While the story of Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, flips many characters’ worlds, no lives are quite as impacted as Javert’s. Throughout his chase of the convict, Jean Valjean, Javert’s beliefs are altered, and the world becomes unbearable. He placed his faith in the justice system, but when divine law arises, giving prisoners second chances, Javert cannot find his place on this earth. Divine law contradicts everything he ever believed in. Javert’s only choice to escape his conscious was to commit suicide. The law, in Javert’s eyes, is black and white. Anyone who commits a crime deserves full and, at times, unreasonable punishment. Gray areas and excuses are not acceptable within his lawful duties. Javert pursues escaped convicts because
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Javert is under the impression that he has lived his life in the way of the Lord. He sings, “Those who follow the path of the righteous / Shall have their reward” (Stars). He trusts the human law to lead to heaven, and that is where he falters. The bible proclaims the idea of redemption, something Javert can never understand. He has spent his whole life looking for Valjean, “That I may see him / Safe behind bars / I will never rest” because he is “A fugitive running / Fallen from God / Fallen from grace” (Stars). How could such a vile man transform into one of God’s servants? For so long, Javert preached once a convict, always a convict. The bishop, on the other hand, took a leap of faith helping Valjean because of his belief in second chances, and Javert cannot wrap his head around that concept. Remembering Valjean’s transformation into M. Mayor and “other acts, which he remembered and which he had hither to treated as lies and follies returned to him now as realities. M. Madeliene reappeared behind Jean Valjean, and the two figures overlaid each other so as to make but one, which was venerable” (Hugo 283). It was impossible to him that these two people could be the same. Within this transformation, though, Hugo satires human law for the extreme punishment for theft upon starvation. Valjean, while a criminal in the eyes of Javert, is really a man trying to provide for his family: A man stricken in poverty due to the corruption in the economic classes of France at the time. Javert had faith in his system, but when it failed him, he could not handle the
Javert is under the impression that he has lived his life in the way of the Lord. He sings, “Those who follow the path of the righteous / Shall have their reward” (Stars). He trusts the human law to lead to heaven, and that is where he falters. The bible proclaims the idea of redemption, something Javert can never understand. He has spent his whole life looking for Valjean, “That I may see him / Safe behind bars / I will never rest” because he is “A fugitive running / Fallen from God / Fallen from grace” (Stars). How could such a vile man transform into one of God’s servants? For so long, Javert preached once a convict, always a convict. The bishop, on the other hand, took a leap of faith helping Valjean because of his belief in second chances, and Javert cannot wrap his head around that concept. Remembering Valjean’s transformation into M. Mayor and “other acts, which he remembered and which he had hither to treated as lies and follies returned to him now as realities. M. Madeliene reappeared behind Jean Valjean, and the two figures overlaid each other so as to make but one, which was venerable” (Hugo 283). It was impossible to him that these two people could be the same. Within this transformation, though, Hugo satires human law for the extreme punishment for theft upon starvation. Valjean, while a criminal in the eyes of Javert, is really a man trying to provide for his family: A man stricken in poverty due to the corruption in the economic classes of France at the time. Javert had faith in his system, but when it failed him, he could not handle the