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Les Miserables - College Papers

Les Miserables

In his novel, , author Victor Hugo makes a strong statement about society being the cause for evil in man. is based on a poor man, Jean Valjean, who was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving baby. Valjean is sentenced to 20 years for his crime, and, when he is released, he is shunned for his past, which he has more than paid for. Society turns him out at every turn for his past crime, and will hear no excuses for his deed. With this scenario, Hugo shows the cruelty of a “civilized” world that would cause a man to suffer unending prejudice for stealing a single loaf of bread to feed a small child.
As the ill treatment continues, Valjean becomes more and more ...

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record he would probably never again be able to obtain a job and support himself, saw stealing the silverware as his only choice.
Had he not been caught and returned to the Bishop, Valjean probably would have been forced into a life of corruption. However, to his surprise, the priest told the police he had made a present of the silver to Valjean. He even gave Valjean the two silver candlesticks he had not taken. When the police left, the Bishop explained his action, saying that with his act of kindness, he had bought Valjean’s soul for god and that Valjean must now live a life of good in return. Valjean was saved from his downward spiral of decay, showing the author Hugo’s high regard for some parts of the Church. However, Valjean continually tried to turn his life around, and although many times it seemed as if he had succeeded, his past and an ignorant society always caught up with him, forcing him to once again flee to rebuild his life.
Hugo also uses the Thenardiers as ...

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Les Miserables. (2005, August 19). Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Les-Miserables/31911

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 8/19/2005 11:58:11 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 954
Pages: 4

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