"Les Misérables", an artistic analysis of the novel by Victor Hugo - An essay on any topic. Victor Hugo novel "Les Misérables" as a historical source

Romantic and Realistic Tendencies in Hugo's Les Misérables

The concept of the novel "Les Misérables" corresponds to the idea of ​​V. Hugo

O human life as about the continuous change of light and darkness. The task of the novel "Les Misérables" is teaching, and for the writer they are more important than realistic

analysis, because Hugo himself says at the end of the book that she has much more

important purpose than displaying real life. Understanding the world as permanent

movement from evil to good, Hugo strives to demonstrate this movement,

Emphasizing (often even contrary to logic) real events) the obligatory victory of the good and spiritual principles over the forces of evil. Hugo saw his task in reviving the moral ideals lost by society. This makes Hugo's novel not so much accusatory as preaching - missionary. Les Misérables is not just another version of a familiar theme, and the content of the book is not limited to the plot and that there is something more in it that lifts it high above the fascinating, but, in essence, rather flat-minded feuilleton novels. Indeed, Hugo only started from the literary tradition - he set himself a task of a completely different scale; specific questions of the life of society, living images of people, an exciting plot - only "one side of the work; behind all this is a grandiose panorama of the era, and behind it there is a question about the fate of the people, humanity, moral and philosophical problems, general questions of being. The world seemed to Victor Hugo the arena of a fierce struggle two eternal principles - good and evil, light and darkness, flesh and spirit. He sees this struggle everywhere: in nature, in society and in man himself. Its outcome is predetermined by the good will of providence, to which everything in the universe is subject, from the cycle of luminaries to the smallest movements of the human soul: evil is doomed, good will triumph. Morally, the world is split, but at the same time it is one, for the innermost essence of being is in progress. The life of mankind, like the life of the universe, is an irresistible upward movement, from evil to good , from darkness to light, from an ugly past to a beautiful future.The world of "Les Miserables" is warmed by this biased look of the author, this belief in the final victory of good; Hugo's ideas live not only in the people he depicts, but also in living and dead nature, which he paints with the same love, using the same images, seeing in it the same moral struggle. The streets of old Paris, its slums, its barricades come to life under Hugo's pen. Long descriptions, “digressions”, which occupy almost half of the entire text of Les Misérables, are therefore not something alien to the plot, but merge with it into one consonance, forming a panorama of life full of movement, diversity and drama. As is known in Les Misérables, real facts form the indisputable basis of the work. Monsignor Miolis, bred under the name of Miriel, really existed, and what is said about him in the novel was in reality. Hugo also took advantage of the experience of his personal life. In "Les Misérables" appear the Abbé Rohan, the publisher Rayol, Mother Sage, the garden of the convent of the feuilletines, the young Victor Hugo - under the name of Marius, and General Hugo - under the name of Pontmercy. Hugo comments in detail on the actions of the characters; he almost never analyzes the state of mind of the hero, as a realist writer would do, he simply illustrates this state with a stream of metaphors, sometimes deployed for a whole chapter, the author intervenes in the action, turns it contrary to logic, constructs artificial positions. He pushes and separates the heroes under the most extraordinary circumstances, makes them silent when their happiness depends on one word, and speaks when logic requires silence; he attributes his thoughts to them, forces them to express themselves in their own language, and it is in their mouths and their actions that he puts the main moral ideas of the novel. The plot of "Les Misérables" is built mainly on the chain of events and circumstances "unusual" and completely exceptional. The “fascination” of this plot can, on a purely formal basis, be reduced to the fascination of an adventure novel. In addition to descriptions of a broad social and philosophical character, which, moreover, are organically included in the general fabric of the novel, in addition to the broad social background against which the events that make up the plot unfold, it is essential that the lives of the characters, for all their improbability, turn out to be ultimately artistically justified and truthful. In the novel, exceptional human natures appear before us, some are higher than human beings in their mercy or love, others are lower in their cruelty and baseness. But in art, freaks live long lives if they are beautiful freaks. Hugo had a penchant for the exceptional, the theatrical, the gigantic. This would not be enough to create a masterpiece. However, his exaggerations are justified, since the characters are endowed with noble and genuine feelings. Love for one's neighbor and self-denial are combined in the hero Hugo with thoughts about a moral ideal.

Les Misérables. (Content). In 1815, Charles-Francois Miriel, nicknamed Bienvenue for his good deeds, was the bishop of the city of Digne. This unusual man in his youth had many love affairs and led social life But the Revolution changed everything. Mr. Miriel left for Italy, from where he returned as a priest. At the whim of Napoleon, the old parish priest occupies the bishop's throne. He begins his pastoral activity by giving up the beautiful building of the episcopal palace to the local hospital, and he himself moves to a cramped little house. He distributes his considerable salary entirely to the poor. Both the rich and the poor knock at the bishop's door: some come for alms, others bring it. This holy man enjoys universal respect - he is granted to heal and forgive.

In the first days of October 1815, a dusty traveler enters Digne - a stocky, dense man in the prime of life. His beggarly clothes and sullen weather-beaten face make a repulsive impression. First of all, he goes to the city hall, and then tries to get somewhere for the night. But he is driven from everywhere, although he is ready to pay with a full-fledged coin. This man's name is Jean Valjean. He spent nineteen years in hard labor because he once stole a loaf of bread for the seven hungry children of his widowed sister. Embittered, he turned into a wild hunted beast - with his "yellow" passport, there is no place for him in this world. Finally, a woman, taking pity on him, advises him to go to the bishop. After listening to the gloomy confession of a convict, Monseigneur Bienvenue orders to feed him in the guest room. In the middle of the night, Jean Valjean wakes up: he is haunted by six silver cutlery - the only wealth of the bishop, kept in the master bedroom. Valjean tiptoes over to the bishop's bed, breaks open the silver cabinet and wants to smash the good shepherd's head with a massive candlestick, but some strange force holds him back. And he flees through the window.

In the morning, the gendarmes bring the fugitive to the bishop - this suspicious person was detained with clearly stolen silver. Monseigneur can send Valjean to hard labor for life. Instead, Mr. Miriel brings out two silver candlesticks, which yesterday's guest allegedly forgot. The last parting word of the bishop is to use the gift to become an honest person. The shocked convict hurriedly leaves the city. In his hardened soul, a complex painful work is going on. At sunset, he automatically takes away a coin of forty sous from a boy he meets. Only when the baby runs away with a bitter cry does Valjean realize the meaning of his act: he sinks heavily to the ground and cries bitterly - for the first time in nineteen years.

