Les Miserables Essay

779 Words4 Pages
"Impoverished" Poverty was a major issue in France in the early nineteenth century as it is today. In the book Les Miserables, Victor Hugo, the author, tries to make poverty more apparent to those ignorant to its occurrence. Victor states that as long as there is poverty there will be misery. He portrays these troubles through three key characters in his book. These characters being Fantine, Jean Valjean, and Cosette. Fantine is one of the characters who portrays poverty and it's problems. Here is a example of one situation in which poverty is portrayed: "' Will you keep my child for me?' ...' I will give six francs a month'"(p.45 Victor Hugo). This is a sad situation in which poverty forces Fantine to give her child up to a complete stranger. Fantine is unable to raise a child in her current situation and giving up her child may be the only way for her daughter to live a healthy, stable life. Another example for her poverty is '" ...Where did you get the louis d'or?' ....'I got them,' answered Fantine. The candle lit up her face.... the corners of her mouth were stained with blood...'"(p.66). Here, Fantine must take out her two front teeth to pay for Cosette's faked sickness. This is an example of how far an impoverished women must go just to "protect" her child. Fantine is greatly affected by this impoverishment that affects so many people. Another character in Les Miserables who portrays poverty is Cosette. Cosette deals with all the downfalls of poverty throughout her life because she is practically sold into slavery. An example of that is "Cosette was musing sadly: for, though she was only eight years old, she had already suffered so much that she mused with the mournful air of an old woman"(p.149). The poverty and misery she has dealt with so far in her life is already comparable to an old woman's, as stated in the quote. She is being raised in an

More about Les Miserables Essay

Open Document