I have read a novel written by Victor-Marie Hugo, “LES MISÉRABLES”. It is a story for people who would like to confront a struggle of one old man living in his difficult and secret mission. The story is based on realistic French society in 19th century, however, is also striking to the people in modern age. Socio-politically it is under the French society in dramatic revolutions. Literally-historically it is a story of Romanticism. The main character Jean Valjean was first described as a man of weak will. After checkered destinies, he brought up to be a man of indomitability with a certain mission in his mind. The story resembles von Goethe’s “Faust”, though “Faust” is a story of fantasy and “LES MISÉRABLES” is in the line of reality. The indomitability of Jean Valjean very much resembles that of Faust, and Thénardier has a role of Mephistopheles, who has a mal will but always is ended up with a good outcome. The organization of the story is composed of the actual lines of the story directly related to the main characters, and some descriptive lines related to Révolution française, Napoléon, Louis XVIII, Charles X, Restauration, La Révolution de Juillet, Insurrection républicaine à Paris en juin 1832, Louis-Philippe Ier and so on. The viewpoint is from an objective observer and therefore it is sincere, though the actual characters appeared are perplexed by textures of stories difficult to resolve. It silently shows a will underlay in Christianity with a mission of a certain man. What are not described is why the destinies of the characters are so much integrated at last. Jean Valjean and Inspecteur Javert is an inseparable pair of men. Gavroche is an icon of “Les Misérables” and revolution. All of the materials are interrelated.
From the viewpoint of structuralism the plot is so much complex and organized. From the viewpoint of post-structuralism there is not so much to say.
Overall, the readers finally solve the struggles after reading through this tough novel.
