Adamson University

Final Performance Task in 21st Century Literature

An Analysis of Victor Hugo's Novel "Les Misérables," Published in 1862, Using the Formalism

Approach to Literature

Mrs. April J. Samson

Genelyn P. Dacquil

December 3, 2021
I. Introduction

Les Misérables is a classic novel written by Victor Hugo. It tells the story of Jean Valjean,

a prisoner who breaks his parole, and the police inspector Javert who tries to track him down.

Valjean seeks to aid Fantine, a poor factory worker, by rescuing her child, Cosette, from

innkeepers who have her enslaved. Marius, a military soldier from the post-French Revolution

fights, falls in love with Cosette, but their lives are irrevocably changed as the war becomes

crueler than planned. This analysis aims to use a formalism approach to analyze the novel Les

Misérables. How does the story begin, where does it go next? How does it end? Is there a

connection between the beginning and ending of Les Misérables? and, what tone and mood are

created at various parts of the work? These are the three arguments that we will examine in the

novel with textual evidence. The story begins with Jean Valjean being released from the prison

after serving nineteen years there, eight years later, Valjean becomes the guardian of a child

named Cosette after her mother's death, he encountered a lot of challenges along with Cosette,

Javert, and Marius. Javert's relentless pursuit means that peace will be a long time coming. There

is a connection between the beginning and ending of Les Misérables. In the beginning until the

ending there was huge character transformation for Jean Valjean, from being a ruthless man to

compassionate and merciful man. The readers of this novel can experience a variety of tones and

moods because there are numerous scenes in the novel that might trigger a variety of feelings. It's

like being on a rollercoaster.

II. Arguments and Textual Evidences

Les Miserables is a massive work that is divided into five portions that most readers would

recognize as books. It's a little confusing, though, because each book is broken into chapters,

which are themselves named "books," and each chapter is further subdivided into pithy subtitles,

much like a text book. Les Misérables begins with Jean Valjean being released from prison after

serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and attempting to escape. He is constantly

turned down for a night's stay in Digne. Only Myriel, the saintly bishop, welcomes him. Valjean

pays him back by robbing him of his silverware. When the cops arrest him, he claims it was a

gift from the bishop, who believes him. The bishop also presents him with two silver

candlesticks. Valjean knows he has provided him with an opportunity to reclaim his soul. He

makes the decision to make a positive change in his life. Because of Fantine’s illegitimate child,

she was dismissed from her work. She was on the verge of being imprisoned due to her

prostitution racket, but Valjean stepped in to save her. She was transported to the hospital rather

than being sent to prison because she was ill. Fantine was dying in the hospital, so Valjean

vowed to look after her daughter. The Thénardiers mistreated Cosette, but Valjean paid them to

take Cosette away. Marius Pontmercy is a young man who fell in love with Cosette at first sight,

but Valjean tries everything he can to prevent the two from meeting. Eponine, Thénardier's

daughter and Marius's love interest, assists Marius in locating Cosette. Marius finally connects

with Cosette, and the two confess their love for one another. Valjean, on the other hand, soon

shatters their joy. Valjean says that he and Cosette are leaving to England. An army attacks

Marius, but Eponine throws herself in front of the army to save Marius. Eponine gives Marius a

letter from Cosette as she dies. Marius wrote a letter to Cosette, but Valjean intercepted it and

sets out to save his life. Valjean arrives and saves Marius, who is wounded. Marius married
Cosette once he had fully recovered. Marius tries to keep Valjean from seeing Cosette without

knowing that he has saved his life. Marius was ashamed that he had mistrusted Valjean when he

learned of his actions. Marius and Cosette hurried to Valjean's house just in time for a final

reconciliation. He died peacefully, happy and united with his daughter.

There is a relationship between the beginning and end of Les Misérables. At first, Jean

Valjean, the protagonist of the story, was full of hatred because of what society did to him but in

the end, he transformed into a compassionate, merciful, and loving man. We can see at the

beginning of Les Misérables that Valjean's stay in prison has apparently changed him, and he

became a hardened criminal who despises society for what it has done to him. By the time

Valjean comes face to face with Myriel a bishop in Digne. He is so used to being a social outcast

that he nearly seeks out maltreatment, scorning and despising even the sympathetic bishop.

