The genius of Victor Hugo was to allow us, by way of the novel’s ability to personalize two conflicting ideologies, to grasp a truth that Jewish theologians believe is expressed in the two chief biblical names of God. Victor Hugo conveys a truth that Jewish theologians believe is expressed in the two chief biblical names of God. In his fixation with sin he loses sight of the possibility for salvation. He sees himself as saintly because he dedicates his life to punishing sinners. He is obsessed with re-arresting Jean Valjean in spite of his complete rehabilitation. He refuses to admit the possibility of repentance. He is simply not sufficiently human to deserve it. But Javert is too cold, too formal, too officious to be acknowledged with a first name. It is the key to our friendship and closeness with others. His nemesis, Inspector Javert, is the ostensible defender of law and order. For this crime he is imprisoned for nine years and subsequently forced to carry a yellow badge identifying him as former convict – something that resonates with post-Holocaust Jewry far more than Victor Hugo could ever have imagined. He stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. By the strict standard of law, Jean Valjean, the hero, is a criminal.
Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert, the two chief protagonists of Les Misérables, are locked in lifelong battle. It revolves around how best to resolve the conflict between mercy and justice. Of all the themes to be found in this incredible work, there is one that comes to grips with a fundamental question every one of us who aspires to live life honestly and ethically must encounter. But what I find most fascinating is that in his French preface, Philosophie, Commencement d'un livre, Victor Hugo revealed that he originally intended Les Misérables as a religious book. It is a profoundly moving story that deals with some of the most universally relevant tribulations of mankind. Adapted to the stage as a musical, it became a global sensation in the 1980s, and is now an epic motion picture generating Oscar buzz.
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 19 th century.
0 kommentar(er)