In 1818, the town of Montreil flourished, and it owes this to one person: three years ago, an unknown person settled here, who managed to improve the traditional local craft - the manufacture of artificial jet. Uncle Madeleine not only became rich himself, but also helped many others to make a fortune. Until recently, unemployment was rampant in the city - now everyone has forgotten about the need. Uncle Madeleine was unusually modest - neither the deputy chair nor the Order of the Legion of Honor attracted him at all. But in 1820 he had to become mayor: a simple old woman shamed him, saying that it was a shame to back down if there was an opportunity to do a good deed. And Uncle Madeleine turned into Mister Madeleine. Everyone was in awe of him, and only the police agent Javert looked at him with extreme suspicion. In the soul of this man there was only room for two feelings, taken to extremes - respect for authority and hatred for rebellion. A judge in his eyes could never make a mistake, and a criminal could never correct himself. He himself was blameless to the point of disgust. Surveillance was the meaning of his life.

One day, Javert repentantly informs the mayor that he must go to the neighboring city of Arras - the former convict Jean Valjean, who robbed the boy immediately after his release, will be tried there. Javert had previously thought that Jean Valjean was hiding under the guise of Monsieur Madeleine - but that was a mistake. After releasing Javert, the mayor falls into deep thought, and then leaves the city. At the trial in Arras, the defendant stubbornly refuses to recognize himself as Jean Valjean and claims that his name is Uncle Chammatier and there is no fault for him. The judge is preparing to pronounce a guilty verdict, but then an unknown person stands up and announces that he is Jean Valjean, and the defendant must be released. Word quickly spreads that the venerable mayor, Monsieur Madeleine, has turned out to be an escaped convict. Javert triumphs - he deftly arranged the snares for the criminal.

The jury decided to exile Valjean to the galleys in Toulon for life. Once on the Orion ship, he saves the life of a sailor who has fallen off the yard, and then throws himself into the sea from a dizzying height. The Toulon newspapers report that the convict Jean Valjean has drowned. However, after some time, he appears in the town of Montfermeil. A vow brings him here. During his time as mayor, he was excessively strict with a woman who gave birth to an illegitimate child, and repented, remembering the merciful Bishop Miriel. Before her death, Fantine asks him to take care of her girl Cosette, whom she had to give to the innkeepers Thenardier. The Thénardiers embodied cunning and malice, combined in marriage. Each of them tortured the girl in his own way: she was beaten and forced to work half to death - and the wife was to blame for this; in winter she went barefoot and in rags - the reason for this was her husband. Taking Cosette, Jean Valjean settles on the most remote outskirts of Paris. He taught the little girl to read and write and did not stop her from playing as much as she could - she became the meaning of the life of a former convict who kept the money earned in the production of jet. But Inspector Javert haunts him here too. He arranges a night raid: Jean Valjean is saved by a miracle, imperceptibly jumping over a blank wall into the garden - it turned out to be a convent. Cosette is taken to a monastery boarding school, and her adoptive father becomes a gardener's assistant.

The respectable bourgeois, Mr. Gillenormand, lives with his grandson, who bears a different surname - the boy's name is Marius Pontmercy. Marius's mother died, and he never saw his father: Mr. Gillenormand called his son-in-law "the Loire robber", since the imperial troops were taken to the Loire to disband. Georges Pontmercy reached the rank of colonel and became a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. He almost died at the Battle of Waterloo - he was carried out from the battlefield by a marauder who was picking out the pockets of the wounded and killed. Marius learns all this from the dying message of his father, who turns for him into a titanic figure. The former royalist becomes an ardent admirer of the emperor and begins to almost hate his grandfather. Marius leaves home with a scandal - he has to live in extreme poverty, almost in poverty, but he feels free and independent. During daily walks in the Luxembourg Gardens, the young man notices a handsome old man, who is always accompanied by a girl of about fifteen. Marius passionately falls in love with a stranger, but natural shyness prevents him from getting to know her. The old man, noticing Marius's close attention to his companion, moves out of the apartment and ceases to appear in the garden. It seems to the unfortunate young man that he has lost his beloved forever. But one day he hears a familiar voice behind the wall - where the large family of Jondrets lives. Looking through the gap, he sees an old man from the Luxembourg Gardens - he promises to bring money in the evening. Obviously, Jondrette has the ability to blackmail him: an interested Marius overhears how the villain conspires with members of the Cock Hour gang - they want to set up a trap for the old man to take everything from him. Marius notifies the police. Inspector Javert thanks him for his help and hands him pistols just in case. Before the eyes of the young man, a terrible scene is played out - the innkeeper Thenardier, who took refuge under the name of Jondrette, tracked down Jean Valjean. Marius is ready to intervene, but then the policemen, led by Javert, burst into the room. While the inspector deals with the bandits, Jean Valjean jumps out the window - only then Javert realizes that he has missed a much larger game.

In 1832, Paris was in turmoil. Friends of Marius rave about revolutionary ideas, but the young man is occupied with something else - he continues to stubbornly search for the girl from the Luxembourg Gardens. Finally, happiness smiled at him. With the help of one of Thenardier's daughters, the young man finds Cosette and confesses his love for her. It turned out that Cosette had also been in love with Marius for a long time. Jean Valjean suspects nothing. Most of all, the former convict is concerned that Thenardier is clearly watching their quarter. Coming June 4th. An uprising breaks out in the city - barricades are being built everywhere. Marius cannot leave his comrades. Alarmed, Cosette wants to send him a message, and Jean Valjean finally opens his eyes: his baby has grown up and found love. Despair and jealousy strangle the old convict, and he goes to the barricade, which is defended by young republicans and Marius. Javert in disguise falls into their hands - the detective is seized, and Jean Valjean again meets his sworn enemy. He has every opportunity to deal with the man who caused him so much harm, but the noble convict prefers to release the policeman. Meanwhile, government troops are advancing: the defenders of the barricade are dying one after another - among them is the glorious little boy Gavroche, a true Parisian tomboy. Marius's collarbone was shattered by a rifle shot - he finds himself in the complete power of Jean Valjean.

