The wretched

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Depiction of "Cosette" by Émile Bayard , from the original edition of Les Misérables (1862)

The misery (French: Les Misérables ) is a novel by Victor Hugo , which he finished in 1862 in the Hauteville House in Guernsey in exile. In the same year he was at A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven & Ce. (Paris) relocated. It is a literary work from the Romantic era .

content

The French society is described from the time of Napoleon to that of the citizen king Louis Philippe . The plot thus extends over the period of 17 years between 1815 and 1832. The focus is on the former Bagno convict Jean Valjean. After 19 years of imprisonment for stealing a piece of bread by burglary (vol par effraction) and for four attempts to escape, he is a person who has been branded by society and hardened inside. Through his encounter with the Bishop of Digne , M. Myriel, a very kind-hearted pastor who lets him experience kindness, he is converted - after a brief and quickly repented theft from a Savoyard - and becomes a morally good person. Under the name of M. Madeleine, Valjean earned an education, wealth and reputation, he even became mayor and manufacturer in Montreuil .

There he also meets Fantine, an impoverished young grisette who has been abandoned by a student named Felix Tholomyès with her little daughter Cosette. In order not to be accused of immorality , she gives it to the greedy innkeeper Thénardier to look after and works hard in Montreuil-sur-Mer in order to be able to meet his ever increasing demands for money. Ultimately, it is revealed that she has a child and she is kicked out of the factory. Fantine first sells her blonde hair and incisors and eventually becomes a prostitute. After being attacked by a man, she is falsely taken away by Inspector Javert, a police spy. During her interrogation, she is rescued by Jean Valjean, who realizes that she has pneumonia; he takes her to the hospital. Valjean promises Fantine to bring back her daughter Cosette.

But when an innocent man named Champmathieu is charged with being the former inmate Valjean in hiding, he reveals himself and loses everything he built. Fantine dies of shock when Valjean is arrested by Inspector Javert at her sickbed. Valjean is able to escape from his renewed detention in Toulon on the ship Orion by faking his death. His purpose in life is now his fatherly love for Cosette, which he freed from Thénardier's clutches. For a long time the two lived, perfectly happy, hidden in Paris . Jean Valjean was able to save his fortune and under the adopted name Fauchelevent becomes a well-known benefactor.

In the third part we get to know the revolutionary student Marius Pontmercy. He grew up with his conservative grandfather and studied law. After learning more about him because of the death of his father, a former general under Napoleon, he developed a deep respect for his father. He left Marius a letter with instructions to do everything in his power for a certain Thénardier, since he had saved him at the Battle of Waterloo. In truth, Thénardier robbed Marius' father back then. Marius changes his political mind and leaves home because of an argument with his grandfather about politics. He lives next to the Thénardiers, but he doesn't know. Marius falls in love with Cosette, whom he sees on regular walks in the Luxembourg Gardens, but he doesn't know where she lives. Eponine, the daughter of the Thénardiers, who is secretly in love with him, tells him that Cosette lives in the house Rue Plumet. Marius writes Cosette a long love letter and the two meet regularly in the garden on Rue Plumet. Valjean doesn't know anything about it at first.

When Thénardier learns where Valjean lives, he decides to rob him with his gang. He fails because Javert saves Valjean without knowing who he saved. Valjean flees from Javert.

When Valjean notices Cosette's affection for Marius, he sees the only thing he claims for himself in his altruism , threatens and wants to flee to England with Cosette. Marius, who sees no reason to go on living without Cosette, takes part in the June uprising of 1832 in Paris with his friends (the Friends of the ABC, who are organized in a club) and fights on the barricades in the hope of finding death there. He is wounded in the process, but Valjean finds out and, out of love for Cosette, saves her lover by taking him through the sewer - without Marius knowing (he has passed out). During the revolution, Valjean also saves the police informer Javert, who is so shaken in his sense of law and order that he commits suicide. During the uprising, every revolutionary, Gavroche, a street boy who joined the revolution, and Eponine, who saves Marius by catching a bullet with her body, also die. Enjolras, the leader of the revolutionaries, is the last to be shot with Grantaire, who slept during the whole fight because of his drunkenness.

