Historical Approach

Common Questions for the Historical Approach:

1. How does the work reflect the time in which it was written?
Les Misérables is written twenty years before its eventual publication in 1862. His
goals in writing the novel were as lofty as the reputation it has subsequently acquired; Les
Misérables is primarily a great humanitarian work that encourages compassion and hope
in the face of adversity and injustice. It is also, however, a historical novel of great scope
and analysis, and it provides a detailed vision of nineteenth-century French politics and
society. By coupling his story of redemption with a meticulous documentation of the
injustices of France’s recent past, Hugo hoped Les Misérables would encourage a more
progressive and democratic future. Driven by his commitment to reform and progress,
Hugo wrote Les Misérables with nothing less than a literary and political revolution in
mind.
2. How accurately does the story depict the time in which it is set?
Les Misérables employs the style of imaginative realism and is set in an artificially
created human hell that emphasizes the three major predicaments of the nineteenth century.
Each of the three major characters in the novel symbolizes one of these predicaments: Jean
Valjean represents the degradation of man in the proletariat, Fantine represents the
subjection of women through hunger, and Cosette represents the atrophy of the child by
darkness. In part, the novel’s fame has endured because Hugo successfully created
characters that serve as symbols of larger problems without being flat devices.
3. What literary or historical influences helped to shape the form and content of the work?
It is written prolifically in all genres, but his plays proved to be his earliest critical
and commercial successes. France’s 1830 July Revolution opened Hugo’s creative
floodgates, and he began producing a steady stream of work, most notably the novel The
Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831).
4. How does the story reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the time in which it was written or
set? (Consider beliefs and attitudes related to race, religion, politics, gender, society,
philosophy, etc.)
In Les Misérables, asserts that love and compassion are the most important gifts
one person can give another and that always displaying these qualities should be the most
important goal in life. It also makes clear that loving others, while difficult, is not always
a thankless task, and he uses Valjean and Fauchelevent to show that love begets love, and
compassion begets compassion.
This film elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design
of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and
nature of romantic and familial love. Les Misérables has been popularized through
numerous adaptations for film, television and the stage, including a musical.
5. What other literary works may have influenced the writer?
This romantic drama is written by William Nicholson and adapted from the popular
musical of the same name based on the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo.
Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, that is considered one
of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is
usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been
used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The
Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed. The novel follows the lives and
interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and
his experience of redemption.
6. What historical events or movements might have influenced this writer?

In 1992, producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film would be co-
produced by TriStar Pictures. However, the film was abandoned. In 2005, Mackintosh later
confirmed that interest in turning the musical into a film adaptation had resumed during
the early months of that year. Mackintosh said that he wanted the film to be directed by
"someone who has a vision for the show that will put the show's original team, including
(Mackintosh), back to work." He also said that he wanted the film audiences to make it
"fresh as the actual show".

In 2009, producer Eric Fellner began negotiations with Mackintosh to acquire the
film's rights and concluded it near the end of 2011. Fellner, Tim Bevan, and Debra
Hayward engaged William Nicholson to write a screenplay for the film. Nicholson wrote
the draft within six weeks time.

7. How would characters and events in this story have been viewed by the writer’s
contemporaries?
The story is told from the perspective of an omniscient author who frequently
addresses us. The author not only knows what the characters are thinking at all times but
also has a detailed grasp of contemporary politics and society.
The tone tends to reflect the empathy with the char-acters. When describing broader
trends in politics and society, the tone reflects Hugo’s outspoken views on social reform.
8. Does the story reveal or contradict the prevailing values of the time in which it was written?
"Les Miserables" timeframe is one of economic strife, famine, and disease. Despite
all of the revolutions and changing political parties, the lower classes still have little voice
in society.
9. Does it provide an opposing view of the period’s prevailing values?
The story reveals their harsh life, as exemplified by the tragedy of Fantine, a young
woman who is fired from her factory job after it is discovered that she bore a child (Cosette)
out of wedlock. After losing her position, Fantine is forced to sell her personal belongings,
 her hair, and even her teeth, so that she can send money to her daughter. Ultimately, Fantine
becomes a prostitute, falling to the lowest rung of society.
10. How important is it the historical context (the work’s and the reader’s) to interpreting the
work
Historical context is an important part of life and literature and without it,
memories, stories and characters have less meaning.
Historical context refers to the social, religious, economic, and political conditions
that existed during a certain time and place. Basically, it's all the details of the time and
place in which a situation occurs, and those details are what enable us to interpret and
analyze works or events of the past, or even the future, rather than merely judge them by
contemporary standards.
In literature, a strong understanding of the historical context behind a work's
creation can give us a better understanding of and appreciation for the narrative. In
analyzing historical events, context can help us understand what motivates people to
behave as they did.