Social Justice in "Les Miserables" Analytical Essay by Calwriter
Social Justice in "Les Miserables"
This paper discusses issues of social justice in Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables".
# 54625
| 2,420 words
| 15 sources
| MLA
| 2004
| 
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Description:
This paper explains that Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables", a novel directed at exposing the social injustices of 19th century France, uses settings, such as the streets of Paris and a poor factory, to show how the lower-class citizens have no opportunity to escape their surroundings. The author points out that the contrast of the poor characters with the rich citizens portrays the never-ending cycle of injustice in this society from both sides. The paper relates that Valjean is the most important character who portrays the different aspects of social justice because he is the only character who breaks free of his social bonds, yet time and time again, he is brought back down.
From the Paper:
"Valjean is the most important character to portraying the different aspects of social justice in this story. He is the only character who breaks free of his social bonds, yet time and time again is brought back down. He also shows two other important things. Social justice only comes to those who are willing to make the sacrifices and take the risks to obtain it. Also, as the only character to break through society, in comparison to the number of characters in the story, he shows the immense social injustice because he is the only one who can escape society's limits. The entire book is loaded with characters that are poor and cannot escape the situations they were born into. Almost every character he meets has some limitation on what they can be by society. He encounters a drying Fantine, the rebels stifled by the government, the Thenardiers who only perpetuate the injustice in their own micro chasm. All are inhibited by the social injustice of the time, and Valjean is used to show that although social injustice ruled back then, it was not impossible to overcome. He also meant that as a lesson to readers. If a reader was experiencing social injustice that it could be overcome, despite what society does to try and hold someone down."Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
Social Justice in "Les Miserables" (2004, December 31)
Retrieved May 18, 2013, from http://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/social-justice-in-les-miserables-54625/
MLA Format
"Social Justice in "Les Miserables"" 31 December 2004.
Web. 18 May. 2013. <http://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/social-justice-in-les-miserables-54625/>