The old convict carries Marius from the battlefield on his shoulders. Punishers are prowling everywhere, and Valjean descends underground - into terrible sewers. After much ordeal, he gets to the surface only to find himself face to face with Javert. The detective allows Valjean to take Marius to his grandfather and stop by to say goodbye to Cosette - this is not at all like the ruthless Javert. Great was Valjean's astonishment when he realized that the policeman had let him go. Meanwhile, for Javert himself, the most tragic moment in his life comes: for the first time he broke the law and set the criminal free! Unable to resolve the contradiction between duty and compassion, Javert freezes on the bridge - and then there is a dull splash.

Marius for a long time is between life and death. In the end, youth wins. The young man finally meets Cosette and their love blossoms. They receive the blessing of Jean Valjean and M. Gillenormand, who, in joy, completely forgave his grandson. On February 16, 1833, the wedding took place. Valjean confesses to Marius that he is an escaped convict. Young Pontmercy is horrified. Nothing should overshadow Cosette's happiness, so the criminal should gradually disappear from her life - after all, he is just a foster father. At first, Cosette is somewhat surprised, and then gets used to the increasingly infrequent visits of her former patron. Soon the old man stopped coming at all, and the girl forgot about him. And Jean Valjean began to wither and fade away: the porter invited a doctor to him, but he only shrugged it off - this man, apparently, had lost his most precious creature, and no medicine would help here. Marius, on the other hand, believes that the convict deserves such an attitude - undoubtedly, it was he who robbed Mr. Madeleine and killed the defenseless Javert, who saved him from the bandits. And then the greedy Thenardier reveals all the secrets: Jean Valjean is neither a thief nor a murderer. Moreover: it was he who carried Marius from the barricade. The young man generously pays the vile innkeeper - and not only for the truth about Valjean. Once upon a time, a scoundrel did a good deed, rummaging through the pockets of the wounded and killed - the name of the man he saved was Georges Pontmercy. Marius and Cosette go to Jean Valjean to beg for forgiveness. The old convict dies happy - his beloved children took his last breath. A young couple commissions a touching epitaph for the sufferer's grave.

Kemerovo State University

Faculty of History and International Relations

Department of the new recent history and international relations

Coursework on the topic:

Victor Hugo novel "Les Misérables" as a historical source

Performed

student gr. No. I-081

Marchenko O.O.

Checked

PhD in History, Associate Professor

Kostromina N.G.

Kemerovo 2011

Introduction………………………………………………………… ……………..3

Chapter 1. Characteristic social position in France during the Restoration in Hugo's novel Les Misérables… ………………………………….8

Chapter 2 Events of the July Revolution of 1830…………………………23

Conclusion…………………………………………………… ……………….32

Bibliography

Introduction

This course work is devoted to the analysis of a work of art as a historical source, and subsequent comparison with the data of scientific researchers.

The era of the Restoration is controversial. This is a period of about sixteen years, when representatives of the Bourbon family returned to power. Louis XVII and Charles X failed to stabilize the situation. Which leads to a new social explosion - the July Revolution. The novel Les Misérables depicts precisely this period of French history.

Relevance This topic is conditioned, first of all, by the fact that many questions about this period remain debatable. Therefore, it is interesting to analyze how these historical events are viewed by their contemporary and researchers.

From the relevance of the work follows its significance. An attempt to compare views, to understand the discussions on the history of France during the Restoration is necessary to understand the essence of this phenomenon.

Fiction is rarely used as a historical source. This is what the novelty of the work.

Geographic scope works - the territory of France in the era of modern times.

Chronological framework studies were defined by us as the period from 1815 to 1830, which in historiography is called the “Second Bourbon Restoration”, which ends with the July Revolution of 1830.

The lower limit is 1815.

Since the signing of the first Paris peace treaty on May 30, 1814, the first Bourbon Restoration began, when representatives of the old dynasty returned to power in France. Then power is usurped by Napoleon, and this period from March to June 1815 is called the Hundred Days of Napoleon. These periods are beyond the scope of the study of this work, since these events are not described in the novel Les Misérables. The monarchy was restored again after the signing of the second Paris peace treaty on June 22, 1815. From this period, reforms begin in the country, from which the study begins.

The upper limit is 1830, as it is a turning point in the fate of the last Bourbons, and ends with the coming to power of a new dynasty.

Object of study: The novel "Les Miserables" historical source.

Subject of study: The social picture in France during the Restoration in the novel Les Misérables by V. Hugo, the reasons for the contradictions and revolutionary actions of 1830.

Research methods. In this work, we use both general scientific methods research, as well as special-historical. General scientific methods include, first of all, the analysis of the source and scientific theories.

Special-historical: a comparative-historical approach, which manifests itself in the opposition of the views of Victor Hugo and the data of scientific researchers on the historical period under consideration. The work also uses the chronological method of research and methods of historical description.

Historiography:

The topic of the Restoration and the subsequent July Revolution is the subject of a large number of scientific and journalistic works by Russian and foreign researchers. In our study, we used the works of authors who give different points of view on the events that took place in the period under consideration.

The history of the study of the Restoration era dates back to the first months after the July Revolution of 1830. However, in this work, the scientific works of researchers of the 20th century are used.

Soviet historian A.I. Molok studied the history of France 1 . There is little information about the Restoration in the work, but much attention is paid to the class struggle in 1830. The undoubted advantages of the work in the use of sources available only on French. But, being a representative of the Marxist school, he views the revolution as a class struggle, which testifies to his outdated views of the author.

The next stage in the historiography of the Restoration, and, mainly, the July Revolution, is associated with the names of K. Marx and F. Engels. Their labor « The class struggle in France from 1848 to 1850” 2 is used in this work. The revolutions in France are considered as an example of the class struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. But the conclusions about the existence of the proletariat at this time in France are false ideas, since at the beginning of the 19th century its formation was in its initial stage. This is about labor force, the proto-proletariat.

In the preface written by Engels, attention is paid to the social system on the eve of the July Revolution. The shortcomings of their views in the exaggeration of the role of the proto-proletariat, excessive criticism of the bourgeoisie, subjectivism. However, the work helped in the study of the social situation in France. The mood of the masses before the revolution is also well described.

