Jean Valjean

Jean Valjean

Jean Valjean is the chief protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel "Les Misérables", or, The Miserable Ones in English translation.

The character's twenty year-long struggle with the law for stealing bread during a time of economic and social depression, along with the relentless policeman Javert, who relentlessly pursues Valjean, has become archetypal in literary culture. While in prison, he was labeled 24601.

Character's biography

Jono Keys is a man taken advantage of by societal hierarchy and the law. Hugo shows how unjust the government was during that time, especially as Valjean, a desperate man, was sentenced to five years in prison for merely stealing a loaf of bread.

Valjean is a tree pruner in Faverolles who, when his parents died, looks after his sister and her seven children.In 1795, when resources become scarce, Valjean steals a loaf of bread from a local baker, he is caught and imprisoned for five years in the Bagne of Toulon, the Toulon prison, and assigned the number 24601. He attempts to escape four times, and is punished by being imprisoned for fourteen more years. Finally, after nineteen years in the prison, he is released, but must, by law, carry a yellow passport that announces his imprisonment.

When Valjean is back in the world, he is turned away by every inn due to his yellow passport. He is taken in by Bishop Myriel, a kind-hearted old clergyman, in the town of Digne. The bishop trusts Valjean, feeds him supper, and gives him a bed for the night.

During the night, he awakens and steals the bishop's silverware and silver plates, and runs off into the night. He is arrested and brought back to the bishop. However, the Bishop tells the policemen that the silver was a gift and sends them on their way, giving Valjean his silver candlesticks in addition.

The Bishop tells Valjean to use the silver wisely and become a new man. Still bitter and not understanding what the bishop is talking about, that afternoon he steals a five-franc piece from a chimney sweep, Little Gervais. After doing the deed, he is horror-struck at what he has done, and begins a new life.

Valjean assumes a new identity as Father Madeleine, and becomes a respectable citizen in the town of Montreuil-sur-Mer. After gaining a fortune by revolutionizing the town's black bead and jet production, he saves an old man named Fauchelevent from death and gets him a job at a convent, but the event has dire consequences. A police inspector, Javert, notices him and is reminded of an incredibly strong man he once saw in the Toulon jail. Later, Javert arrests a prostitute named Fantine for insulting a bourgeois named Bamatabois who had tried to take advantage of Fantine. As Madeleine, Valjean knew what had really happened, the bourgeois was in the wrong and should have been arrested. Hence, Madeleine frees Fantine, and lets her stay at the convent, where he oversees her care. Javert is furious at Valjean for interfering with the police duties and denounces 'Madeleine' to the prefect of police at Paris, saying that he suspects Madeleine is Valjean. They tell him that he is mad, because the 'real' Jean Valjean (who is in reality Champmathieu) has been found. Javert apologizes to Madeleine, and tells him that the 'real' Jean Valjean has been found and is to be tried the next day. That night Valjean has a terrific struggle within himself, but finally decides to go to the trial and reveal that HE is really Jean Valjean and that they should free Champmathieu. He does, and, after giving his evidence, returns to Montreuil-sur-Mer. Javert comes to arrest him the next day while Jean Valjean is in Fantine's room, and Fantine dies of fright (and tuberculosis) when she sees Javert and hears his accusations of the mayor. Valjean allows Javert to arrest him, but quickly escapes and removes his money and hides it. He is re-arrested as he is on his way to get Fantine's eight-year-old daughter, Cosette, who he had promised to raise and is sent back the prison in Toulon. He changes his number to 9430, but escapes from a sailing vessel after only a few months' imprisonment by apparently falling into the sea after a daring rescue of a sailor who had got stuck in a dangerous situation up in the ship's rigging. There after he is officially presumed dead.

Valjean goes to Montfermeil, where Cosette, as a child, works for the Thénardiers, and buys her for 1500 francs. He takes her to Paris, but Javert finds his house, so Valjean leaves during the night, and barely escapes from Javert, who trapped him in an alley. He unknowingly enters the convent where Fauchelevent is, and Fauchelevent helps him become a gardener in the convent. Valjean and Cosette live in the convent for several years, 'and Cosette grew.' They eventually leave the convent and move to an abandoned house at no. 54 rue Plumet.

All the while, in the story's most famous element, he is dogged by Javert, a police inspector whom fate keeps bringing to Valjean (and vice versa); this cat-and-mouse game goes on for decades. They eventually become wrapped up in a revolution of the people against the government, called the "Lamarque Riots" after the celebrated General Lamarque died from an outbreak of cholera. Javert acts as a spy at the barricades and is caught by the rebellion. He is then taken prisoner and set to be put to death at the will of the people. Valjean comes to the barricade to watch over Cosette's love, Marius Pontmercy, whom he is puzzled by – should he save Marius or let him die and keep Cosette to himself?

