Open Prompt - #1
Whenever a novel has a happy ending through some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, the readers generally feel glad to see the protagonist redeemed. This fact is reflected when people read the heartwarming story of Les Misérables. The author, Victor Hugo, focuses on the good, merciful aspect of human nature and writes a story about the struggles of a ex-convict, Jean Valjean, and his experiences for redemption. This masterpiece on moral reconciliation through the portrayal of the character of Valjean makes a point that humans still innately possess the qualities of philanthropy.
Whenever a novel has a happy ending through some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, the readers generally feel glad to see the protagonist redeemed. This fact is reflected when people read the heartwarming story of Les Misérables. The author, Victor Hugo, focuses on the good, merciful aspect of human nature and writes a story about the struggles of a ex-convict, Jean Valjean, and his experiences for redemption. This masterpiece on moral reconciliation through the portrayal of the character of Valjean makes a point that humans still innately possess the qualities of philanthropy.
The ending of Les Misérables moves many readers because of their feelings of compassion towards a human who is truly trying to make a difference in the world. In the beginning of the book, Valjean is an ex-convict who just got out of prison and who cannot control his instinct to rob others for his own good. Two acts change Valjean forever. The first most obvious reason is, as many readers know, the forgiveness and kindness of the Bishop Myriel. The bishop unlike others, who reject Valjean solely on the fact that he is an ex-convict, embraces Valjean and not only offers him a place to stay, but also helps him out of trouble when Valjean is caught for robbery. He urges Valjean to embrace the ways of god and to redeem himself by helping others of need. The second act is when Valjean unintentionally steals from a young boy purely out of instinct. After he realizes what he has done, Valjean is horrified of what he has become and then vows to spend the rest of his life to others who are in need.
The rest of the story, in a simple sense, is an extension of Valjean’s struggles to redeem himself. He always acts out for the benefit of others even when those people are people who are against him, most notably Inspector Javert and the Thenardiers. To Javert, Valjean saves his life when Javert is captured by students in the uprising. To the Thenardiers, Valjean gives them huge amounts of money under the impression that they are very poor people, while in fact, they have large amounts of money due to Valjean’s generosity. In the end, Valjean dies surrounded by Marius and Cosette who are like son and daughter to him. He dies knowing that Marius and Cosette will be happy with each other and that he can finally rest in peace without any worries. Death surrounded by the people he loves most is Valjean’s final redemption and this is where the readers feel relieved. Victor Hugo writes a masterpiece of human nature and makes a point through the character of Valjean that humans innately possess the qualities of philanthropy.