After the failed revolution, Marius is treated in the house of his grandfather, who actually loved Marius with all his heart. After Marius recovered, he immediately married Cosette.

After the wedding of Cosette and Marius, Jean Valjean reveals his true identity as a former prisoner to his son-in-law Marius, whereupon Marius tries to keep him away from Cosette, which causes the already very old man to become desperate. When Marius - ironically through an attempt by Thénardier to slander Valjean and thereby obtain money for a trip to America - learns what kind of person Valjean really is, he wants to apologize. Marius and Cosette arrive almost too late: they find Valjean on his deathbed. Valjean is buried in a poor cemetery.

Characters

main characters

  • Jean Valjean, aka Madeleine

Jean Valjean is the central figure in the story. As a poor farmer, he stole bread and broke a window to support his family, whereupon he was sentenced to four years in the Bagno of Toulon. His attempts to escape extend the prison sentence to a total of 19 years. When he is released again, he is an inwardly bitter person who has sworn vengeance on the system. He feels shaken by the system all his life. In Digne he first experiences the whole rejection and distrust of the people and finally becomes a morally thinking and good person through the bishop, who, contrary to all his expectations, welcomes the former convict openly and kindly. Valjean, who had reached a low point in his life and whose hope for freedom and a legal new beginning had been dashed by the cold-heartedness of the people, experiences the whole goodness of the bishop and takes this as an example. After a small relapse, he begins a new life, as the bishop advised him to do. He himself discovers a new and better production method for Jett and with this knowledge founds an industrial site in Montreuil-sur-Mer and becomes a wealthy benefactor and even a mayor. He takes the name Madeleine so that no one will recognize him. At this point he experiences his maximum social recognition. When he saves someone's life in a cart accident, Javert believes he recognized him as Valjean. But someone else has already been found in Paris who is suspected of being Valjean, which Javert tells "Madeleine". He cannot allow someone else to be thrown into misery for his sake and reveals himself. At this point it becomes evident that he is now putting someone's life above the city's economic success. He couldn't live with that guilt. He also feels responsible for Fantine and flees the police to find her daughter Cosette. It becomes his only purpose in life. When the two of them flee to Paris, Valjean's good deed pays off. Although the small family first lived in a nunnery, they moved to a house in the city to give Cosette the choice of what kind of life to lead. Here and later Valjean puts his own needs behind those of his adopted daughter and tries to act in such a way that she becomes happy. When he, known as a benefactor, is robbed by Thenardier and rescued by Marius, he flees the police because he does not want to risk any controls. He keeps trying to escape the past and she keeps catching up with him in the form of Thenardier and Inspector Javert. Although he has always done everything for Cosette, he first wants to separate her from Marius. It is only when it is almost too late that he can acknowledge that Cosette is no longer a small child and wants to go her own way. He saves Marius from the barricade for her and surrenders himself to Javert, knowing that Marius will be there for Cosette and that he has to give up his purpose in life, so to speak (Javert, however, commits suicide). During the fight at the barricade, he asks to be allowed to shoot Javert, but saves him because he does not feel any feelings of revenge, although the latter had always persecuted him because he was only fulfilling his duty as a servant of the state. After the wedding, he reveals his true identity to Marius. He has legally fabricated everything in such a way that the marriage of the two is secured even in the event of Valjean's arrest. What he hides, however, is the rescue of Marius, knowing full well that Marius would now try to avoid contact. He wants to accept Cosette's new life and distances himself more and more from her, which makes Valjean very sick. Finally, he forgives the two of them when they visit him on his deathbed.

  • Javert.