In Soviet historiography, many scientists were engaged in the study of these issues. In this work, we used the work of Manfred A.Z. "History of France" 3 . The work details the events of the Restoration era, the July Revolution. The social picture of France on the eve of the revolution of 1830 is also presented. However, the imprint of Marxist-Leninist ideology is left on his work. What should also be considered when working with this monograph.

In this work, the article by A.V. Revyakin "French dynasties: Bourbons, Orleans, Bonapartes" 4 ., where more clear ideas about the character of the last Bourbons and Louis Philippe of Orleans are given. The disadvantage of the work is that there is little information about the practical activities of the kings, about their significance in the history of France.

Another work by A.V. Revyakina - "History international relations in the new time 5". This work is devoted to the history of international relations in Europe during the 19th century. Events are presented quite simply, the author constantly refers to sources, which increases the objectivity of information. In addition to international relations, revolutionary events in Europe are described. There is information about the French Revolution of 1830. Lack of brevity. The positive in Revyakin's works is his more modern view of historical events, he is less subjective in his conclusions, other researchers did not live.

aim of this work is: the study and analysis of the novel "Les Misérables" as a historical source, and the comparison of the facts in it with the data scientific publications and works.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve a number of research tasks:

1. Analyze and identify the events of interest to us in a work of art, as well as the opinions and views of V. Hugo;
2. Consider the views of contemporaries and subsequent researchers on social problems 1830;
3. Compare and contrast opinions of Hugo and scientific researchers.

direct source The present work will be Hugo's Les Misérables.

Victor Hugo was distinguished by the fact that he was very interested in the social theme, the problem of acute social differentiation.

Les Misérables was written in 1862 and consists of five parts. Its chronological framework: from the beginning of the Restoration until the overthrow of the July Monarchy. The author was a witness of the events under study, his work is a valuable historical source.

Work structure. The purpose and objectives of the study determined its structure. It consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, and a list of sources and references, numbering 14 titles.

1. Characteristics of the social situation in France during the Restoration in Hugo's novel "Les Misérables"

After the deposition of Napoleon, France was again ruled by kings from the Bourbon dynasty. Their relatively short reign - about 16 years - went down in history under the name of the Restoration.

It was a very controversial period in the history of France. On the one hand, the Restoration can be defined as liberal government. There was no complete return to absolutism. This is no longer the same monarchy that it was before the events of 1789. According to the Charter of 1814, legislative power was vested in the Legislative Corps, which consisted of the Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of Peers. The Chamber of Deputies was elected on the basis of limited suffrage. Voters had to meet the following requirements: be at least 30 years of age and pay at least 300 francs of direct taxes per year. The requirements for candidates for deputies were tougher - 40 years and 1000 francs in taxes.

Thus, only 80 - 100 thousand people had the right to vote in France, and even fewer could be elected to the Chamber of Deputies - only 16 - 18 thousand. The Chamber of Peers was appointed by the king from representatives of the nobility and senior officials. Peers retained their seat in the House for life. The executive power belonged to the king. He appointed ministers, directed foreign policy, convened and dissolved legislative chambers. He also had the right to initiate legislation.

Compared with the constitutions of the consulate and the empire, the charter was quite liberal. Some historians believe that the policy of the Bourbons corresponded to the thesis - "The Bourbons did not forget and did not learn anything in exile" 6 .

According to the author of the work, this thesis does not characterize the reign of Louis XVIII. If the reactionary policy of Charles X is well suited to this, then Louis was quite liberal. There was definitely no return to absolutism. Charles X, on the other hand, recognized himself as a monarch by the grace of God, and not by the will of the French nation, and therefore did not consider himself bound in his actions by its opinion. In fact, Charles X abandoned the political heritage of Louis XVIII, who tried to combine - and at first not without success - the divine right of kings with the constitutional right of the nation. Charles X preferred to see in the Charter only one of the traditional "liberties" granted by the king to his subjects. He chose the path of rejecting the compromise of 1814 and took a course of radical measures.

Another researcher holds a similar point of view about Louis XVIII. The defeat of the monarchy in 1789-1792 served as a serious lesson for him. Perhaps the only one of the Bourbons, he firmly held the opinion: either the monarchy will be supplemented by a constitution, or it will never be 7.

Nevertheless, the situation in the country was heating up every day. This was facilitated by the economic policy of the new government. The persistence of heavy taxes led to unrest in the city.

The same thing happened in the villages. The former owners of noble and church estates threatened to take away the land plots they had acquired from the new owners and in a number of places forcibly seized them. The law of December 5, 1814 decided that the part of the confiscated lands that remained unsold would be returned to former emigrants 8 .

At this stage of the research work, it is worth turning directly to the source - Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables.

Victor Hugo was born in the city of Besancon in the family of a Napoleonic general. Hugo's mother, a devout Catholic, fanatically devoted to the House of Bourbon, broke up with her Bonopartist husband. Taking the upbringing of her son into her own hands, she tried to instill her views in him.

Les Misérables is one of Hugo's most remarkable creations. Depicting the life of various classes of French society - from the fall of Napoleon at Waterloo to the collapse of the July Monarchy - Hugo is a resolute champion of the people's rights to a happy and free life.

Description of work

The relevance of this topic is determined, first of all, by the fact that many questions about this period remain debatable. Therefore, it is interesting to analyze how these historical events are viewed by their contemporary and researchers.
Its significance follows from the relevance of the work. An attempt to compare views, to understand the discussions on the history of France during the Restoration is necessary to understand the essence of this phenomenon.

For thirty years. The French writer based the plot on two strictly opposite images of his era - a convict and a righteous man, but not in order to show their moral difference, but in order to combine them into a single essence of Man. Hugo wrote his novel intermittently. At the beginning, the plot twists and turns of the work were created, then it began to acquire historical chapters.

The French writer saw the main goal of Les Misérables as showing the path that both an individual and the whole society travels “from evil to good, from wrong to fair, from lies to truth. The starting point is matter, the end point is the soul. The central linking image of the novel - the convict Jean Valjean - embodies the inner realization of this idea.

