by Victor-Marie HugoCharacters:
Jean Valjean - the main character in the story who was an ex- convict.
Bishop Myriel - the one who touches Valjean’s life and gives him chance to change.
Fontine - a prostitute from the town and one of Valjean’s worker in the factory.
Cosettte - Fontine's daughter and was adopted by Valjean
Marius - Cosette's love interest.
Javert - the villain in the novel who is a police officer who became obsesses in arresting Jean Valjean.
Plot:
Jean Valjean was first put into jail after stealing a loaf of bread.
After he paid for his mistakes, he was freed to go and a Bishop let him stay in the monastery for the night.
Jean Valjean left the Bishop's place with candlesticks. When the corporal inspected his things, he was accused that he stole the things he has with him.
The corporal brings Valjean to the Bishop and asks some questions, but the Bishop told them that they gave the candlesticks to Valjean.
Because of what the Bishop did, Jean Valjean got his liberty. And before he left, the Bishop told him that he is no longer belong to evil, but to good. He added that he must be a new and honest man.
Many had happened, and that statement of the Bishop remained in Jean Valljean’s mind.
Jean Valjean is now a town mayor with a new life under the name of M. Madeleine. Everything is flowing smoothly until a villain came who is Javert, the police officer who is desperate in sending Jean Valjean into jail again.
Javert revognized M. Madelaine and Jean Valjean to be the same and the problem now started.
Another man was arrested for theft and accused to be Jean Valjean. And in the end he gave himself up to save the other man and is returned to the alleys.
After several years, Valjean escapes. He seeks out at Cosette, the daughter of Fontine, one of his employees who became prostitute to support Cosette and herself. Valjean adopts Cosette as his daughter.
They flew in Paris, where Valjean finds a job as a gardener in a convent where Cosette is a charity pupil. In this place, Javert is still hot on his trail.
Cosette grows up and met Marius who was a young student. The two attracted with each other despite of Valjean’s effort to discourage their relationship.
With the breakout of the revolt of the socialism against monarchy in Paris in 1832, Marius joins forces with rebels. Jean Valjean also takes part in the revolt.
In the midst of the street fighting, Valjean meets Javert, whose life at that moment is in his hands. Valjean lets Javert go even if he has all the chances to finish Javert and makes himself totally free.
Marius got wounded and Valjean saves his life. After Valjean was brought home to his grandfather's home, he is about to let himself be put into Jail to end up his sufferings caused by Javert’s obsession. But in that moment, Javert was lighted when Valjean spares his life before for not killing him. So, instead of arresting Valjean, he puts his affairs in order and commits suicide.
Cosette and Marius got married and Valjean decided not to stand in the way of their happiness and live away from the couple.
When Marius learns that Valjean is the one who saves his life, he and Cosette lose no time to be with Valjean who is dying alone.
Before Valjean died, he gave Cosette the candlesticks which were given to him by Bishop Myriel who won his soul years ago.
Comment:
The story was written by Victor-Marie Hugo from French Literature. Les Miserables, also known as The Life of Jean Valjean, is one of his greatest fictions he had written and one of the most widely read novel.
The story shows the life of Jean Valjean who was an ex- convicted but was transformed into a good man after the imprisonment through an act of Christian charity through the help Bishop Myriel.
In the story it also reflects that all of us are human who can commit inaccuracies anytime, but we have all the chances to change for the good through doing good deeds which was clearly shown by Valjean.
In case of Javert, one must learn how to forgive, to give second chance to others and to be an instrument to others to change.
Everybody deserves a second chance. If Javert learned to accept the truth that Valjean is now an honest man, maybe he did not lose his own life. All of us can change, even criminals, because time will come that they will change through the help and encouragement of the people around them like what Bishop Myriel did to Valjean.