Theme of Redemption in Les Miserables Essay Example

Les Miserables is an incredible epic, written by Victor Hugo, with an overarching theme of redemption. The main character, Jean Valjean, who later takes on another identity, was given many opportunities and second chances. The story started when he had just gotten out of prison after being there for nineteen years. He was given shelter by the bishop, Myriel. Although Myriel treated him kindly, Valjean still stole his silverware. After the head of police, Javert tries to arrest Valjean, Myriel tells the police the silverware was a gift and saves Val Jean. This is his first chance of redemption in this epic. He was told to keep the silverware and use it as a reminder to be an honest man. “Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man,” (Hugo 26). So Valjean decided to change his identity and start fresh.  He changes his name to Madeleine and becomes Mayor by making a successful construction process. Val Jean has an encounter with a woman named Fantine. She fell in love and had a child illegitimately and the father left them. Cosette, knowing she will not get hired with a child, pays a family, named the Thenardiers, to watch her daughter, Cosette. Fantine is soon fired after her coworkers find out about Cosette. Cosette, desperate for money, prostitutes herself and is almost arrested for it by Javert. Madeleine stops him from arresting her and says she has fallen ill and he takes care of her. Javert, however, finds out that Madeleine's is Val Jean. He shows up to arrest Valjean while he is at Fantine's bedside and the shock kills her. After Val Jean escapes prison, he buys Cosette from the Thenardiers and looks after her. They later find out that the Thenardiers would abuse Cosette and treat her harshly. They also had a daughter Eponine. Cosette and Valjean move away and live normal lives. Cosette soon meets Marius, a wealthy, and radical, a law student. They fall in love, which upsets Valjean because of his fear of losing her. Valjean has to escape again after realizing Javert is coming to his home to inspect a crime. Valjean moves to England with Cosette, breaking up her love with Marius. Marius joins the barricades and has his life saved by Eponine. She was in love with Marius and died for him. Marius was still wounded and was saved by Valjean. He was given the chance to kill Javert and did not. He spared Javert because of the chances he has been given with forgiveness and redemption. This decision helped Valjean later when Javert almost arrested Valjean but spared him because of the favor he did to Javert. Javert could not handle the pressure of upholding his duty and helping Valjean, thus making him end his own life. Marius and Cosette finally get married and Marius splits up Cosette and Valjean because he was against their love. Marius does not find out until Valjean is on his deathbed that he saved Marius in the barricades. Marius and Cosette visit him one last time and Valjean dies with content.

Val Jean and Marius had very different lives. Valjean was an ex-convict constantly on the run from his past mistakes. Marius was in a wealthy household where the only thing he had to worry about was politics. Politics cause a divide in his home and lead him to join a barricade with his friends. Valjean and Marius do not have the best relationship because they both sought after Cosette. Cosette is Fantine's daughter whom Valjean promised her he would take care of. Marius is Cosette’s love interest and is separated from her multiple times because of Valjean. “Marius at that moment had not yet Cosette’s letter; chance had brought it, like a traitor, to Valjean before delivering it to Marius,” (239). Valjean took the letter Cosette wrote to MArous before it was delivered. Valjean is a character who has had many opportunities to receive forgiveness and start fresh. Marius. On the other hand, has had to forgive many people. He has had to forgive and handle the divide of politics in his home. He had to forgive Valjean multiple times for keeping him from Cosette. He also had Eponine, who was madly in love with him, risk her life for his. Valjean and Marius were almost opposites. Marius has the innocence that Valjean lacks. He has never known love until he met Cosette who taught him how. Valjean was not so innocent and was caught many times with criminal activity. 

Javert and Jean Valjean have opposing lives. Valjean is running from the law whilst Javert is the law. He takes great pride in upholding the law and his morals. Valjean and Javert have many encounters. Javert catches Valjean stealing silverware from Myriel’s home. Javery was suspicious of Valjean after that night and did not believe the silverware was a gift. He found him many d=separate times. They are both running from their pasts. Valjean is running from his criminal past and true identity. Javert is running from his tempted and dark background by strictly enforcing justice. This ends up killing him in the end when he cannot live with himself after breaking the law to spare Valjean who spared him first. “Jean Valjean's generosity towards him, Javert, overwhelmed him,” (272). Javert did not know how to react to Valjean's kindness after he had been so hard on him. They both find their redemption, however, in very different ways. Valjean finds it through his second chances and the kindness that he learned over time. Javert became overwhelmed and thought he would find redemption by ending his life.

Eponine and Cosette were both in love with Marius. They both had hard childhoods and were forced to do some awful things. Eponine had to steal with her parents while Cosette’s clothes, teeth, and hair were forcefully being sold by her guardians, the Thenardiers. Eponine was redeemed by her love for Marius. She ended her thievery and ended up a hero when she risked her life for Marius in the barricades. “And then, do you know, Monsieur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you. She essayed to smile again and expired,” (232). Those were her final words before she saved Marius for love. Cosette was always on the run with Valjean and would often get split up from Marius. She was given a second chance when Valjean took her under his wing and taught her love and kindness. This completely changed Cosette and allowed her to learn trust with Marius.

Les Miserables was a dramatic novel that focuses on atonement and love. Many of the characters stumble throughout the story finding their redemption and learning ultimately to love and show forgiveness. Many issues such as child negligence, stealing, suicide, abuse, and crime are all addressed. Victor shows each of these issues to bring attention and discussion to them. He brings light to it by wrapping up the many sub-problems with the underlying theme of compensation.