The most "outcast" hero of the work goes through a difficult path moral development, which began for him with an unexpected meeting with the righteous Bishop of Digne - the seventy-five-year-old Charles Miriel. The pious old man turned out to be the first person who did not turn away from Jean Valjean, having learned about his past, sheltered him in his house, treated him as an equal, and not only forgave the theft of silverware, but also presented two silver candlesticks, asking him to use them with benefit for the poor. In the soul of the convict, hardened by hard work and constant injustice, an internal upheaval took place, which led him to the first stage of moral development - he began to lead an honest and pious lifestyle, taking up industrial production and taking care of their workers.

The second turning point in the fate of Jean Valjean was the case of Chanmatier. Rescuing an unknown person from hard labor and revealing incognito was given to the hero through a difficult internal struggle - Jean Valjean suffered all night, thinking about whether he should risk the well-being of an entire region for the sake of the life of one person, and if he stops at the last, will it not be testify to his excessive pride. The hero goes to meet fate without making any decision. He says his name at a court session, seeing in Shanmatya an ordinary narrow-minded old man who has no idea about what is happening around him.

The most tragic for Jean Valjean is the third stage of his spiritual development, when he refuses Cosette. Loving his named daughter with an all-consuming love that combines endless variety feelings (love for his daughter, sister, mother and, possibly, the Woman), he goes to the barricade of Chanvrerie Street, where he saves Marius from death - the same Marius whom he hates with fierce hatred, so that later he would not just give him the most precious what he has - Cosette, but also to tell about who he himself is.

The life of Jean Valjean begins after his release from hard labor. In the beginning, he learns to do good to people, then to sacrifice himself in the name of truth, then to give up what he loves more than anything in the world. Three refusals wealth, from himself and from earthly attachments - purify the soul of Jean Valjean, making it equal to the righteous Bishop of Digne and the Lord himself. The former convict passes away, reconciled with his soul, as it should be for a real Christian.

The complete opposite of Jean Valjean in the novel is police inspector Javert. Strictly following the letter of the law, he sees neither true kindness nor philanthropy around him until it concerns himself. An unexpected release granted to him by his worst enemy knocks Javert out of his usual rut of reverence for justice. He begins to think that there is something more in the world than the laws invented by people. Javert sees the existence of God so sharply that his soul, tormented by sins, does not have time to resist the revealed abyss of truth, and he commits suicide.

Eighteen years have passed since the release of Jean Valjean from hard labor until his death. The artistic time of the novel is not limited to October 1815 - the beginning of the summer of 1833. Hugo periodically immerses the reader in the past, talking about the Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815), about the history of the Petit Picpus monastery, about the development of the Paris sewer, then into the future when he talks about the Revolution of 1848, which grew out of the uprising of 1832.

The main setting of the novel is Paris, the point of intersection of all storylines - Gorbeau's shack, in which Thenardier ambushes Jean Valjean. The main and secondary characters of the novel, connected by kinship and event ties, do not always know about them: for example, Cosette does not recognize her former trustee in Thenardier, Gavroche does not recognize younger brothers in two babies, Jean Valjean, Thenardier and Javert alternately do not recognize each other. friend. The latter circumstance serves as the basis for the formation of many plot intrigues.

The adventurous beginning of "Les Misérables" is associated primarily with the image of Jean Valjean. The psychologism of the novel is also manifested in this character. Cosette and Marius are the heroes of a romantic warehouse: their characters almost do not change throughout the story, but their main feature is love for each other. The heroes of the Parisian bottom - the Thenardier family, the gangster community "Cock's Hour", the street boy Gavroche - are connected with the naturalistic main work. In Les Misérables, Hugo is equally good at both conveying the inner experiences of the characters and a detailed description of rooms, buildings, streets, and landscape panoramas.

The love theme in the novel is closely related to the theme of death: the loving Marius Eponina invites him to the barricades, preferring to see the hero dead than belonging to another woman, but in the end she surrenders and dies, saving the life of her beloved; Marius goes to the barricades because he cannot live without Cosette; for the same reason Jean Valjean follows him. As befits romantic characters, the characters have little contact with reality - they are at the mercy of their feelings and do not see other ways of developing the situation, except to "be with a loved one" here and now or die.

The heroes "rejected" by society finally leave it at the moment of the highest internal upsurge of the lower strata of society: the former church warden Mabeuf gives his life, hoisting the banner of the Revolution on the barricade, Gavroche dies, collecting cartridges for the rebels, "Friends of the ABC" die for the sake of a brighter future for all mankind.

In the novel by L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" much attention is paid to the author's views on problems, primarily moral ones, related to the war of 1812. The crossing over the Neman is the beginning of the war. In the army of Napoleon were Polish troops, and they had to start a war with Russia. That is why, in order to arouse in them a surge of love for his person, Napoleon puts on a Polish uniform and, “unexpectedly for everyone and contrary to both strategic and diplomatic considerations,” orders an offensive. Tolstoy describes Napoleon with irony, this is expressed not only in the description of appearance, but also in the use

Russia in the 18th century did not know a philosopher equal to Radishchev in breadth and depth of mind. With the consistency and versatility of a scientist, he reviewed and subjected to devastating criticism in "Journey ..." the entire autocratic-feudal social system that brings grief to the people. "Journey ...", comprehensive in its coverage of the facts of Russian life, was, as it were, a code of critical anti-monarchist and anti-serfdom statements. With his inherent analytical depth, Radishchev highlighted the connection between such phenomena as the decline in the morality of the people and the depravity of the upper classes (“the lower ones become infected from the upper ones, and from them the language

Ostap and Andriy are the blues of the main character in M. Gogol's novel "Taras Bulba". Stinks mayzhe one-year-old, young, duzhі lads. Started at the Kiev Academy. Ostap ice is not from the childhood of dreams about Zaporizhka Sich, a sprig of times throwing a lesson, and only the threat of the father to make him a monk for twenty years made him grow up with a summative study. For the vdachey vіn buv suvorim, not forgiving the image. Batkovi said in silence: “I won’t be surprised at the image and I won’t call on anyone.” Andriy climbed easily, being a mrіynik, appreciating beauty, not being a woman. Lower vіn buv і to the mother. Know once lad

One of the main works of the French writer of the 19th century is the book, but popularity came to him much earlier, after the publication of the first novel, Notre Dame Cathedral. Victor Hugo is not like other authors of the era of romanticism, in his work there is an interest in social themes and problems of the differentiation of society.

