Les Miserables

A detailed Summary of Les Miserables

"The awakening of conscience is the greatness of soul."

Jean Valjean was born with poverty as his twin brother. He had lived with it, thus making him so attracted to its powerful magnet and pulling him towards starvation, which compels him to steal a loaf of bread. Only attempting to ease the hunger of his beloved, he fell into a deeper abyss of darkness - he was doomed to live the nineteen years in the galleys. There he learned to struggle to live and to escape the gloom of the galleys. Fortunately, in his release, he met Monsieur Myriel who helped him change the monster in him into an angel that can touch others' life.

This was the first transformation of Jean Valjean. It was not a mere transformation of something inside Jean but a great renovation of everything in him. It is not a single transformation but a start for a series of renovation of his disfigured soul. From a notorious criminal, he became an honorable man; from an ordinary human to a no less than a saint. Although he had spent many of his dark hours in the galleys, he still learned, experienced and accepted forgiveness and, most of all, love. He experienced the greatest of all emotions that is love. However, the path he took to gain these powe

On the other hand, Javert always come in the way when Jean Valjean is already all right in his quiet and peaceful life. Inspector Javert, although great in his position, shares the same misery Jean also experienced. Javert was born not with an honorable couple, but with a prisoner in the galleys and a prostitute. By this, he hated his past and chose to be on the right side of the law. He was a just law enforcer, yet he became so obsessed with the law that he wasn't able to see reason and most importantly, to feel his conscience. His heart was cold. There weren't any love and forgiveness in his heart. For him, once you fall from grace, you'll fall forever. He believed the law so much that he only upheld the letters of the law and not its spirit that is more essential to living.

These two important characters in LES MISERABLES might have opposing characteristics as they are in the novel, they share something that is similar. Both Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert had a miserable background; both were poor. Moreover, both longed to escape their past because of its misery. Jean used different alias to escape the hands of law because in his past he did something wrong, which is still pursued by law. He feared to

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 820
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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Les Miserables

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