Symbolism In Les Miserables

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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...

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...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.

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