Societal Prejudice Exposed In Les Misérable, By Victor Hugo

Manipulating the minds of the masses, societal prejudice is one of the most commanding forces this world has to offer. Unfortunately, the method by which prejudice controls is making a victim’s life so unbearable, they simply must find a way to change. Art and literature take this abstract and formulate it into a readable, breathable form. Specifically, the masterpiece that is Les Misérables embodies that detrimental social construct in the appearance of forlorn souls. Harmoniously crafting the milieu of 19th-century France in literature, Victor Hugo was able to stirringly depict the abstract of suffering and bitter persecution of the disenfranchised to inspire understanding to those more fortunate.

Thrust into a hellish pit of her own despair,

His case was one of utmost peculiarity, as he was seemingly a character with one of the most bizarre stories. Carefree, Thénardier managed to survive in the lowest of social classes through his utter flexibility and cunning nature. So caught up in his own avaricious ways, he became incapable of charity for humanity. However the most striking aspect of his journey is that he once was a war soldier, selfless and solicitous, even saving the life of Marius’ father on the battlefield. In fact, when Marius discovered Thénardier’s construct flaw, he remarked to himself, “This man...was a monster!” and thought it strange the contrasting personas. How can a man, formerly good, be twisted into such a crooked creature as to elicit money from a helpless Fantine through her poor child? Jean Jacques Rousseau elaborates on this thought process as he theorizes, “modern man’s enslavement to his own needs is responsible for all sorts of societal ills, from exploitation and domination of others to poor self-esteem and depression” (Rousseau). In short, society naturally possesses detrimental power over man. Through society’s intolerant ways, Thénardier was driven to the “point when the unfortunate and the infamous are associated and confused in a word, a mortal word, les misérables” (Hugo 205). His lack of fortune forced him to become

From the second he was arrested to the moment he died, Valjean’s past haunted his soul. Valjean’s nightmare began with his arrest, which occurred simply due to his stealing of bread to feed his poverty-stricken family. After many years of sweat and labor, not to mention countless escape attempts, he was released from prison, hoping that he may now start his life anew. However, the moment he pleaded for lodging, everyone’s reply was the same, “‘Monsieur...I cannot receive you’” as they knew he was an ex-convict (Hugo, 5). Not one person dared to stop and think that maybe he was a changed man, maybe his morals had always been uncorrupted. By including this in his novel, Hugo conveys to us the wrong in judging people based on their past. The past does not define present human nature. Rather, it shapes and molds, allowing for growth and learning. Unfortunately, Valjean’s dejection did not stop there. His entire life was spent hiding from the world, forced to live the life of a trapped animal despite the kindness he spread. But it is not his being that people despised, it was plainly the name they associated with it: prisoner number 24601. As Valjean shuffled through the many identities and names he took upon himself, many, if not most, led him to be known as a well-respected and gracious man. Still, the police chased after the man they only knew as a dirty