Set in early 19th-century France, Les Misérables is the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his desire for redemption, released in 1815 after serving nineteen years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child.

What is the true story behind Les Misérables?

Valjean's character is loosely based on the life of the ex-convict Eugène François Vidocq. Vidocq became the head of an undercover police unit and later founded France's first private detective agency. He was also a businessman and was widely noted for his social engagement and philanthropy.

What is the basic storyline of Les Misérables?

Les Misérables is a novel in five volumes and is about how people in the lower classes of France find their way in society. It explores what people stuck in the lower rungs of society must do to survive, effectively criticizing society by showing stories of people who struggle in unfair societies.

What is the story of the musical Les Misérables?

What is Les Misérables about? Set in 19th century France, Les Misérables follows the life of Jean Valjean – an ex-convict who seeks redemption despite being hunted for decades by his rival and ex-guard Javert after breaking parole.

What was the main point of Les Misérables?

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.

Les Mis In 60 Seconds

What is a fun fact about Les Misérables?

What is the conclusion of the Les Misérables?

Les Misérables ends with Jean Valjean's reconciliation with Cosette and her new husband Marius and Valjean's subsequent death. He manages to tell Cosette about his past as a convict, and receives her forgiveness. He also tells her the story of her mother, Fantine, and of how he adopted her from the Thénardiers.

Is Les Misérables a sad story?

While the show could be viewed as simply depressing — it is called “the miserables,” after all — viewers would be remiss in reducing it to just another sad story. Les Misérables is a story full of hope and the promise of a better tomorrow.

Who is alive at the end of Les Miserables?

Cosette and Marius are alive at the end of Les Miserables. They are the only main characters left as Valjean dies a little bit after their wedding.

Who adopted Cosette when Fantine died?

Fantine might die, but her love for Cosette ensures Cosette's survival. Jean Valjean adopts Cosette as his own daughter, and the young rebel Marius Pontmercy falls in love with her.

What does "les miserables" mean in English?

In English, the novel's title literally translates to "the miserable ones." However, the meaning in French is more specifically about the disenfranchised, which describes most of the main characters.

What is the saddest part of Les Misérables?

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. Valjean dies with Cosette and Marius by his side. So Javert is really the saddest from that point of view.

What is the saddest death in Les Miserables?

The death in Les Misérables that is considered the most heartbreaking is the death of Fantine. Fantine is a character who sacrifices her own body and dignity in order to secure a better life for her child. Her death is often seen as tragic and poignant [1].

What was the cause of Fantine's death?

After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their child, Cosette, on her own. Originally a beautiful and naive girl, Fantine is eventually forced by circumstances to become a prostitute to support her daughter, losing her beauty and health until she finally dies of tuberculosis.

Why was Les Miserables banned?

Common reasons for banning it included displaying prostitution, murder, “portraying the Church as unimportant”, and glorifying the French Revolution.

What is inappropriate in Les Miserables?

Nudity and sexual activity

As a prostitute, Fantine has sex with a soldier. The scene doesn't show nudity and isn't too graphic. A bawdy scene in a tavern shows a woman having sex with Santa.

Who is the villain in Les Miserables?

Javert (French pronunciation: [ʒavɛʁ]), no first name given in the source novel, is a fictional character and a main antagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.

What is the moral lesson of Les Misérables?

2) Moral values in “Les Miserables” show four moral values: love and sincerity, forgiveness, sacrifice, and justice/injustice. Love and sincerity are more dominant than the other elements. The value of love and sincerity reach 42% because it shows more about love and sincerity.

Is there a happy ending in Les Misérables?

While some characters in Les Misérables meet terrible ends, such as Cosette's mother and Marius' brothers-in-arms, the main characters receive as happy an ending as can be expected for people in their circumstances. Jean Valjean saves Marius' life, and Marius and Cosette are reunited.

Is Les Misérables about poverty?

France's Oscar-Nominated Les Misérables Is an Invigorating Tale of Poverty and Revolt. Sometimes the value of a movie lies not in telling you a story you've never heard, but in the way it draws you, for an hour or two, deeply into someone else's world.

Who is the most important character in Les Misérables?

Jean Valjean

He finds fulfillment in loving his adopted daughter and helping people who are in difficult situations, even when it means risking his own life and welfare. Valjean adopts pseudonyms to evade the police and combines a convict's street smarts with his newfound idealism and compassion.

What killed Jean Valjean?

Answer and Explanation:

Jean Valjean, the protagonist of the novel, dies of natural causes at the end of the novel. The denouement of the novel reveals that he does die as an integral man. Valjean transitions under Bishop Myriel's candlesticks.

Who was Cosette's biological father?

Félix Tholomyès – Fantine's lover and Cosette's biological father. A wealthy, self-centered student in Paris originally from Toulouse, he eventually abandons Fantine when their daughter is two years old.

How did Cosette suffer?

Unbeknownst to Fantine, the Thénardiers abuse Cosette while she is under their care. They beat and starve her and force her to perform heavy labor in the inn.

Are there any inappropriate scenes in Les Miserables?

Eponine is briefly seen in underwear, wrapping her breasts tightly with cloth to pass as a man. Fantine is seen in undergarments as well, with some cleavage showing. Marius and Cosette kiss passionately. A man lifts up a woman's skirt using his cane and touches her clothed breasts.