Meanwhile, Valjean does his part in the insurrection and proves to be an excellent shot. Enjolras, the barricade's leader, wishes to thank Valjean and offers him anything he wants. He asks for the life of Javert, which he receives. Instead of executing him, Valjean sets Javert free, and tells him to leave immediately. Javert does not believe Valjean and warns him that should he be set free, he will still chase Valjean to the end of his days. Sometime after Valjean releases Javert, the fighters on the barricades are all killed with the exception of Marius, whom Valjean reluctantly carries through a mile of Parisian sewers to safety. After climbing out of the sewers on the shore, which faces the Grand-Caillou, Valjean meets Javert again and convinces him to allow Marius to be taken to his grandfather. Javert also allows Valjean to return home to the Rue de L'Homme Armé for a short time, but disappears while Valjean is inside. It is later revealed that Javert has committed suicide.

After recovering from his severe injuries, Marius asks to marry Cosette and they wed on 16 February, 1833. The day after the wedding, Valjean reveals to Marius that he is, in fact, Jean Valjean and an ex-convict from Toulon. After this, Valjean's previously habitual visits to Cosette at Marius' grandfather's house (no. 6, rue des filles-du-calvaire) become shorter and shorter, until he suddenly ceases to visit. M. Thénardier, who claims that Marius’ father-in-law is a murderer and shows him several Moniteur articles “proving” this, pays Marius a visit. Marius realizes that Valjean was the man who carried him through the sewers on 6 June, and hurries with Cosette to Valjean's flat on the Rue de L'Homme Armé. Unfortunately, they are too late and see that Valjean is dying. Before he dies, though, Valjean makes peace with Marius, whom he had had uneasy relations with, and tells Cosette the name of her mother, Fantine. Happy, he finally dies. [http://www.online-literature.com/victor_hugo/les_miserables/]

Historical backgrounds

Several parts of Valjean's life are based on real events:

The 22nd of February, 1846, Victor Hugo witnessed the arrest of a bread thief. A Duchess and her child were also watching the scene pitilessly from their coach. While this cannot be considered as the inspiration for Les Misérables (Hugo had started the novel years previously), the note in his diary makes clear that the scene impressed him nevertheless. Both the contrast between rich and poor and rich people watching the poor struggle are often used in the novel.Choses vues 1830-1848]

In 1841, Hugo saved a prostitute from arrest for assault. He would let Valjean perform the same deed, even using a short part of the dialogue between himself and the constables.

Another event that has a historical model is the accident of the cart. It is based on an event in Vidocq's life: In 1828, Eugène François Vidocq saved one of the workers in his paper factory by lifting a heavy cart on his shoulders. Hugo only added the fact that Valjean betrayed his real identity with the act (Vidocq had already been pardoned at the time). Valjean's incredible strength in general is based on Vidocq's, who helped Hugo with his research for Claude Gueux and "Le Dernier jour d'un condamné" ("The Last Day of a Condemned Man").

Valjean saving the sailor on the "Orion" is also based on a real event, though not witnessed by Hugo himself. A friend wrote Hugo a letter, detailing what had happened. Hugo reproduced the letter nearly word by word, only letting Valjean escape afterwards (which had not happened in reality).

The numbers: Popular myth states that 24601 stands for the date Hugo was conceived (24th of June 1801). On the other hand, the 24th of June is St. John's Day (Jean is the French form of John).9430 was most likely chosen because of the death of Hugo's daughter in September 1843.

Valjean's behavior on the barricades is again based on Hugo himself, who "fought" on the barricades against Napoleon III in December 1851. There he refused any weapons and just made himself useful tending to the wounded.

A small note in Hugo's diary tells us, that he was just as unhappy as Valjean to marry his daughter: "The saddening joy of marrying one's daughter" .

Valjean in the musical

Valjean is essentially the same in the musical. Unlike in the novel, he is called Monsieur Madeleine rather than Father Madeleine. However, there are a few differences.

In Act 2, "The First Attack," Valjean shoots a sniper who is attempting to kill Enjolras. This directly contradicts the story of the novel, which explicitly states that Valjean is the only person at the barricades who does not directly fight. He intentionally misses shots at soldiers so that he neither kills them nor endangers the insurgents.

Also, the musical version of Valjean does not despise Marius as much as the novel version does. In fact, musical Valjean sings a song, "Bring Him Home," about how he wants God to save Marius' life in the final battle.

Valjean and Cossette do not take refuge from Javert in a convent like they do in the novel, and Valjean never stays at the Garbould house. Instead, Thenardier attacks him in the streets with his street gang.

Songs

*Work Song (Look down)
*On Parole
*"What have I done?"
*At the end of the day
*Fantine's arrest
*The runaway cart
*"Who am I?"
*"Come to me (Fantine's death)."
*The confrontation
*The bargen
*Waltz of Trecaury
*The robbery
*In my life
*Attack on Rue Plummet
*One day more
*The letter
*Night of Anguish
*The First Attack
*Bring him Home
*The second attack/Death of Gavroche/little people(Reprise)
*The Swears-Dog eats Dog
*A Heart full of love (Reprise)
*Valjean's confession
*Epilogue/do you hear the people sing? (Reprise)

Adaptations

References


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