The main thing about the work

One of the main themes is the fate of people who were rejected by society against their will. The volume of the work is considerable, depending on the publisher, the number of volumes can be two or three. The book is distinguished by contrasts between philosophical reflections, lyrical digressions, dramatic plot and historical facts.

Victor Hugo draws a parallel between two completely different images - a convict and a righteous man. The purpose of the author is not to show readers the differences between them, but to highlight in this way a single human essence.

The main characters of the novel "Les Miserables"

The protagonist is Jean Valjean, a former convict who ended up behind bars for stealing bread for his hungry nephews. From the first pages, the author raises the question of the fault of the state in Valjean's misconduct. Hugo believes that a person shows his essence only in difficult life situations.

Another main character is the orphan Cosette, who was the victim of inappropriate and inhuman treatment by her adoptive parents.

The main character Fantine is suspected of prostitution. Because of bad rumors, the girl was expelled from her place of work, society began to despise her and her little daughter. The opinions of the people changed Fantine forever. Now she has no other choice but to go outside.

Issues

In his work, Victor Hugo reveals an interesting idea: a society that despises a person for his past only dooms him to even greater torment compared to those that he managed to overcome.

Main issue.

ABSTRACT
ON THE TOPIC OF:
"Les Misérables" by V. Hugo

PLAN


3. Used literature

1. Features of writing the novel "Les Misérables" by V. Hugo
The novel "Les Misérables" ("Les Miserables"), to which Victor Hugo gave more than twenty years of his life, undoubtedly ranks first among all his novels.
The idea of ​​creating a large social novel dedicated to the disadvantaged arose in Hugo even before the exile. He began to write it under the original title "The Poor" ("Miseres") in the mid-40s, but interrupted his work in connection with the events that began with the February Revolution of 1848.
Even then - in the first version - the author conceived and created the central images of the poor people rejected by society: a convict whose crime was that he stole bread in order to feed the hungry children of his sister and mother, who was forced to sell her teeth, hair and body in order to pay for the maintenance of your child.
In exile, Hugo took with him the unfinished manuscript of Les Misérables. However, after the turbulent events of political life, which the writer was captured during the next decade, when he protested so ardently against the crimes of Louis Bonaparte, creating fiery pamphlets and poems of "Retribution", the first edition of the novel could no longer satisfy him.
Resuming work on The Dispossessed in 1860, he sought to embody in the novel the philosophical and moral ideas that he had developed in recent years. Now "Les Misérables" is becoming not only a denunciatory work, but also a novel that asked the most important question for Hugo of that time about the meaning of kindness and mercy for the social and moral revival of mankind.
At the same time, Hugo introduces large historical, journalistic and philosophical sections into his new novel, adding epic proportions to it.

