‘Les Miserables’ Character Shaping
‘Les Miserables’ is a book written by Dante, Jane Austen, and George Eliot. The book focuses on the life struggles of Jean Valjean. The book focuses on the surroundings of Valjean, which plays a big part in influencing his life and changing his character. Although Valjean is a prisoner and a thief at the beginning, the novel ends with a changed, passionate man ready to help other people. People and circumstances around people can lead to character change.
In a cruel, unjust society, the act of love can change the character of people. The physical and cultural surroundings affect the moral behavior of the people. Valjean goes to prison a simple and decent man whose main acts sought towards the survival of his family. The prison changes Valjean to become a hardened society enemy through his acts and behavior. The society can destroy and develop a person according to love and respect that they show an individual. Through love, Valjean can become an honest, hardworking, respectful person after meeting Myriel, who show him love and respect.
The character change gets influenced by people who serve as role models. Valjean, in the beginning, is a thief who would steal to even from the people considered as respectable. Valjean steals to feed his starving family. After stealing the gendarmes from the bishop, the bishop forgives Valjean and influences the character change of Valjean. The story depicts the extent to which individuals can go to helping other people. At the end of the novel, Valjean takes care of Fantine’s child after the father of the child left her. The generosity of people and their sacrifice makes Valjean a compassionate person.
In modern society, there exist so many people with immoral behaviors and characters due to the lack of structures, individuals, and platforms for people to help each other. In ‘Les Miserable,’ people supported each other by showing love and compassion, even when it is hard to do so. The modern society, every individual deal with their problems, thus unavailable to shape psychological, moral traits.
Reference
Grossman, K., & Stephens, B. (Eds.). (2015). Les Misérables and Its Afterlives: Between Page, Stage, and Screen. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BW_nCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7 &dq=Victor+Hugo%E2%80%99s+Les+Miserables&ots=FBuk2eTWE3&sig=JuIUCC4X PeQ5HAJjtukF8BBfCeA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Victor%20Hugo%E2%80%99s% 20Les%20Miserables&f=false