Pontmercy, a young lawyer separated from his grandfather because of his political views. Marius was the son of an officer whose life Thenardier had saved at the battle of Waterloo. When his father died he asked his son to repay Thenardier for his deed. Marius never suspected that Jondrette was really his father's saviour. When the Jondrettes were being evicted from their quarters, however, he paid their rent from his small pocket.

Among his frequent visits to Luxembourg, one evening Marius met Cosette and Valjean. He fell in love with the girl as he continued to see her in the company of her white-haired companion. At last he followed her to her home. Valjean noticed Marius and took Cosette to live in another house.

One morning Marius found an urgent help from Eponine Jondrette,elder daugter of Jondrette. His neighbours were again asking for help, and he began to wonder about them. Peeping through a hole in the wall, he heard Jondrette speak of a helper who would soon arrive. When the man came, Marius recognized him as Cosette's companion. He later learned Cosette's address from Eponine, but before he saw Cosette again he overheard the Jondrettes plotting against the man whom he believed to be Cosette's father. He was alarmed and told the details of the plot to Inspector Javert.

Marius was at the wall peeping Jondrettes through a hole, when Valjean came to give Jondrette money. While they talked, numerous heavily armed men appeared in the room. Jondrette then revealed himself as Thenardier. Marius was horrified did not know whom to protect, the man his father had requested him to befriend or the father of Cosette. Threatened by Thenardier, Valjean agreed to send to his daughter for more money, but he gave a false address. When this trick was discovered, the robbers threatened to kill Valjean. Marius threw a note of warning through the hole in the wall as Javert appeared and arrested all but Valjean made his escape through a window.

Marius finally located Cosette. One night she told him that she and her father were leaving for England. He was left with no options and went to his grandfather to get his permission to marry Cosette, but returned unsuccessful. In depression, he returned to Cosette and found Cosette’s house empty. Meanwhile, Eponine met him there and told him that his revolutionary friends had begun a revolt and were waiting for him at the barricades. Because Cosette had disappeared, he hurriedly followed Eponine to the barricades, where Little Gavroche, youngest son of Thenardier, had identified Javert as a spy. During the fighting Eponine gave her life to save Marius. As she died, she gave him a note, which Cosette had given her to deliver. In the note, Cosette told him where she could be found.In answer to her note, Marius wrote that his grandfather would not permit his marriage, that he had left with no money, and that he would be killed at the barricade. Valjean discovered the notes and set out for the barricades. Finding Javert tied up by the revolutionists, he was given the chance to kill him. But kind Valjean freed the inspector. The barricade fell to the army. In the confusion Valjean came upon the wounded Marius and carried him into the Paris gutters.

After hours of wandering, he reached a locked outlet. There he met Thenardier, was hiding in the dark, and agreed to open the grating in exchange for money. Outside Valjean met Javert, who took him into custody. Valjean asked Javert only to take Marius to his grandfather's house. Javert agreed to wait at the door, but suddenly he turned and ran toward the river. Frustrated by his true regard for duty and his hesitation to return to prison the man who had saved his life, he jumped into the river.

When Marius recovered, he married Cosette. Valjean gave Cosette a generous present, and for the first time Cosette learned that Valjean was not her real father. Valjean told Marius only that he was an escaped convict, believed dead, and he begged to be allowed to see Cosette occasionally. Gradually Marius banished him from the house.

One morning Marius found some paper cuttings, one was the report on Champmathieu’s trial scene, which narrated the whole scene of the trial. Another was concerned with Javert’s suicide, which stated that he was once saved by one of the rebels, who could have shoot him but instead of doing so he let him go free. Then Marius learned from Thenardier that it was Valjean who had rescued Marius at the barricade. Knowing that Marius and Cosette hurried to Valjean's lodgings, to find him on his deathbed. He died knowing that his children loved him and that all his entangling past was now clear. He gave the bishop's silver candlesticks to Cosette, with his last breath saying that he had spent his life in trying to be worthy of the faith of the Bishop of D-. He even asked her to forgive Thenardiers. And with that he closed his eyes and breathed his last breath.

CRITICAL APPRECIATION

Valjean represents the inherent good in every person, while Javert symbolizes the opposite, indeed two sides of the same coin. A single act of mercy shown by Bishop caused Valjean to drastically alter his ways. The depressing deaths of Fantine, Eponine, and the students are among the most emotional moments in the story, without which Valjean's noble death at the end of the story would not have its dramatic impact.

Hugo uses his novel to condemn the unfair class-based structure of nineteenth-century France. He shows time and again that the society turns good, innocent people into beggars and criminals. Hugo focuses on three areas that particularly need reform: education, criminal justice, and the treatment of women. He conveys much of his message through the character of Fantine. Fantine demonstrate the life of the single workingwoman. He shows how people take advantage of her and how she is thrown deeper and deeper into poverty and fear by her circumstances, as she was not educated. Even though she is able to secure a job as a factory worker and finds a home for her illegitimate daughter. The society forced her for prostitution in order to meet Thenardiers demand. This defines the treatment of women in 19th century. Hugo’s lead character, Van Valjean, reveals how the French criminal-justice system transforms a simple bread thief into a criminal.

Hugo used symbols to represent abstract ideas or concept. At the beginning of the novel, Hugo uses the contrast between light and darkness to highlight the differences between Bishop, an honorable citizen, and Valjean, a dark, a convict, incapable of love. When Bishop gives Valjean his silver candlesticks, Bishop is literally passing on this light as he tells Valjean he must promise to become an honest man. Later, the candlesticks reappear frequently to remind Valjean of his duty. Taken as a whole, Les Miserables or ‘the unfortunates’ demonstrates the best and worst of humanity. In addition to the general theme of redemption, the story is filled with various ups and downs of life, each of which offers a moral lesson to the readers.