2. The main motives of the novel "Les Misérables", the main images
"Les Misérables" is a real polyphonic novel with many themes, motives, ideological and aesthetic plans, where a big picture of people's life is given and where the Paris of the poor, the Paris of the miserable and gloomy slums appears before the reader against the backdrop of major political events. French history the beginning of the 19th century: the disasters at Waterloo, the fall of the Restoration and the July Monarchy, the popular revolutionary battles of the 30s and 40s. From reality and the history of the main characters of the novel.
The image of Jean Valjean arose from the writer in connection with the trial of a certain Pierre Morin, who, like the hero Hugo, was sent to hard labor for stealing bread. Studying this process, acquainting himself with the existing criminal code, visiting Parisian prisons, Hugo notes two points in this, which sharply clogs his question: firstly, the crime is the theft of bread, which confirmed the writer’s conviction that the cause of crime is not rooted in corruption but in the poverty of the people; secondly, the fate of a person who returned from hard labor and who is being driven from everywhere, and therefore does not have the opportunity to return to an honest working life. Hugo introduced all this into the biography of his protagonist, adding an artistically convincing form to these problems.
It is with the advent of "Les Misérables" that the endless debate about the change in Hugo's artistic method of the second period is connected. Many scholars insist that Les Misérables is a realistic novel. Indeed, elements of realism are present in the novel. Thinking about the concept of the novel "Les Misérables", which corresponds to the writer's idea of ​​human life as a continuous change of light and darkness, one can find that, despite many features of realism, Hugo still remains a romantic both in his worldview and in his method.
Task moral lesson more important to him than realistic analysis. So he himself says at the end of the book that it has a much more important purpose than a reflection of real life. Understanding the world as a constant movement from evil to good, Hugo seeks to demonstrate this movement, emphasizing (often even contrary to the logic of real events) the obligatory victory of the good and spiritual principle over the forces of evil. The irreconcilable contrast between evil and good, darkness and light, which manifested itself in the characters of Hugo's characters in the first period of his work, is now complemented by a new motive: the recognition of the possibility of turning evil into good. "The book that lies before the eyes of the reader is from beginning to end, in general and in detail ... - the path from evil to good, from wrong to justice, from lies to truth, from night to day ... Starting point - matter, the final point - the soul. At the beginning - a monster, at the end - an angel, "writes Hugo. It is not for nothing that his novel opens with the book "The Righteous One", in the center of which is the romantic image of the Christian righteous man - Bishop Miriel.
It was in the image of the bishop, which played a decisive role in the transformation of Jean Valjean's consciousness, that Hugo embodied his moral ideals: kindness, disinterestedness, wide indulgence towards human weaknesses and vices.
Hugo saw his task in reviving the moral ideals lost by a society in which the people were brought to a state of extreme poverty and lack of rights. This makes Hugo's novel not only accusatory, but also preachy - missionary, thanks to which "Les Miserables" in the West is often called the "modern gospel", as Hugo himself described it. The main theme of the rebirth of personality can be traced in the novel on the example of the protagonist - Jean Valjean.
A convict hardened by life, which before our eyes becomes an excellent highly moral person thanks to the good deed of Bishop Miriel, who treated him not as a criminal, but as a destitute creature that needs moral support.
The description that Hugo gives to his hero is quite realistic, but, being a romantic by nature, Hugo adds spectacular hyperbolic images to him: the eyes shine from under the eyebrows, "like a flame from under a pile of panties"; "There was something sinister about that figure." The transformation of the hero is also purely romantic, a transformation after a grand cleansing storm caused by the generous attitude of the bishop towards him.
The whole story of Jean Valjean, which is at the center of the novel Les Misérables, is built on dramatic clashes and sharp turns in the fate of the hero: Jean Valjean, who breaks window glass a bakery to take bread for my sister's hungry children, and was sentenced to hard labor for this; Jean Valjean, who is returning from hard labor and being chased from everywhere, even from the dog's booth; Jean Valjean in the bishop's house, from whom he tried to steal silver knives and forks and received them as a gift along with silver candlesticks; Jean Valjean, who has become an influential mayor of the city and dying Fantine, who begs to save her child; Jean Valjean in a collision with the "vigilant eye" of justice - Javert; Jean Valjean in the Champmatier case, which returns him to the position of a persecuted convict; the feat of Jean Valjean, who saves a sailor from the Orion warship, and his escape from hard labor in order to fulfill his promise to Fantine; Jean Valjean with baby Cosette in her arms, pursued by Javert through the dark streets and back streets of Paris, and an unexpected rescue in a convent on Picpus Street; then, a few years later, Jean Valjean in the thieves' den of Thenardier, alone against nine villains, bound by them and yet managed to free himself by cutting the ropes with the help of an old convict's coin; finally, Jean Valjean at the barricade, where he does not kill anyone, but saves the lives of two people: Marius and his pursuer Javert. The features of the psychologism of the novel "Les Misérables" consist mainly in the romantically exaggerated image of a cleansing storm, which shakes all foundations and all the usual worldview of a person.
By the cruel injustice that he had always experienced among people who were accustomed to hatred, Jean Valjean "vaguely realized that the mercy of the priest was the most powerful offensive, the most formidable attack that he had ever been subjected to ... that now a gigantic and decisive struggle ensued between his anger and the kindness of that person." This struggle is a struggle of sharp romantic contrasts, because we are talking about the transformation of a “monster” into an “angel”, about the pain that “excessively bright light causes the eyes of a person“ who came out of darkness. ”As a result of this shock, Jean Valjean becomes a completely different person. “There was something more than a transformation, - a transformation took place," says the author. Throughout the novel, Jean Valjean experiences several more spiritual crises, but they do not so much change as strengthen the personality of the hero in his positive qualities.
In the section with the characteristic title "Storm in the Soul", Hugo shows the second decisive turning point in the soul of Jean Valjean, that for many years he has been leading a respectful and respectable life under the name of Mr. Madeleine and suddenly finds out that some poor fellow was mistaken for the convict Jean Valjean and must to appear before the court.
What should a disciple of Bishop Miriel do? Jean Valjean does not so much think as he experiences painful "convulsions of conscience", "a storm, a whirlwind rages" in him, he asks himself, "he listens to the voices that come out" from the darkest recesses of his soul, "he" plunges into this night, as in the abyss". And again at the heart of this spiritual storm lies the struggle between light and darkness, because Jean Valjean has to choose between two poles: "stay in paradise and there turn into a devil" or "return to hell and become an angel there." Of course, he chooses the latter.
The next step in the moral development of Jean Valjean was his meeting with Cosette. The appearance of this young and defenseless creature in his life gave it a new meaning. He abandoned his social ideals, which he wanted to put into practice as mayor. He devotes his whole life to her, he never knew true love, for the first time he feels tenderness for this girl, and cherishes her love more than anything else. Being close to her is the main meaning of his new life. And that is why it is so painful for him to realize that he has no right to keep her in the monastery, where they both hid from the persecution of Javert. He is already far away old man, dreams of living out his days next to loving Cosette, but at the same time he understands that he has no right to "rob" the girl, to deprive her of the joys of worldly life, which she does not know. Having come to this conclusion, Jean Valjean immediately leaves the hospitable monastery, experiencing terrible mental anguish. An equally difficult exam is for Jean Valjean and a collision with a police inspector Javert, his antagonist. Javert was also created according to the method of contrast, but already with all that good and really human that Bishop Miriel taught the former convict. Javert represents the same inhuman "justice" that Hugo hates and denounces in his novel.
For Javert, the main thing is to "represent power" and "serve power." "This man consisted of two feelings - from respect for authority and hatred for rebellion," but Hugo, drawing the character of Javert, exaggerates these simple feelings and proves them almost to the point of grotesque. The clashes at the barricade of these two characters, personifying opposite conceptions of understanding justice, are perhaps one of the most dramatic moments of the novel.
