Marxist Approach

Les Misérables

Marxist Criticism

by King James M. Saludares

Les Miserables was adapted into a movie.

Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables is one of the epic novels that emphasize the Marxist approach. In the 2012 movie adaption of the novel is truly shows the concept of Marxist approach. To understand the concept, first I would like to introduce the characters of the Les Misérables. The main characters are Jean Valjean, Javert,Fantene,Cosette, and Marius.

Victor Hugo is the author of Les Miserables

            Jean Valjean is the protagonist who was sentenced for 19 years of imprisonment because of stealing a loaf of bread for his sister. Later on, he granted parole for the meantime, then became a mayor of Montreuil and a factory owner at the same time. Javert was a prison guard, then later become the general of the army. Fantene was a factory worker and a prostitute who is also looking for her missing daughter. Cosette has used to be a child labor in the inn, and later becomes a young beautiful bourgeoisie lady. Marius is a student revolutionary leader.

Karl Marx, the pioneer of Marxist Criticism

            The setting of the novel was around 1815-1832. The society was only divided into two classes: proletariat and bourgeoisie. Proletariats consist of working class people, while bourgeoisie consist of wealthy aristocrats, government officials, and merchants. Proletariats spent most of their time in working, while bourgeoisie spent most of their free time in taverns or mansions. Proletariats in the post-revolution were really working well just to earn for living. Peasants, and vendors were those people included in the proletariats. The usually have economical struggles since they were poor and cannot afford even loaves of bread. Due to the inconsistent economic progress, the peasants turned into rebels. Thus, rebels are being supported by the militants. These militants consist of young student revolutionary leaders. They use their mouth and voice to address their sentiments, especially the struggles of the proletariats in the society. On the other hand, the bourgeoisie were living in much comfort and spends all the time in leisure. Bourgeoisie usually controls the power in the government. As a result, abuses against the proletariats rose up. Their arrogance triggered the proletariats to fight against them.The social status was too segregated, while the economic status was not really well.

The gap of bourgeoisie and proletariat is too much far.

     I have just reflected something about the society that they have in the novel. My realization is that people with higher social status has more power, while the people with lower social status were powerless and voiceless.

This was the first revolution since post-Napoleonic era.

            The role of the government here was very crucial due to the period of restoration from the newly-end French Revolution. The government tried its best to restore the welfare of the French people. However, it was not easy due to the existing rebellion. The economy was worst, and the poverty in France rose up then. The rebels initiated protest and violent revolution because the government failed to cope up with problems and the sentiments of the society.

            I have reflection on the social status in the post-revolutionary France. I reflected and realized that the gap of rich and poor, powerful and powerless, and bourgeoisie and proletariats are quite far. And it is evident up to date. This large separation cause massive discrimination, conflicts and exploitations. Thus, this novel is kindly suitable inspirational for the young bloods to be a catalyst of change. Also, they will become a key factor for the nations progress.

Javert (left) and Jean Valjean (right) were bitter rivals.

            Jean Valjean and Javert were bitter rivals. Jean is a merciful man and very helpful to those needy while Javert was obsessed with enforcement of law and order. Thus, their principles are too opposite which caused conflict between them. Jean is Fantene’s partner and Cosette’s father, which were revealed in the later part of the story. Fantene worked as a factory worker, and she left the factory to forcefully became a prostitute to earn money and to find her daughter, Cosette was rescued by Jean by paying the abusive innkeepers who were the one raised her much amount of money. As Cosette became a fully-grown lady, she became closer to Jean, and she realized that Jean is her father as he was dying. Marius had fallen in love to Cosette. Marius and Jean have strong ties during the uprising revolution against the French government. He owes Jean for saving his life, and promised him to take care of Cosette. When Cosette and Marius were married already, Jean decided to get far away from them in order to start a new life then.

Cosette (left) and Marius (right)

For more elaboration on the relationship of the characters, there are something that I reflect on them. I realized that each characters represents status of every character of every citizens in France. Let us start with Jean Valjean’s background. He experienced on how to live as a proletariat, and how to live as a bourgeoisie. He lived like less than a proletarian status, it seems like an outcast due to his status as a prisoner once. In relation to the other characters, Jean had an open-mind enough to listen on the sentiments of both classes.

Javert on the other hand, had a grudge and frustration over Jean. Javert, for me, is a perfectionist when it comes on performing his duties as a law enforcer. He was frustrated to Jean because, Jean broke the agreements in the parole. Jean made it for not because he does not allow the law enforcers to control him, but to make decisions to change status in his life becoming a mayor and a factory owner, so that he would able to help other people like him as a proletariat way back then.

I realized that something about Javert, when he committed suicide due to not achieving his objectives to capture Jean Valjean, and fail to fulfill his duties. I also realized that there are people preserving their honor for performing duties, and ready to give-up themselves as they failed to perform their duties in the society. Nowadays, people like Javert, who was passionate to his duties are only few.

Jean’s relationship to Fantine was did not last, because of her death. He wanted to help her regain the social status since Fantene was not being lift up to a stable social and economic status when she turned into a prostitute. Jean strengthened his relationship to her by making him as a foster-father of Fantene’s daughter, Cosette.

            Cosette was an illegitimate child of an unknown fallen soldier and Fantene. In her early childhood, she experienced constant maltreatment from adoptive and abusive innkeepers. When Jean rescued Cosette, she earned a social status as a legal child of Jean, although she was not really technically or legally a legit daughter of Jean since he only onsidered her as a foster-daughter. Despite of that, she treated Jean as her own father as well as him to Cosette.

Thus the relationship of these characters helped to form the events well and everything was synchronized of what was going on, especially the Marxist approach intervention on the settings of the story.     

Victor Hugo addressed social causes by writing social novels such as Les Miserables.

      

Jose Rizal was an avid fan of Victor Hugo.

On this reflection and realization of these characters. Now I know the possible and firm reason why Victor Hugo wrote this novel. He was used to be a politician when he was still alive. Because of his political and literary advantages, he merged it as one by the means of Les Misérables. In this novel, he addressed many social causes such as the abolition of the death penalty.

    Though he was committed to the government as a royalist when he was young, Hugo views changed as the decades passed and became a passionate supporter of republicanism, wherein it reflects to the character of Jean Valjean. And, it looks like Crisostomo Ibarra and Simoun as an image of Jose Rizal’s novels. Therefore, his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and artistic trends of his time. 

Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" were inspired by Hugo's "Les Miserables."

            Thus, it feels like Romanticist work of Hugo is more appreciated when it is intervene with the Marxist literary criticism/approach. 

This is my reaction after I read, watched, and analyzed Les Miserables.