The character Javert from “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo has been short-handedly portrayed as an obsessive single minded man who does nothing but chase for convict Jean Valjean. Yet, in the book it appears that Javert doesn’t pursue Jean Valjean as much as he coincidently runs into him a couple of times over the years. The truth is that Javert was never obsessed with Jean Valjean, but the musical has perceived people to think otherwise. With this day in age, the people of society rather watch a two-hour movie than read a 1400-page novel. While the musical does make it evident that Javert cares about the law, it does not portray his true character. Meaning, the musical merely glosses over Javert’s anal obsession for following the law. In the
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Unlike most other convicts who were likely to continue to live in hell even after being released from prison, Jean Valjean completely changed his ways by rising above his misery, earning wealth and reputation, and transforming himself so thoroughly that not even a flicker of his past remained. Never had Javert encountered a man, nonetheless a convict, who could transform himself around like he. “M. Madeleline reappeared behind Jean Vajean, and the two figures overlaid each other so as to make but one, which was venerable. Javert felt that something horrible was penetrating his soul, admiration for a convict. Respect for a galley-slave, can that be possible? He shuddered at it, yet could not shake it off” (Hugo 283). Jean Valjean messes with Javert’s moral code that is unforgiving and immutable. A man who only saw the world in black and white was now abruptly seeing a world with shades of grey. The change was too much for him to cope and he could only think of two ways to ease his mind. ”There were only two ways to get out of it. One, to go resolutely to Jean Valjean, and to return the man of the galleys to the dungeon. The other ---- The place where Javert was leaning was, it will be remembered, situated exactly over the rapids of the Seine, perpendicularly over that formidable whirlpool which knots and unknots itself like an endless screw” (Hugo 283). In other words, Javert knew that if he followed his duty to arrest Jean Valjean then his conscience would continually eat at him for arresting a man he compared to himself as changed. Thus, to truly put his mind at ease he killed
Unlike most other convicts who were likely to continue to live in hell even after being released from prison, Jean Valjean completely changed his ways by rising above his misery, earning wealth and reputation, and transforming himself so thoroughly that not even a flicker of his past remained. Never had Javert encountered a man, nonetheless a convict, who could transform himself around like he. “M. Madeleline reappeared behind Jean Vajean, and the two figures overlaid each other so as to make but one, which was venerable. Javert felt that something horrible was penetrating his soul, admiration for a convict. Respect for a galley-slave, can that be possible? He shuddered at it, yet could not shake it off” (Hugo 283). Jean Valjean messes with Javert’s moral code that is unforgiving and immutable. A man who only saw the world in black and white was now abruptly seeing a world with shades of grey. The change was too much for him to cope and he could only think of two ways to ease his mind. ”There were only two ways to get out of it. One, to go resolutely to Jean Valjean, and to return the man of the galleys to the dungeon. The other ---- The place where Javert was leaning was, it will be remembered, situated exactly over the rapids of the Seine, perpendicularly over that formidable whirlpool which knots and unknots itself like an endless screw” (Hugo 283). In other words, Javert knew that if he followed his duty to arrest Jean Valjean then his conscience would continually eat at him for arresting a man he compared to himself as changed. Thus, to truly put his mind at ease he killed