Myriel, on the other hand, proves to be the first individual to treat Valjean with affection and

respect in decades. As we can read from this line “Monseigneur Myriel pretends that the

silverware is a legitimate gift and in a gesture of supreme kindness even adds his candlesticks to

it, the only objects of value he has left. As Jean Valjean is leaving, he exacts his reward: "Don't

forget," he tells the astonished man, "that you promised me to use this silver to become an honest

man."”. Valjean's character is eternally changed as a result of his meeting with Myriel, who

makes Valjean vow to become an honest man. Jean Valjean was inspired to begin again. At the

end of the story, he spends the remainder of his life helping others, particularly Cosette and

Marius, he helped them until his last breath. By the end of the story, Jean Valjean had established

himself as a kind, loving, caring, and merciful guy. Throughout the novel, he learned from his

own mistakes and grew as a person by conquering life problems and twists of fate.
 The novel began with Valjean being repeatedly rejected because no one was prepared to

provide him with refuge. This is the line from the novel where he kept being rejected by the

people “a disreputable-looking traveler enters Digne on foot. In spite of his money, he is

repeatedly refused food and shelter for the night with harsh words and threats. A fierce hound

routs him from a doghouse when he mistakes it for a worker's hut. Despairingly he sums up his

plight with the pathetic cry, "I am not even a dog!"”. At that point of the story, the mood is one

of the feelings of dejection. The next scene “As Jean Valjean is leaving, he exacts his reward:

"Don't forget," he tells the astonished man, "that you promised me to use this silver to become an

honest man.". It shows Myriel rescuing Valjean from the cops and Valjean promising to become

a good man. His voice has a tone that suggests he is both eager to fulfill his commitment and

hopeful that he would change into a kind and merciful man. The moment in which Marius falls

in love with Cosette, at first sight, “Later, however, their eyes meet, and Marius' whole life

changes. In this one glance he finds a depth, a mystery, a charm that intoxicates him” is quite

romantic. The mood was depressing but hopeful when the army attacked Marius and, his

comrades and Eponine died as a result of saving Marius from the attack. It is also hopeful since

Marius and Cosette's love story may not end there. When Valjean pleads with Javert to allow

him to take Marius, Javert is torn between his profession and the debt he owes to Valjean. Javert

decided to let Valjean go and jumped into the river. The mood was up and down; you'd feel

annoyed, joyful, relieved, and sad at different times. I was annoyed because I assumed Javert

would kill Valjean, yet I was relieved, pleased, and sad since Javert chose to throw himself into

the river. It's upsetting when Marius tries to prevent Valjean from meeting Cosette because

Valjean saved his life and that's what he did to him, yet I understand him because he doesn't

know anything. “He sleeps. Although fate was very strange to him, he lived. He died when he
lost his angel it happened simply, as naturally as the night falls when the day goes away.”. The

mood in the scene where Valjean is finally reunited with her daughter Cosette and dying

peacefully in his bed is satisfying and pleasant.

III. Conclusion

In the summary, we aimed to use the formalism approach to examine the novel Les

Misérables. Les Misérables is a novel written by Victor Hugo which was published on 1892. Set

in 19th-century France, after breaking parole and being pursued by the cruel policeman Javert for

decades, Jean Valjean promises to look after the daughter of a factory worker named Cosette.

Their lives are eternally changed as a result of their decision. We answered three essential

arguments with textual evidence. The first point of argument is how does the story begin, where

does it go next and, how does the story end. Valjean loathe society because of what it did to him

at the beginning of the novel, but after he promises Fantine that he will look after her daughter

Cosette, the real action begins. Javert continues to pursue Javert, but in the end, we can see that

Javert has changed and has chosen to save Valjean. Marius and Cosette achieved their happy

ending at the end of the novel, and Valjean died quietly after reuniting with Cosette. The second

point to consider is whether there is a link between the beginning and end of Les Misérables.

Yes, as we can see in the body, I explained how the story's beginning and end are linked. We can

see the protagonist's development from cruel to a compassionate man from the beginning to the

end. We can see how his personality has improved. Lastly, what tone and mood are established

throughout the work. The novel conveys many moods and feelings. Especially in the scene

where Valjean dies quietly in his bed after reuniting with her adopted daughter, Cosette. That

scene has a soothing and pleasing atmosphere. It's satisfying that the novel comes to an end in
this way. These are the three arguments that we examined in the novel using the formalism

approach. By evaluating the three arguments, it helps us understand the form of literary work and

identify the true meaning. Since Les Misérables frequently creates false perceptions, we used a

formalism approach to discover the novel's true meaning.

IV. Citation

Hugo, Victor. “The Project Gutenberg EBook of Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo.” Les

Misérables, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 1862, www.gutenberg.org/files/135/135-h/135-

h.htm.

Hugo, Victor. “Book II.” Les Miserables, Simon & Schuster Mass Market Paperback, 1862,

www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/l/les-miserables/summary-and-analysis/part-1-fantine-book-ii.