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The analysis of les miserables
The analysis of les miserables
The analysis of les miserables
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Les Misérables is a captivating French novel, which follows the life of an unfortunate man named Jean Valijean. Jean Valijean is an escaped prisoner, who was convicted for stealing a loaf of bread. Valijean makes many escape attempts from jail, and comes in contact with many different characters, including Javert, the police officer who is desperately trying to catch him, as well as Fantine, the mother of a young girl named Cosette, who Valijean eventually adopts as his own daughter. Throughout the book, Valijean takes on many different, "personalities," in an attempt to escape the law and regain his life. In the end, Valijean struggles with having to give up his daughter to Marius, her beloved, and eventually works himself into a state, becoming malnourished and very ill. Immediately before his death, Valijean prays to see Cosette one last time, and as he is doing so, she and Marius enter, showering him with love and thanking him for his goodness to them. With his prayer answered, Valijean is content, and dies happy.
Les Misérables is a believable book in many areas. One example of the mimetic quality of Les Misérables is in the struggle of Fantine. Fantine becomes pregnant by a wealthy student, who eventually abandons her. Desperately trying to find work, Fantine returns to her hometown, only to realize that no one will take her if she has an illegitimate child. Thinking only of her daughter's well-being, Fantine leaves her with a family on her way to town, with the promise of paying the family a monthly allowance for her daughter's shelter. This makes the book believable because of the way in which single mothers were treated in the 1700s. The fact that she was so looked down upon ultimately caused Fantine to lose her daughter and resort to prostitution to make ends meet. A second mimetic element of Les Misérables is in the Setting. Victor Hugo gives excellent examples of town and street names throughout the book. This makes the book more believable because the settings used the book actually exist. For example, when speaking of Fantine's journey home, the book gives the name, "Montfermeil," which is an actual region in France. One way in which Les Misérables was not as mimetic was with the many different characters played by Jean Valijean.
Both men become prisoners of the other at one time or another in the novel. Valjean becomes Javert’s prisoner in Paris. Then Javert becomes Valjean’s prisoner at the barricade in Rue de la Chanvrerie but is freed. Then when Javert catches Valjean by the sewers, he frees him in return.
“I am not proud, but I am happy; and happiness blinds, I think, more than pride.” The Count of Monte Cristo is a novel written by Alexander Dumas that tells the story of Edmond Dante a 19 year old sailor. The story begins with Edmond arriving into port with the news that he will become a captain of a ship, he is also engaged to a beautiful woman named Mercedes, Edmond is very well liked and has faced success early in life this causes jealousy between Edmond and three other men Danglars, Fernand Mondego, and Caderousse. Danglars the treasure of the ship Edmond was just appointed captain of becomes jealous purely for the reason that Edmond has become so successful at a young age. Fernand has become jealous of Edmond because of Fernand is in love with Edmonds fiancé Mercedes. Caderousse, Edmonds neighbor, is jealous of Edmond because of the fact that Edmond is so much luckier than Caderousse. Together these three men, Danglars Fernand and Caderousse, make a letter accusing Edmond of the act of treason. Edmond is in fact carrying a letter for the recently deceased captain of the ship to give to a group of Bonapartist in Paris so even though Edmond himself is not a Bonapartist, the task is still enough for him to be tried for treason. The prosecutor, Villefort sees through Danglars, Fernand and caderousse’s plan and decides not to send Edmond to Jail until Edmond reveals the name of the intended recipient who is Villerfort’s father. Not wanting to jeopardize his own career Villerfort sends Edmond to jail for treason. While in jail Edmond begins to think about suicide and falls into a depression. Edmond then begins planning his way to get revenge on the men who wronged him beginning with his plot to escape jail. Edmond Dante begins as a...
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.
William Shakespeare was a Stratford Grammar School boy, who was a member of the Church of England, similar to just about everyone else in Stratford. However, due to some events that occurred in the Shakespeare family home, there is some evidence that could prove that the family may have had some Roman Catholic connections. When William Shakespeare was 10 years old, legal issues and debt took a toll on his family’s life. Shakespeare’s father’s stopped attending alderman meetings which resulted in the removal of his name to become an alderman, and he was also forced to sell his beautiful home. The cause of this crisis is unknown, however the records can be used to throw together the idea that there were peculiar religious events going on (Fox). Due to these mishaps, William Shakespeare’s religion is a bit of a mystery. The play, Hamlet, was written by William Shakespeare during the Elizabethan era, which happened to be a time when religious conflicts were a big deal (Alsaif). The protagonist in the story, Hamlet, is a character who seems to make his choices through his religious beliefs. Hamlet is a very indecisive person, but his thoughts on religion tend to persuade him. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the character of Hamlet to show the flaws in all religions. Hamlet does his best to follow the rules of Christianity, but he often questions the morality involved. Although Shakespeare belonged to the Church of England, he didn’t find any particular religion to be perfect.
The term Gothic originates from the Northern tribes that invaded Europe in the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries. When founded, Gothic writings were created to express new feelings toward order, nature, and emotion. Resulting from connecting all key elements together, Bram Stoker created one of the most well written Gothic novels of all time. Stoker includes gothic elements in his characterization, setting, and plot to expand the consciousness of his characters and readers, while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of the Victorian World.
