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Character Analysis Of Jean Valjean In Victor Hugo's Les Miserables

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In Victor Hugo’s book, Les Miserables is in the 1830s about how people are intertwined with each other without even knowing it. Jean Valjean is the protagonist who defied his turbulences, while Javert, the antagonist, tried to catch him. Jean Valjean is a man who was in the galleys for nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s children. He was sentenced for five years, but tried to escape multiple times, got caught, and was sentenced to more years. He changed after a bishop shows him to be an honest man and to give his soul to God. Jean Valjean was transformed into an honest man through being humble, keeping his promise to Fantine of saving Cosette, and telling the truth about being the convict, Jean Valjean.
Jean Valjean found Cosette important because he escaped the galleys after he was caught again while being mayor. Cosette also showed him a second white vision in his life the vision was love. Jean Valjean valued “the inseparable” because it was a reminder about Cosettes’ childhood and innocence. When he was dying, he showed how important “the inseparable” was by opening it stated by “He opened the valise and took out Cosette’s suit. He spread it out upon his bed.” (Hugo 378). Jean Valjean was a humble man, even to his grave. Jean …show more content…

Fantine would still have died from tuberculosis. Cosette would still be stuck with the Thenardiers. Marius and Cosette wouldn’t end up married. Javert would be a gendarme and would be seeing in black and white. If Jean Valjean hadn’t changed or become an honest man, he wouldn’t have saved Cosette or even meet Fantine. He would be running away from Javert or been in the galleys. At the end the candlesticks showed his promise stated by “The light from the candlesticks fell upon him; his white face looked up towards heaven” (399). In the end, Jean Valjean kept his promise to the bishop and died being an honest

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