Victor Hugo

The novel Les MisTrables is so famous throughout the world and so much a part of modern popular culture that the idea of explaining what it means as a text of social protest does not seem to add very much to what is known about it. As Winegarten comments in that regard, "After Voltaire, Hugo readily assumed the mantle of the fighter against injustice. There was scarcely a cause he did not take up, especially anything to do with capital punishment" (1998, p. 20). Hugo's participation as a politician in the regime of Louis-Philippe put him in direct contact with public policy decisions and political behavior that were bound to have an impact extending beyond the chamber of deputies and the government, and the whole matter of his politics was further complicated when Louis-Napoleon exploited the aftermath of the revolu

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ave to corrupt, as the constantly virtuous character of Jean Valjean proves. Also, in Hugo's abundant commentary in the text, it is hard not to get a picture of the author who wants to answer and criticize the ideas of others in his culture who have had a point of view about what is wrong with it. That helps explain Hugo's frequent digressions from the narrative, as he takes the time to analyze the times in which people used to live and the times in which they live now. That is a method of storytelling that he shares with both Balzac and Sue, who also combine the storytelling process with a lot of extra comment. Hugo's digressions to explain the truth of the world are very much like Balzac's comments on Cousin Bette's character and ideas. However, the picture that Hugo draws of the miserable ones is much more heroic than the one that Balzac draws. Also, Hugo's heroic personalities are not cruel toward evil persons, as is the heroic personage of Rodolphe. There is also a difference of emphasis. Balzac, for example, sees poverty as destroying the moral sense in individuals. Hugo's picture of the Thenardiers is consistent with Balzac's picture of the characters of Cousin Bette. However, Hugo also sees misfortune as ennobling. Jean V
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Les MisTrables, Cousin Bette, Jean Valjean, Communist Manifesto, Voltaire Hugo, MisTrables Instead, Cousin Bette's, Rodolphe Romantic, Adeline Adeline, Balzac Sue, les mistrables, jean valjean, cousin bette, de paris, balzac 1897, class struggle, hugo 1992, notre-dame de paris, communist manifesto, human experience, social reform, balzac 1897 52, mystfres de paris, narrative les mistrables, hugo 1992 pp,
Approximate Word count = 3315
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page)

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