Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Les Misèrables was written by Victor Hugo, and published in 1862. It has been translated into many different languages, and turned into a play and movie as when as being a book. When a friend asked Hugo why he wrote the book he replied as follows, "I condemn slavery, I banish poverty, I teach ignorance, I treat disease, I lighten the night, and I hate hatred. That is what I am, and that is why I have written Les Misèrables." The book Les Misèrables tells of Hugo’s life, and of France in the early 1800’s while telling a tale of change, conflicts between classes, and justice. Hugo wanted this book to be as our government is for us, for the people by the people.
Victor Hugo was born in 1802 in Besancon, France. Hugo was a novelist, poet, political activist, and painter. It is because of this that Victor Hugo was a central figure and leader in the Romantic movement of France in the nineteenth-century. Hugo’s father was a general in the Napoleonic army. After schooling in France Hugo married his childhood lover in 1822. The 1840’s were a time of political involvement for Victor Hugo. Themes that show up in Les Misèrables such as the unjust legal system and unfairness to the poor were issues that he spoke up on at the Chamber of Peers. In 1848 he was active in the revolution, which gave him first had experience of the fighting at the barricades which he talks about in Les Misèrables, and spoke out against Louis Napoleon when he came into power. For speaking out against Napoleon Hugo was exiled to Belgium and then Germany, during which he wrote Les Misèrables. This book ensured Victor Hugo’s place as legend, and when he returned to France in 1870 he was greeted with a hero’s welcome. (Nove...
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... her. Another injustice throughout the entire book is Javert’s relentless pursuit of Valjean, Jean Valjean even says to him, "Why do you still bother me, I am a changed man. I work for the betterment of people now. Just leave me alone." (Hugo) This injustice is made right at the end of the book when Javert has Valjean in his hands and then lets him go. Javert ends up killing himself over the grief of not following the law, and going against everything he always stood for.
Les Miserables has had great success in its 139 years. The success started the day it was published because it is a book written about the people by a man that the people respect. It is not only the people that respect him; other authors respect him because he was a leader of the Romantic Movement. This book will always be a classic because the struggles in the book will always exist.
Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Damn is an animated film based upon Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name. The main characters Quasimodo, the hunchback who lives in the bell tower of Notre Damn, Esmeralda, the gypsie girl, Claude Frollo, the cruel Archdeacon of Notre Damn, and Captain Phoebus, the antagonist who defies Frollos’ orders, are all representative of the social classes and turmoil that occurred throughout the early 19th century in France. The original novel was written during the July 1830 Revolution, with strong influences from Hugo’s personal beliefs in social and political equality for all people as well as his opposition to the monarchy that begun after Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at Waterloo. This film is accurate in the sense that it shows the class struggle of the time in a way that both honors the novel and its historical context but is also appropriate for its younger
As the era of literature slowly declines, the expert critiques and praise for literature are lost. Previously, novels were bursting at the seams with metaphors, symbolism, and themes. In current times, “novels” are simply short stories that have been elaborated on with basic plot elements that attempt to make the story more interesting. Instead of having expert critical analysis written about them, they will, most likely, never see that, as recent novels have nothing to analyze. Even books are beginning to collect dust, hidden away and forgotten, attributing to the rise of companies such as Spark Notes. An author deserves to have his work praised, no matter how meager and the masses should have the right to embrace it or to reject it. As much of this has already been considered, concerning Les Misérables, the purpose of this paper is to compare, contrast, and evaluate Victor Hugo’s use of themes and characterization in his novel, Les Misérables.
Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. Comp. Lee Fahnestock and Norman MacAfee. Trans. Wilbour, C.E. Only Complete and Unabridged Paperback Editon ed. New York, New York: Signet Classics, 1987. Print.
What is Charles Dickens Attitudes to the french Revolution and how does it affect how the novel is understood?
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...
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.
Hugo’s social commentary focuses on three main concepts that he believes must be reformed in the French society: criminal justice, education and the treatment of women. By showing the unreasonable punishments both Valjean and Fantine shows how the social structure has turned innocent and good people into criminals.
Les Miserables is a story filled with emotion and characters that are very real. They deal with every day emotions that cause them to make choices. These choices have effects on the characters paths in life. As they make decisions and live with their choices they are often left at the feet of a higher law. They are judged on the basis of mercy and justice on a regular basis. In this essay we are going to explore what justice and mercy are as it applies to people’s choices and actions during life in the story and why mercy is often considered the higher law because of its appeal to love.
He walks the reader through the mess of political strife and bloodshed and he is very detailed in the inner workings of the Committee of Public Safety. He also writes as if the reader knows nothing about the French Revolution. This is a very helpful aspect of the book. Another strong point in this particular story is that there is a map of The First French Republic in the front of the book. There is also a key for the titles of the months according to the French Republican Calendar. This calendar is useful in the reading because depending on the time of year as well as the situation he is writing about, he uses month names such as Ventôse which, in current translation is around the twentieth of
The term culture comes from "cultura animi,” or “cultivation of the soul.” One’s culture is a manifestation of where they come from, a huge part of who one is. However, when one must fight against one’s own culture, it’s like fighting against oneself. This is what Tess Durbeyfield had to do in Tess of the D'urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Tess’s strength develops as she contends with two cultural issues; the cultural expectation for women to be pure, and the cultural system of a social hierarchy.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a movie based on a novel by Thomas Hardy. The story involves a young girl named Tess who will be the victim, the prey, and sometimes the lover of many men. She will go through this without ever understanding what it is that those men want of her.
he is called Pip, his family name is Pirrip, he is an orphan and that
“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.
In these short, desperate lines, viewers of the musical Les Misérables are shown the world of the beggars of Paris in 1832. The musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables has made an lasting impact on its followers since it’s opening nearly 30 years ago (Les Misérables: Creation of the Musical). By introducing music to an already remarkable story, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg reveal the social injustice of nineteenth century France to the modern world. In doing this, viewers are welcomed into the world created within the pages of Les Misérables. Bringing this story into the twenty-first century allows for comparison between today’s social injustices and those of 200 years ago. The characters created by Hugo provide a bridge between modern day and a time filled with pain and inequity, particularly for the poor. This is especially evident in the section of the novel centered on the young revolutionaries. Contrary to popular belief, Les Misérables does not chronicle the French Revolution of 1789, but rather the events leading up to the June Rebellion of 1832 (Gossard). Nineteenth century France was a period marked by “political and social unrest” (Les Misérables Historical Context). Laced throughout the novel is Hugo’s commentary on the actions and events of this period, although he is not blatant about his ideas. Through the use of archetypal symbols and characters as well as an emphasis on class conflict, Hugo develops themes of injustice and redemption in his novel Les Misérables.
...uster film: Hugo by Martin Scorsese showcased and resurfaced the life of Melies and re-ignited the publics interest in his films. Melies was portrayed in the beginning of the film as a sour, struggling old man that owned a toy shop in a train station, but was enlightened when his talents and films were finally noticed again by the French community.