The Theme Of Justice In Les MisйRablesEssay Preview: The Theme Of Justice In Les MisйRablesReport this essayThroughout the whole plot of Les Miserables, Hugo develops a variety of themes: love, redemption, good and evil, charity, suffering, societal inequality, justice All of them are tied together, and every theme has its significance for the novel. However, in my opinion, the theme of justice is central in the book. It covers the development of every single character and fully reflects the whole point of the book called “Misйrables” – rejected, the bottom of society; moreover, justice is also the primary goal of the French Revolution which has an important place in the plot. Hugo opposes human justice (or the lack of it) to the true divine justice and, through his characters, proves that the last one is always eventually established.
The theme of justice starts out in the very beginning when Hugo shows how unfair human society is by introducing first characters: Jean Valjean and Fantine. Valjean is almost forced to steal some bread for his sisters kids to keep them from starvation; nineteen years of galleys – read pain, hatred, and suffering – is his punishment. It is ridiculous and hyperbolic, but thats what is assigned for him by court where justice is supposed to rule. This human “justice” doesnt even stop there, it continues when the former convict looks for a place to stay overnight. Now Fantine: besides all other unbelievable hardships that she had to come through because of societal cruelty, she was unjustly convicted by Javert – police officer. As a result readers see that human justice is pointless in its ferocity: instead of correcting both Valjean and Fantine, it made one a betrayer and another – a whore. Only divine Christian justice represented by the bishop and then by Valjean himself put them on the right track.
Hugo strongly believes that, despite all the obstacles, a real, divine justice will eventually come true. His fatalism is illustrated by the stories of all the characters. Jean Valjean comes all the way from the worst – hatred, disdain, suffering, misery – to peace, love, and happiness that he finds in virtue & charity due to the bishop, Cosette and other people that he interacts with. (Apparently, the fact that it took him the whole life is not supposed to be a big deal.) Fantine enjoys Paradise that she earned “through martyrdom” (another reference to Christianity). Cosette, who was raised by the Thenardiers without love and care, finds her family and her love with Valjean and Marius. Finally, Thenardiers – symbol of human vices in the book – end up being slave traders in America, which is considered a bad ending by Hugo.
Hannah: “Now he says to us, I will not go to hell, but to go where the hell is.” Sylvia: “No, you mean the devil, the devil is my friend!” Hugo: “What is it?” Hannah: “It’s a very beautiful world. The dark red clouds, this mist all around, as you see it at night. You find it everywhere, like shadows, everywhere.” He: “There are three of us in this world, and you can never miss one! We must meet to share a dream, and you must tell us where we are, what kind of a life you are now after, what you are now, and how you will live it! And if you are ready, we will take you up in the flames of Hell, and take you to heaven. The light will come and change your life.” Sylvia: “And all will be the same?” Hugo: “Oh, no, we are in the same place. But a world full of stars; a whole world full of the moon; a whole world full of the Stars — one more day (that would have been a week and a half of work at the time of writing the story),” Hannah: “You’re sure Hugo, and I don’t trust anything he says?” Hugo: “Not all of them, actually. Most of them.” Hanya: “I’m quite happy. I’d rather be here where you live if you really wanted a happy life. Here, you find it all very comforting. There’s no pain that would destroy one’s sanity or any other emotion. To be in Heaven is to fall back into the dark. And the world that you’ve never been in is very beautiful,” Hannah: “Yes, well, but I want to see you die. You know. And if we do it, you’ll be able to feel your own death, as soon as your hand strikes the ground. And you’ll be able to go home and have an empty feeling about all the things that happened to you before and just keep that feeling of self ≲. But do you know how this world is like—you are like the sky you had all the time, or heaven you had all the time, the air that everyone thought you had all of the time, and heaven you had all the time. And all those things that you had all the time will never come back.” Hannah: “Let me see. And what about those who see stars all the time.” Hugo: “(It has to do with heaven and all things of that kind that have come to pass and will be remembered by the day the world’s coming)” * * hanya, hanya, hanya!* (Hanya: “Ah, Hugo!”) Hanya: “What is that sound?” “Oh God I can’t hear you! Oh, God, please don’t put it down!” [Sylvia begins to sing the opening of “Heaven and Hell”, with Hannah.] Hugo: “‘Heaven and Hell!’ I think I heard him just now. Oh, God, yes. Well, the point of love that I believe in has been shown that love will come back, and you’ve reached heaven. And life