Harrison Chan

AP Literature

Ms. Zachan

30 August 2010

Victor Hugo’s Preface Prophecy

Les Misèrables reflects the author’s preface through the lives of Jean Valjean, Fantine, and

Cosette, reflecting the theme of man versus society and using diction that emphasizes the direness of

each character’s predicaments. Each of the character’s lives mirrors one of the “three problems of the

century” mentioned by Hugo.

Using the lives of several characters, Hugo reflected the problems faced by man, woman, and

child throughout history. Jean Valjean was a good man, living only to serve and protect his sister’s

children. He fed them and earned for them though he had little obligation to do so. Valjean worked as

an honest man, a hard man, but a moral man until his sister’s family reached rock bottom on a cold

winter. The “degradation of man” led him to steal a loaf of bread in order to support the family. Fantine

was ruined by prostitution and descends into the pit of poverty. She was a good, honest woman until

the circumstances of her ruin brought her down. Cosette was the final example, having a ruinous

childhood that prevented her from seeing the light of childhood and chained her to the dark. The

Thènardiers treat her horribly, giving her only pain and torment, but none of the joys of youth. She lived

as a slave, with rags for clothes and unending. All three were representatives of how Hugo symbolized

the three problems of the century.

Hugo did a magnificent job of bring to the surface, the biggest problems faced by society

throughout history. As long as humans exist in society, “ignorance and misery remain on earth”. While it

is in human nature to be social, it is also in human nature to be a survivor. Society moves some to the

top, and pushes others to the bottom. Those pushed to the bottom are often forced, in order to survive,
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to do things unacceptable by society’s standards, such as stealing a loaf of bread to feed starving

children. In a woman’s case, she might not be able to steal a loaf of bread. Instead, she might turn to

prostitution in order to support herself. “She” is a woman, she is poor, she needs money, she sells

herself. It has become as much a part of society as being 18 to vote. We, as a people, accept that poor

women prostitute themselves and it is wrong. While society will punish a man for stealing to feed

starving children, it accepts prostitution as a part of our world. We, society, should not be like this.

Cosette, in her turn, suffers the “dwarfing of childhood”. The Thènardiers drape a cloak around her of

labor, cold, and hunger. She suffers continually at their hands, but can do no more than trudge on until

she is rescued by Valjean.

By applying problems untouched by the ages, Hugo has made his book indispensable for the

foreseeable future. So long as poverty exists on earth, Les Misèrables will remain a novel of the ages.

The same problems have existed since the time of the Greeks and beyond, and will continue to exist,

long after this generation is dead and buried. Society will force man into a corner from which his only

escape is to fight. His reflection on the problems faced by man, woman, and child is extremely accurate,

hitting on all the problems that continue to this day. Today, and for generations to come, we can read

Les Misèrables and begin to understand why people subject themselves to the worst aspects of society.

We can look at Cosette, we can look at Jean Valjean, we can look at Fantine, and we can begin to

understand that man is not just a social creature, man is capable of great love, love strong enough to

sacrifice man’s own life to prolong the life, and love, of another. Les Misèrables is, has, and always, will

be a novel of the ages, timeless and untouchable.

In using characters to symbolize the three primary aspects presented by his preface, or “thesis”

to Les Misèrables, Hugo creates a novel that will remain enduring. Jean Valjean, Cosette, and Fantine

demonstrate the best and worst in society suffering the “ignorance and misery” that taint the earth, yet

remaining somehow pure and beautiful at the same time.