Moral Catastrophe in Les Misérables

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The Worldview of Valjean vs. Javert
Conclusion
Reference

Introduction

The moral concept of Les Miserables corresponds to Hugos view of life as a continuous alternation of light and darkness. Hugo raises the theme of crime as one of the terrible vices faced by the characters. Is it possible to justify a crime that is entirely in the throes of feelings? Probably not, but Jean Valjean shows the opposite: burdened by hunger and poverty, he steals bread for his sister and pays for it with hard labor. On the other hand, the policeman Javert is unburdened by suffering and serves an authority whose power he cannot doubt. Hugo confronts the two characters, each of whom has experienced an inner moral catastrophe and made his own choice.

The Worldview of Valjean vs. Javert

Jean Valjean chooses crime so that his family can survive the famine. His act speaks of him as a man of strong perceptions about truth and duty. Penal servitude changes Valjean, and he no longer sees the good in people. But the convicts blind embitterment transforms under the influence of Bishop Myriel into a conscious rejection of reality as it is and a desire to improve life (Hugo, 2021). The Bishop treats Valjean with kindness and preaches the same attitude to people. The Bishops perceptions changed his attitude toward people, and Valjean saw the light again. Bishop Myriel shows the former convict that the world can change.

Jean Valjean lives under a false name and tries to help people. Valjean is tormented by a choice when justice finds an innocent man, for his fate is at stake. But he cannot lie and hide because of the moral principles taught to him by the Bishop. He goes to court and voluntarily puts himself in the hands of the law. Valjean remains locked up alone again; he meets fate with a smile. Valjean could have checked his perceptions and wondered why he was sacrificing himself for another person. He would have wondered again what would have happened if he had not stolen bread for his sister. But even after introspection, he would not have acted differently because the Bishop had taught him to be honest and kind.

Police Inspector Javert is the antagonist of good and human qualities. Javert personifies a powerful opponent who embodies the law of the state. Javert strives for power and justice, and he always sees crime as a bad deed. He sees the world only in terms of the law, so he cannot discern nobility in crime. The reader only sees a glimmer of good in Javert: Valjeans accidental rescue from the Cockerel Hour gang. He does this to catch Valjean himself later, and even now, Javert follows his perceptions without checking them.

Javerts perception of the world changed after Jean Valjean saved him from the young revolutionaries. For the first time, Javert felt kindness, and his worldview was turned upside down. He realized that goodness could be above the law and changed his mind (Hugo, 2021). He stopped pursuing Valjean and even helped him, but he could not bear the moral suffering. He dies jumping into the Seine because a rethinking of his perception realized that he had committed crimes worse than stealing bread. It probably becomes the last moment of introspection in perceiving the world and realizing that not all laws are righteous.

Conclusion

Hugo reveals in Les Misérables the gravity of moral choices, emphasizing crime as a righteous act if circumstances warrant it. There is goodness in Jean Valjean that compels one to commit a crime. Bishop Myriel changed his view of the world and set him on a righteous path. Valjean was again sent to penal servitude, but he was aware that he could not commit a moral crime. Javert is an antipode that combines evil and inhuman. He is a brilliant detective who is incapable of tolerating any offense. However, Valjean changes his picture of the world, and unable to bear the realization, Javert dies.

Reference

Hugo, V. (2021). Les Misérables. (Hapgood, I. F. Trans.). Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. The Project Gutenberg, Web.

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Moral Catastrophe in Les Misérables

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