Assignment

Reading the essence of Les Miserable (a historical novel by Victor Hugo)

Les Miserable is a French novel-play composed by Victor Hugo. Set in the aftermath of the French Revolution, the play traces the journey of a convict, Jean Valjean, and his redemption. The essence of the play is as follows:

1. The book is a love letter to Paris. It contains quotes like, “To err is human, to stroll is Parisian”. This love is set against the pain of exile, that the central character feels through the novel.

2. It talks about redemption and youth. Jean’s reckless younger days lead to his imprisonment, and he cannot find any solace in his new-found independence. He had lived a selfish life-unable to meet his family needs, too engrossed in himself to care for a Republican France, never growing up and being financially independent- and wished to undo these mistakes as a free man.

3. The novel talks about the failures of the French Revolution to alleviate the poor or bring social justice to the under-fed.

4. It also talks about the dissatisfaction with the Bourbons, who came back to power in 1815 after Napolean’s defeat, and a sense of helplessness among the masses.

5. The novel pioneered the ideas of social welfare, by linking high crime rates to poor social conditions. For example, the central character was sent to jail for having merely stolen a loaf of bread.