Javert is the son of a prisoner and a fortune teller, but he hates criminals. He works quickly up the police hierarchy and is like the shadow of the past that regularly catches up with Valjean. His supreme allegiance is to the law and the Bible, not to his conscience. According to his thinking, there are only good or bad people in the world, whoever has broken the law once will do it again. He stands behind the state with all his heart and would never doubt the correctness and God's will of the situation. He persecutes criminals with the utmost severity, even if, as with Valjean, the crime was long ago. In the June revolution he is used as a mole against the revolution. When he is exposed and a hostage exchange is impossible, the revolutionaries want to shoot him. He does not offer any resistance or shows willingness to cooperate and always treats the revolutionaries with contempt because they attack his view of the world and his loyalty to the state. After Valjean asks to be allowed to shoot him, he hopes that his prejudices will be fulfilled. When he lets him escape, his view of the world is already shaken. Later he meets Valjean, who carries the passed out Marius and surrenders himself to him with the request that the boy be brought home and helps him to bring him to his grandfather. At this moment Javert helps members of the two groups that he sometimes despises most: criminals and revolutionaries. He lets Valjean go. His moral conflict reaches its climax here. He himself is indebted to a criminal, his conscience runs counter to the law. He sees no other way out except suicide: He throws himself into the Seine.

  • Fantine.

Fantine is a pretty grisette who lives in Paris. She has no family, nobody knows who brought her into the world. She comes from Montreuil-sur-mer. She falls head over heels in love with the student Felix Tholomyes, who eventually leaves her with a 2 year old child named Cosette. She can never quite shed the lifestyle she was used to back then. In order not to be accused of immorality, she gives Cosette Thenardier over, even though she loves her daughter above all else. She returns to Montreuil-sur-mer to work there. Ultimately, it is revealed that she has a child; she is kicked out of the factory. She becomes impoverished and in order to meet the Thenardiers' demands for money, she sells her incisors and hair, eventually becoming a prostitute . With the loss of her beauty she loses her hope, pride and will to live. One night she is molested by a man. He puts snow in her back, which makes her very sick. Fantine attacks the man. Suddenly the police informer Javert arrives and arrests Fantine. She is about to be put in jail, but Valjean comes and takes her to the hospital. Only the hope that she will see her child again keeps her alive. She is actually very cheerful. When Valjean returns, he claims that he brought Cosette back to keep her in good shape. When Valjean, whom she would never have suspected of lying, is arrested by Javert, she dies of shock.

  • Cosette, actually euphrasia.

Cosette is the daughter of Fantine and Felix Tholomyes. When she was two years old, Felix Tholomyes, the father, left. Her mother Fantine leaves her with the landlord Thenardier in order not to be charged with immorality. There she is treated horribly. Every morning she has to get up extremely early and clean (see picture). That is why the locals call it the Lark . One day she has to go out into the forest alone to fetch water. She is very scared. She is saved by Valjean, who takes her in. Together they go to a monastery in Paris, but Valjean leaves it to show her that she doesn't necessarily have to join the nuns there. One of her most important qualities is the innocence in which she makes her decisions. She lives her life in prosperity and happiness and transforms from a scared little girl to a lively young woman. Even before Marius notices her, she feels drawn to him. Finally the two come together, which Valjean does not know at first. She doesn't know anything about Valjean's past and doesn't understand the gap that separates Marius and Valjean. She wishes to be able to lead a life with both of them, whereby Marius is becoming more and more important to her. When he is badly wounded, she worries terribly and takes care of him. After his recovery, he and Cosette get married. Valjean now reveals himself to Marius as a former convict. That's why Marius wants to keep him away from Cosette. Cosette is sad, but before that she has become more and more estranged from her adoptive father. When Marius learns that Valjean saved him from the barricade, he visits him with Cosette - almost too late. Valjean is on his deathbed. She does not want to admit his imminent death.

  • Marius Pontmercy.