Jean Valjean gains a spiritual victory over Inspector Javert. Thus, he is for him the same as Bishop Miriel was for himself. This kind of chain reaction of goodness (Bishop Miriel - Jean Valjean - Javert) is extremely important for the concept of the novel.
The author deliberately cites the faithful guardian of the law, Javert, who is not accustomed to reasoning, to the terrible thought for him that the convict Jean Valjean "turned out to be stronger than all public order." He even has to acknowledge the "moral nobility of the outcast", which was unbearable for him. So Javert loses ground under his feet. In it, as earlier in Jean Valjean, a decisive moral upheaval takes place. For up to now his ideal had been to be an impeccable servant of the law. However, goodness, according to Hugo, is above the law established by society. Therefore, it pushes Javert to the terrible discovery that "not everything is said in the code of laws," that "social order is not perfect," that "the law can be wrong," and so on. Everything that this man believed was crumbling. This internal catastrophe - the retreat of the forces of evil before good, which Jean Valjean carries in himself - leads Javert to suicide.
The people-loving position of Bishop Miriel, expressed by Jean Valjean, also clashes with the logic of the revolution, presented by Enjolras and his comrades. Two types of goodies who meet Hugo's moral criteria constantly emerge and meet in Les Misérables. One type includes active fighters and revolutionaries from the "Society of Friends of the ABC", the other - the righteous, who are guided in their lives by the principles of goodness and forgiveness. Such Bishop Miriel became Jean Valjean under his influence. The writer does not oppose these characters, but makes them allies, they seem to complement each other in that incessant movement of mankind, which Hugo calls progress and which he persistently preaches. Having inherited the moral ideas of the bishop, Jean Valjean makes them the basis of all life. Even once on the barricade, he does not participate in hostilities, but only tries to protect what they are fighting, having received an order to shoot his eternal pursuer Javert, who entered the barricade as a spy, he sets him free, continuing to believe that only kindness and mercy can influence per person. By this, of course, he goes against the ideas of the revolution (and for this he was sued in his time by Soviet critics).
In the sections devoted to the uprising, the figure of Jean Valjean with his ideas of mercy is naturally relegated to the background by the heroic images of Enjolras and Gavroche and the pathos of the revolution that inspires them. But when, at the tragic moment of the death of the barricade, Jean Valjean, having put the seriously wounded Marius on his shoulders, descends into the underground cesspool of Paris and, moving in the twilight, among the stream of sewage, risking his life dozens of times, nevertheless saves the young man from inevitable death - the attention of readers again switches to this man, embodying an unusual moral greatness.
No wonder this section is called "Dirt, defeated by the power of the soul." Hugo says of him that "streams of mud flowed from him, but his soul was full of an obscure light." The fact that Jean Valjean saves Marius does him credit. After all, he understands that it is this person who is the main obstacle to his happiness with Cosette. In the last period of his life, Jean Valjean dooms himself to loneliness, yielding to his beloved Cosette Marius and voluntarily withdrawing from her life so as not to interfere with her happiness, although this self-elimination kills him. This is the last and most difficult step in his life, which was the fault of the enthusiastic young people, but, unfortunately, too late. However, it can be said that Jean Valjean dies happy, as the righteous die, who realize that they have fully fulfilled their earthly duty.
In the views of Jean Valjean, the representative of the people, Hugo tried to reveal his point of view on the truly noble, humane behavior of a person, regardless of whether such a person is an entrepreneur or an employee.
So, along with the heroism of the struggle and revolution, Hugo in his novel sings of the heroism of moral greatness. This is the main credo of his novel. Marius also experiences moral evolution in the novel. Using his example, Hugo shows us the evolution of the consciousness of a young man of the Restoration era, once experienced by himself. It is a complex and multifaceted nature that plays important role in the concept of "Les Misérables". Describing the dramatic break of Marius with his grandfather, the old conservative Zhilnormand, and the "discovery" of his father, Colonel Pontmercy, who gave his life to serve the "Napoleonic sword", Hugo of the 60s, had long ago overcome the Bonapartist illusions of his youth, critically remarks that, "admiring genius, "Marius at the same time admired brute force." Marius, in love with Cosette, Marius, whose intimate diary is a typical example of romantic lyricism, is very close to romantic heroes from Hugo's dramas of the 30s. However, the author puts this romantic hero here in a real setting and compels to join the advanced political movements his time. He brings him to the "Society of Friends of the Alphabet" and makes him one of the heroic defenders of the June barricade.
Following Enjolras, Marius comes from idealizing the Empire to defending the republican barricades. In the image of Marius, with his gradual ideological maturation under the influence of a specific life situation, the author of Les Misérables absorbed especially clear lessons of realism into his work in the second half of the century.
Marius is also one of the successive characters created by Hugo. He, an active defender of the barricade, seems to completely forget about the ideological searches of his youth and the heroism of the barricades, as soon as he returns to his respectable bourgeois family, for which A.I. Herzen called Marius "a typical representative of the generation, abomination." His spiritual insensitivity does not speak in his favor, he willingly believes that Jean Valjean is a runaway convict, and one must stay away from him. It is only by chance that he learns the truth and is carried away by the spiritual greatness of this man. "Everything that is courageous, virtuous, heroic, holy in the world - everything is in it!" Marius exclaims with delight. The antipodes of Jean Valjean, Fantini and other positive characters of the novel are the Thenardier family. Initially, being in a better position than Jean Valjean, that is, having the opportunity to live by honest work, Thenardier descends from the owner of a tavern to a beggar bandit and entails both his wife and daughters. Only Yeponina was able to rise above them under the influence of her love for Marius. Also, little Gavroche is not at all like his parents, most likely because they did not raise him. He is perhaps the only one of the Thenardiers who can be classified as positive heroes, not counting his brothers, but they are still too small, although they also begin to develop towards the best, under the influence of Gavroche. The novel "Les Misérables" almost instantly gained immense fame throughout the world. It was translated into many languages, all advanced people read to them. His main characters, with all their skillful, detailed, realistic reproduction, were nevertheless perceived not so much as people, but as symbols: the convict Jean Valjean embodied the spiritual nobility of the common people, the unhappy Fantine - the sacrifice of motherhood, Bishop Miriel - infinite mercy, the revolutionary Enjolras - heroism and rebellious impulse to overthrow the kingdom of injustice. That is why Flaubert and Baudelaire unanimously said about the novel: "There are no human beings there." There was some truth in this statement; Les Misérables tells of exceptional human natures, some of which are higher than ordinary people in kindness and nobility, others are lower in cruelty and meanness, such as, for example, the marauder - tavern keeper Thenardier. Apparently, it was precisely in this exaggeration, in this excess, that Hugo's romanticism manifested itself. However, his exaggerations are justified, because his characters are endowed with noble real feelings. Hugo was unsuccessfully fond of Miriel, he was unsuccessfully fond of Jean Valjean. He was horrified, but quite sincerely respected Javert. The sincerity of the author, the scale of the images - a great combination for romantic art. There is enough vital truth in Les Misérables to give the novel the necessary credibility. The novel abounded not only with elements of real life, but also historical material played an important role in it. Of course, the task of reviving moral ideals was not the prerogative of romantic writers alone. It is no coincidence that one of the French researchers, Andre le Breton, noticed that Hugo's novel is approaching the highly inspired Russian novel, especially the work of L.N. Tolstoy. This affinity, which consists in the persistent search for moral models, characteristic of both Hugo and the author of "War and Peace", is confirmed by Tolstoy's own review, which he considered "Les Misérables" best novel all French literature of the 19th century.

Literature:
1. Evnina E.M. Victor Hugo. - Moscow: Nauka, 1976. -215p.
2. Treskunov M. Victor Hugo: Essay on creativity. - Moscow: Goslitizdat, 1954. - 421p.
3. Safronova N.N. Victor Hugo. - Moscow: Education, 1989. - 176s.
4. Morua A. Olympio, or the life of Victor Hugo / Per. from fr. N. Nemchinova N. Treskunova. - Moscow: Book, 1982. - 416s. eleven