The themes of Les Misérables are concerned with social issues in 19th-century urban France. Victor Hugo uses Les Misérables to deliver critiques of wealth distribution, the justice system, industrialism, and republicanism.
Although set hundreds of years ago, its themes are universal; we still live in a world dogged by inequality, poverty and injustice. If all art is political, then Les Mis is a piece of theatre that wants to help you escape difficult times, but also make you question the present by looking at a long-lost past.
Why is Les Misérables important to the world literature?
Les Misérable is one of the most important world literature works, which have inspired various revolutionary activists around the world to react against oppression and injustice. These themes are deemed universal as they transcend cultural, religious, geographical and ethnic borders.
In Les Misérables, Hugo asserts that love and compassion are the most important gifts one person can give another and that always displaying these qualities should be the most important goal in life.
The historic events are real (like Waterloo, the revolution,…) The characters, however probably not real. There may be some real people that inspired Hugo to come up with a character in his novel. But in order to express his view, most novelists adapt the characters, idealize them, or evilize them.
Les Misérables was written during a century of massive social upheaval in France. The Revolution of 1789, and subsequent uprisings in 1830 and 1848, saw the country go from monarchy to republic to empire and back again several times.
In Les Misérables, Jean Valjean is transformed from a hardened criminal into a paragon of virtue. He ultimately sacrifices himself so that his adopted daughter Cosette might attain happiness with Marius, even as it devastates Valjean to “lose” her to the man she loves.
Moral values in the novel “Les Miserables” are love and sincerity, forgiveness, Sacrifice, Justice/Injustice. Fantine earned less and less money from her sewing, and the Thenardiers demanded more and more money to look after Cosette.
The main theme of Les Miserables is social injustice. Many of the characters in the novel are victims of injustice who are unable to seek recompense through traditional channels. Jean Valjean, as a former convict, is scorned because of his mistakes.
Answer and Explanation: Fantine represents the downtrodden of France. Her story shows how through no fault of her own, she experiences a series of misfortunes that eventually kill her.
Major conflict Valjean struggles to transform himself from a thief into an honest man; over the years he struggles to stay a step ahead of the zealous police officer Javert and tries to raise his adopted daughter, Cosette.
The films and musicals often play up the revolution portion of Les Misérables, so it's only natural that people associate it with one of France's most widely known historical events. However, Les Misérables is actually set 43 years after the French Revolution took place, during an uprising known as the June Rebellion.
Hugo used Les Misérables to criticize the injustices of 19th century France. However, issues dealt with in the novel are universal and still resonate — the rights of women, intergenerational conflict, cruelty of the justice system, and the failure of society's institutions.
All of the deaths are really heartbreaking in Les Mis. But I think the saddest might be Javert mainly because he is the only one who dies alone. Fantine dies with Valjean by her side, Eponine dies with Marius by her side, Enjolras, the students, and Gavrcohe die for their cause and all together.
Hugo began writing Les Misérables twenty years before its eventual publication in 1862. His goals in writing the novel were as lofty as the reputation it has subsequently acquired; Les Misérables is primarily a great humanitarian work that encourages compassion and hope in the face of adversity and injustice.
What is the significance of the title Les Misérables?
Les Misérables has several shades of meaning in French. Translators say that Victor Hugo's novel, published in 1862, could just as well be titled The Miserable Ones, The Outcasts, The Wretched Poor, The Victims or The Dispossessed.
Once Valjean is alone, he reveals the intense moral dilemma in which he is placed by this information. He is faced with the stark choice of revealing himself as the real Valjean, or letting Champmathieu be prosecuted under his name with the likelihood of terrible punishment for him as a result.
Hardened by prison and rescued by the kindness of M. Myriel, Valjean is a blank slate, molded by his encounters and circumstances. This ability to change makes him a universal symbol of hope—if he can learn love and charity after suffering so much injustice, anyone can.
Les Misérables is known as one of the most popular musicals in the world, and with good reason. The entire musical is sung-through, leading to over forty songs with strong musical motifs throughout giving the music an extra powerful and memorable edge.
What are the themes in Les Misérables? The themes of Les Misérables are concerned with social issues in 19th-century urban France. Victor Hugo uses Les Misérables to deliver critiques of wealth distribution, the justice system, industrialism, and republicanism.
What is the literal meaning of the words "les misérables"?
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims, and The Dispossessed.
What is the conclusion of Les Misérables? At the end of Les Misérables, Jean Valjean reconciles with his adopted daughter, Cosette, and her new husband, Marius. He finally dies and the book ends on a note of mourning and hope for the future.
It is it themes of hope, love, compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, humanity and redemption that gives Les Mis this beautiful underlying spirituality. But in terms of the show itself: You learn how one person can make a huge impact of your life.
Les Mis is about people who struggle, who succeed, who fail, who love, who want, and the thread that connects them all is the revolutionary fever that surrounds them. Because Les Mis is so expansive and well-written, it affords you a chance to live a life, Jean Valjean's entire adult life, in your imagination.
The show uses approximately 1,200 costumes and they take up one entire tractor trailer! There are 8 wedding ball gowns on stage for less than 5 minutes. Each dress requires 15 yards of fabric and 50 hours to construct! Over 88 wigs travel with Les Misérables!