Marius Pontmercy is a handsome lawyer and in the course of the story marries Cosette. He spends his youth with his grandfather, who in his opinion does not love him. First of all, he also shares his royalist opinion. At the age of 17 he was sent to his father, who was on his deathbed. Marius no longer sees him alive and hardly feels any grief, but he receives a letter asking him to help someone named Thenardier with all his might. He is very straightforward in his opinion: once he has an opinion or a goal or has gained an impression of a person, it takes a really good reason for him to change it. However, he always follows his conscience. All of this shows when he learns that the only reason he didn't know his father was because his grandfather threatened disinheritance. However, his father sometimes looked at his son behind a pillar in the church and cried. Marius immediately changes his mind about him and develops an admiration for his father, visits his grave and becomes a Bonapartist democrat. He is a dreamer and a bit shy and shy, has few friends and no contact with girls until he meets Cosette. He makes a living after quarreling with his grandfather, finishes his law degree and learns German and English to earn a living translating texts. He initially refuses a permanent job because he wants to keep his personal freedom. His best friend is Courfeyrac, who introduces him to the ABC friends. He does not enter, but still becomes friends with most of the organization. He falls in love with Cosette, but doesn't know where she lives. He hires Eponine, for whom he feels sorry and who he tries to help find Cosette. She finds her and Marius and Cosette have six happy weeks together. Cosette becomes his only purpose in life. When she suddenly has to move to England, he no longer sees any meaning in his life. Since the uprising against Louis Philippe is breaking out, he joins his friends in the barricade fight. Unlike Enjolras, who tries to sell his life as dearly as possible, he fights openly. He wants death. But he is only badly wounded and finally rescued by Valjean. After six months he can marry Cosette. Now Valjean reveals his true identity, which is why Marius keeps him away from Cosette. Marius learns that Valjean saved him because Thenardier tried to slander Valjean. He arrives at Valjean almost too late - he's on his death bed.

  • Eponine.

Eponine is the eldest daughter of the Thenardiers. As a child, she was extremely spoiled by her parents, along with her younger sister, Azelma. The next time you meet her in the novel, she's a poor kid. Now she helps her father to earn money with forged letters. They are the neighbors of Marius, with whom she falls in love. When Marius asks if she could find Cosette, it makes her sad because she now knows that Marius doesn't love her. Her father is now trying to rob Valjean, but fails. The whole family goes to jail. Eponine and Azelma will be released after two weeks. Eponine now finds out where Cosette lives and tells Marius. She watches him and Cosette meet. Thenardier and his gang suddenly arrive and try to murder Valjean. She drives them away with a scream. Now Cosette tells that she has to go to England with her father. Marius is shocked. Eponine tells him that the revolution has started and since Marius no longer sees any sense in going on, he joins the revolution. Eponine disguises herself as a worker and comes with me. On the barricade she saves Marius' life by catching a bullet. She dies in the process.

  • Gavroche.

The neglected son of the Thenardiers. He lives in the large elephant statue in Paris and takes care of his two younger brothers for a short time without knowing who they are. He joins the revolution and dies trying to collect bullets.

  • Bishop Myriel

The very kind-hearted Bishop of Digne. It lights up Valjean and is affectionately called Bienvenue by the Digne locals . He goes blind and dies in 1821. Valjean mourns him and says he used to be a servant to his family. It may have been inspired by Bienvenue de Mollis.

The Friends of Abc

The Friends of Abc are a revolutionary student organization. In French the name is a play on words, because if you pronounce Abc quickly you hear abaisse , which in French means the oppressed. Marius is not in the organization, but is a good friend of them. All members die at the barricade.

  • Enjolras.

The charismatic, young and handsome leader of the organization. He uses all his time for progress. Along with Grantaire, he is the last to die during the revolution.

  • Bahorel.

A loner with a rural background. He is the first to die in the revolution.

  • Combeferre

He represents the philosophy of the revolution and enhances and complements Enjolras.

  • Courfeyrac.

He is compared to Felix Tholomyes but is honorable and loyal. He is Marius' best friend.

