Prostitution In Victor Hugo's Les Miserables

Prostitution is said to be one of the oldest kinds of oppression that human kind has experienced. Every day, many women are trafficked into or forced into the industry and are not talked about or supported enough. The issue has been consistent for many years, but represented by very few male writers like Victor Hugo. The situations and struggles of sex workers have not changed drastically since the 19th century, as portrayed by Victor Hugo in Les Miserables through the life of Fantine.
Prostitution and the suffering of the underclass is something Hugo focused on a lot throughout the novel. He described the suffering of women and what drives them into the industry. It was described to be the last resort for suffering women, as demonstrated by the life of Fantine. She was was described to have raised herself. “She never knew her parents” . Fantine was a struggling woman since she was very …show more content…
Going into the business is seen as a “choice”, as explained By Huges, when in reality they are lynched into in out of display of flare and affection. He also explains how people are indifferent to “Human on human violence” when they believe the victim had a “choice” in it, shfting blame from the perpetuator (Smith).
Most people do not speak up against the abuse and brutality that is inflicted on sex workers, as seen in Las Vegas. No money or effort has been successful to raise awareness of sex trafficking and gather support of the law enforcement and clergy. Many instances of violence against workers have been witnessed in Las Vegas. A teen was tortured by a pimp naked Share III, over a period of 4 months and dumped near University Medical Center on June 30, 2014. She sustained multiple internal injuries, a spinal fracture and signs of torture. Even after something this horrific, the support of the public was minimal