In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo portrays human nature in a neutral state. Humans are born with neither good nor bad instincts, but rather society affects our actions and thoughts. Hugo portrays the neutral state of mind through Jean Valjean and Cosette. The two extremes of good and evil are represented through Thénardier and the bishop. Good and evil coexists in the society and affects Valjean and Cosette. It is the two extremes of good and evil that dictate the lives of Valjean and Cosette. The bishop represents charity and love. Everything he's ever had, he gave to charity. When the bishop first met Valjean, he said, "You need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; be welcome. And do not thank me; do not tell me that I take you into my house..... whatever is here is yours." (pg. 15-16) The bishop didn't look at him as a convict; he looked at him as a fellow brother. Later, when the bishop found out that Valjean stole his silver, he wasn't mad, but offered all of his silver to Valjean saying, "Don't forget that you promised me to use this silver to become an honest man." Thénardier, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of the bishop. He represents the corruptive nature of society. He's the one that changes people for the bad. An example of how Thénardier represents greed and evil is how he...
Almost all of the characters in the film are a depiction of aristocracy and their struggle to maintain their status and glory and to live their lives as expected by the society they live in. Infidelity is also evident in the film wherein Jourdain and Elmire are included. Disloyalty also comes in on the part of Moliere as a servant to Jourdain, when he had an affair with Elmire and on the part of Dorante as a friend of Jourdain, when he fooled Jourdain. Hidden agendas and plans are also apparent on the part of Jourdain’s older daughter: her secret love with her piano teacher and on Dorante’s part of performing his hidden evil plan to Jourdain.
Les Miserables known in English as “The Terrible” is a musical portrayal of the French Revolution. It is a musical tragedy, which served as a major powerhouse competitor for Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals in the early eighties and nineties. When first debuting on Broadway in 1987 it traveled a long hard road to compete with musicals of the decade. However, in time many well-known performers were proud to associate themselves with this wonderful work of art.
<< In the play Hamlet by William Shakesphere, the main character, Hamlet, has a high level of intelligence. In Denmark, Hamlet is the son of the king who had recently passed away, and the queen who betrayed her husband to marry Hamlet's uncle soon after his death. Hamlet is hurt and uproared by his mother's betrayal and his uncle's rise to become king. He has an extraordinary understanding and comprehension of others and himself.
Several people in Jean Valjeans life allow him to rediscover the meaning of love. The good bishop is the one responsible for initiating this rediscovery. Jean Valjean's new life begins when the bishop utters the words, “Jean Valjean, my brother, you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!” (30). This opens Jean Valjean to the good of the world and allows him to immerse himself in the love Cosette offers him, something he couldn't do without the help of the bishop. The bishop assists Jean Valjean in seeing that there are people who will help him despite his rocky background. This creates a reason for Jean Valjean to act on the experience to rebuild his life and become an honest man. This change of heart helps him feel the love that Cosette displays for him, which he has never known. He slowly begins to love and care f...
The scientific and technological advancements of the early 20th century entered people’s daily lives with the intention of bringing the whole of humanity into a brighter, more modern era. However, the darker side of such immense achievement was the increasing encroachment on the previously untouched natural world. Many great minds grew weary of such advances and conveyed their apprehension through the popular literature of the time. The pivotal novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy explores the impact that industrialists with access to technology had on the pastoral countryside and lower classes. Conan Doyle expands on this message in his novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, by examining how the well-educated elite began using science to their advantage, threatening nature in the process. While each novel warns against abusing available technologies, the authors differ in how they believe nature will eventually respond and have incited a debate that has lasted well into the 21st century.
In The Stranger, Camus portrays women as unnecessary beings created purely to serve materialistically and satisfy males through the lack of a deep, meaningful, relationship between Meursault and females. Throughout the text, the main character, Meursault, creates closer, more meaningful relationships with other minor characters in the story. However, in his interactions with females in this book, Meursault’s thoughts and actions center on himself and his physical desires, observations, and feelings, rather than devoting his attention to the actual female. Living in Algiers in the 1960s, Meursault originates from a post-modernist time of the decline in emotion. Meursault simply defies the social expectations and societal ‘rules’, as post-modernists viewed the world. Rather than living as one gear in the ‘machine’ of society, Meursault defies this unwritten law in the lackluster relationships between he and other females, as well as his seemingly blissful eye to society itself. In The Stranger, males, not females, truly bring out the side of Meursault that has the capacity for compassion and a general, mutual feeling relationship. For example, Marie and Meursault’s relationship only demonstrate Meursault’s lack of an emotional appetite for her. Also, with the death of Maman, Meursault remains virtually unchanged in his thoughts and desires.
“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.
Gossard, Julia. “Les Misérables: A Historian’s Review.” The Alcade RSS. N.p, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
Have you ever loved someone so much that you would be willing to die to be with them? No? Me neither, but that is just what Hernani did. During this time, the theatre was slowly changing from neo-classicalism to romanticism, which is one of the reasons why there were riots at certain plays. Gas lighting was also new to the theatre. Nineteenth century theatre had more of a change than previous theatres because there were new advancements in technology, changes to the theatre itself, and plays such as Hernani.