Les Misérables

Les Misérables, a representative work of Victor Hugo, is considered as one of the greatest realistic novels in 19th century because of its comprehensive analysis on French society and blazing brilliance of humanism. As the topic indicates, this book reflects various people living under enormous misery. There are men who are driven to crime by hypocritical law. There are children who are abused and bullied. There are young students whose dream disillusioned. Even the loyal guard of the authority die of collapsed values. All in all, every one suffers from the miserable world. Therefore, the novel is filled with an atmosphere of compassion. Through careful observation, the author has reconstructed a typical capitalist society in paper and with respectable humanism, he has been able to create those impressive characters. The charm of Les Misérables does not only root in humanity, but also in wisdom and insight. Some chapters, like Slang and Monarchy, seem totally irrelevant to the story line, which will not bring any damage if deleted. However, without these “superfluous” sections, the novel might not gain its popularity as a realistic masterpiece, because they have prominent value in history and sociology. Numerous dictums just come from these “argumentative essays” in the novel, instead of story details. For instance, one of the most well-known sentences, which goes “sewer is the conscience of the city”, has already become a motto in city planning and infrastructure construction. Sometimes going off the subject can be, in a way, enriching the subject. Another representative work of Victor Hugo, Notre Dame de Paris, is a romantic novel, and is completed during the writing process of Les Misérables. Thus, it will be very interesting to make a comparison between these two books. Firstly, they share the common theme of humanism. However, the conflict between good and evil in Notre Dame de Paris is fiercer, while characters in Les Misérables are much more complex. Secondly, the two novels have both brilliantly combined romanticism and realism together. Thirdly, they can both bring the readers a literature feast. The description of the magnificent structure of Notre Dame de Paris has made the church a legend in the history of architecture, and has even put an influence on the renovation of the wall and towers. In Les Misérables, the scene description about the battle of Waterloo can also be called an epic, although it only aims to foreshadow the appearance of a minor role. The society in Les Misérables is miserable, especially at the beginning part. But as the plot advances, the tragic sense gradually fades. Therefore, the denouement becomes satisfactory that the young lovers have got married and Jean Valjean left the world in peace. This ending expresses the author’s universal love for human beings, praise for good human natures and strong hope for progresses in civilization, and that is the core of humanism.