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The Character Of Javert In Victor Hugo's Les Miserables

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Introduction
As long as through the workings of laws and customs there exists a damnation-by-society artificially creating hells[…], books of this kind may serve some purpose. (Hugo, 2013)

Les Misérables created by the famous French writer Victor Hugo is a literary masterpiece which records a dark period of history in 19th century France, when people were suffering social, political and cultural unrest. It exposed the law system at that time becoming a tool of the ruling class to crush the people which upheld the so-called justice but led to the true social darkness. Other than a masterpiece of the Romantic Movement, or a magnificent piece of literature, Les Misérables was also a sword that Victor Hugo waved to puncture the illusion of the law system to reveal how ludicrous it was. The character Javert in Les …show more content…

Javert’s wholehearted devotion to the law is portrayed in the novel as ultimately insufficient, even if it is from good intentions. Careful analysis of the character Javert will to some extent inspire the readers to enrich an understanding of Victor Hugo 's attitude as well as his own interpretation of the rule of law. This essay will aim to explore whether Javert is the embodiment or the victim of the rule of law by direct reference to the text of Les Misérables. First, it will argue that Javert is the embodiment of the rule of law by identifying his growing environment and his beliefs in regards to the rule of law in society. Then it will analyze the conflicts between Javert and Jean Valjean caused by their different views on law enforcement and how the disputes

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