Les Miserables

Victor Marie Hugo

 Notes
• This was a novel but originally it was intended
to be a play.
• Written by the French writer and dramatist,
Victor Marie Hugo
• The setting took place during the height of the
French Civil war
• Focuses on the plight/problems of the poor
masses
 Important Characters
• Jean Valjean- he was imprisoned for nineteen
years for just stealing a loaf of bread.
• Fantine-sister of Jean, she got separated from
her brother, raised herself on her own, and
became a mother out of wedlock.
• Eponine-daughter of Fantine. She became an
orphan and was left into custody of her uncle
Jean
• Javert- the former jail warden in the prison
where Jean was detained. He became a police
inspector in the town where jean became a
mayor.
• Cosette- Eponine’s best friend and the
girlfriend of Marius. She told Eponine family’s
secret to Marius.
• Marius-Cosette’s boyfriend and a French Royal
Army under the supervision of Javert.
 Outline of Events
• Jean Valjean was imprisoned for 19 years after
he had stolen a loaf of bread.
• In that time, he got separated to his younger
sister Fantine .
• Amidst fear of isolation and confusion, Fantine
lived all by herself.
• When she grew up of age, she became a
mother to Eponine without a husband.
• When worked a hard labor being a maid and a
factory worker.
• When she worked as a factory worker, she was
discriminated by her co-workers for being a
single mother. She was framed up to her
superior until she got fired out from her work.
• By that time, she was matured enough that
she knows where to ask for help and justice-
to go to the respected mayor at that time.
• Meanwhile, after his release and freedom
from prison, Jean Valjean became a wanderer.
• He lived on the streets and almost became a
beggar.
• No one accepted him for work because he was
an ex-convict.
• Until a religious Monsignor accepted him one
night after he felt pity upon seeing Jean
Valjean sleeping in his house’s yard.
• The monsignor treated him like an honored
guest; he gave him food to eat and a
comfortable room to sleep.
• However, torn of being an outcast in the
society, Jean fled out of the monsignors house
and had taken some valuable items from the
monsignor who adopted him.
• When he staked out from the house in the
darkness of midnight, he was caught by the
French Armies who were making rounds that
night.
• The armies turned him over to the monsignor
and accused him of stealing goods as evidenced
by the loot bag he was carrying on.
• It was a turning point from being bad to goof for
Jean Valjean, because amidst the fact that Jean
had robbed the monsignor, he was still forgiven
by him and still treated him a friend.
• To Jean, he had seen not the Monsignor but God
himself.
• So he vowed to change for good starting that
night.
• On the other hand, Fantine was caught in
the dilemma of helping her sick daughter
Eponine.
• Since he was jobless at the moment, she
was forced into prostitution.
• Having got no choice, she refused to be in
bed with men. Until such time that she
opted to sell her teeth and hair.
• However, the general of the French army
got too interested in her that he raped her.
• Having got depressed of her fate, Fantine got sick
of tuberculosis. At that time, she finally met her
brother Jean who was now the mayor of the
town.
• Fantine is already dying by the time they finally
met. She just entrusted Eponine’s life to her
brother Jean and she died.
• As twist of fate happened, Javert, the mortal
enemy of Jean while he was still in prison was
appointed by the royal government to be
deployed as police inspector in the town of Jean.
• Marius, having been a soldier, became under
the supervision of Javert. He got torn of
serving between two masters.
• Jean, being the mayor, ordered Marius to
search for Javert to be set into prison after
Javert was known to commit a crime.
• Jean at first planned to take his vengeance to
all the injustices he had from the hands of
Javert while he was still in prison.
• Marius was able to arrest Javert, tied him in his
hands and feet. He put him in an isolation room
and left to inform Jean of Javert’s captivity.
• Jean ordered Marius and his men to leave them
alone in the isolation room. Later, marius and
the rest of the french soldiers saw that he was
dragging Javert out of the room.
• Eventually, Jean continued to drag Javert out of
the building and into an isolated corner where
no one can see them.
• Jean set Javert free. His plan of killing wasn’t
an option. For Jean, the best revenge he could
give to Javert is to set him free and not let him
suffer the same pains he had in prison.
• Jean let Javert flee and when Javert was at a
distance now, he felt the haunt of conscience,
shouted at Jean to shoot him now. But Jean
never bothered to do so, instead, he shot the
gun in air and it was heard at a distance to the
place where Marius were.
• After awhile, Jean went back to the building
and declared to Marius that it was done and
over.
• Marius felt the terror of death thinking that
Javert was indeed killed by Jean.
 Theme
• The best way to take vengeance against an
enemy is loving them.