Les Miserables and Philosophy

885 Words4 Pages
Jean Valjean, the hero of Victor Hugo’s work Les Miserables, is an ex-convict who is living under a false name and wanted for a crime commited many years ago. He is wanted for robbery, but he is actually wanted for breaking his parole. If he is found he would be sent to the galleys for the rest of his life. Jean Valjean is a good man though and if he got caught he really doesn’t deserved to be punished. Jean Valjean has made a man of himself in the town he lives in, becoming mayor and a public benefactor. One day Valjean learns that another man, a vagabond, had been arrested for a minor crime but was identified as Jean Valjean. At first Jean Valjean is tempted to stay quiet about the situation. He saw it as though he had nothing to do with the situation. The false identification of the vagabond had nothing to do with him so he has no obligation to save the man. Valjean sees the false identification of the vagabond as an act of Providence meant to save himself. After reflecting upon this Jean Valjean judges his reasoning for the vagabond’s situation as monstrous and hypocritical. Valjean now believes that he needs to hand himself in. He feels it is his duty to reveal his identity despite what would happen to him. He reflects more on the situation and realizes the harm that will be caused to the many people who depend on him for their livelihood upon his permenant return to the galleys. One situation in particular really bothers him though, the case of a helpless woman and her small child that he feels a special obligation to. Valjean then sees himself as selfish, worrying only about his own conscience and not others. After all of this reflection he finally decides that the right thing to do is to stay quiet, so he can continue making money and helping the people who need him with it. Valjean comforts himself by saying that the vagabond is not a worthy
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