  • Feuilly.

An orphan who makes fans . He taught himself to read and write. He is the only worker in the organization. He is interested in history and foreign policy, especially in Poland.

  • Grantaire, aka R.

A skeptic who doesn't believe in the revolution. He's mostly in the Friends of ABC because he really likes its members. He's ugly and an alcoholic. He slept through most of the revolution, but in the end explains himself in part and is shot together with Enjolras.

  • Jean Prouvaire, alias Jehan.

A student with an interest in languages ​​and poetry. He is a calm person and good about everything.

  • Joly, aka Jolllly

A hypochondriac medical student. The happiest of the ABC friends.

  • Lesgle, aka L'Aigle (The Eagle), aka Bossuet

A college student who was bald at 25. Although he's out of luck, he has a great sense of humor . He doesn't have a house, which is why he often lives with friends.

Others

  • Chaumpmathieu, a wheel that appears because he may be Valjean.
  • Azelma, Eponine's sister.
  • Baptistine Myriel, sister of Bishop Myriel. She worships her brother.
  • Bamatabois, the one who molested Fantine.
  • Brevet, a former prisoner in Toulon. He is a witness at the Chaumpmathieu trial.
  • Little Gervais, a Savoyard who Valjean robs before he becomes morally good.

Classification and interpretation

The plot is wide-spread - basically it is a political-ethical novel in the guise of a love and adventure novel.

In addition to the fate of individuals, the Paris uprising in June 1832 is at the center of the novel. Hugo portrays him with clear sympathy for the rebellious republicans. At the barricade, all the positive main and secondary characters of the novel come together, almost as if it were a duty of decency to participate in the uprisings. The figure of the heroically portrayed Parisian street boy Gavroche is particularly memorable, its counterpart is the abysmally bad innkeeper Thénardier and his family. Both Gavroche and Thénardier appear again and again in the course of the novel and have a strong influence on the course of the plot. One punch line of the novel is that Gavroche is Thénardier's neglected son.

Hugo, who describes the existence of the lower class very precisely, sees an important contribution to the solution of the social question in the establishment of the republic. At the same time, he repeatedly shows how misery can be eliminated or alleviated through ethical action by individuals. The novel was received very positively by many readers. Through his choice of topics and language, he made a significant contribution to the development of realistic literature in the 19th century. Most of the German translations of the novel are abbreviated, presumably because of its wealth of historical allusions and its frequent use of " Argot ", the French Gossens language.

Translations into German (selection)

reception

The wretched was included in the ZEIT library of 100 books .

Adaptations

musical

The accompanying musical Les Misérables comes from the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and the lyricist Alain Boublil . The premiere of the first shorter version took place on September 17, 1980 in Paris, the current longer version took place on October 8, 1985 in London.

Film adaptations

The story was made into a film very often:

Comic

  • 1949–1952 / 1979: Les Misérables at Les Editions Mondiales / Transit
  • 1981: Les Misérables at Dynamisme Presse Edition
  • 1982: Les Misérables near Mengès
  • 1990: The secret of the silver candlesticks ( Funny paperback , volume 143) at Ehapa
  • 1995: Les Misérables at Droit d'Ecrire
  • 2010: Les Misérables by Glénat (publisher) in Les Incontournables de la littérature en BD
  • 2011: Les Misérables at Soleil Manga

theatre

  • 1967: Gavroche , play in six pictures (based on motifs by Victor Hugo) by Peter Ensikat , published by Henschelverlag Kunst u. Ges., Stage Sales Department, Berlin (GDR)
  • 2006: Les Misérables , play by Cornelia Wagner, published by Deutsches Theaterverlag, Weinheim
  • 2008: Gavroche (based on Hugo's figure from Les Misérables ) by Veronique Hofmann
  • 2011: Les Misérables , Bern German open-air play by Ueli Bichsel based on the novel by Victor Hugo, performed on the Münsterplatz in Bern

radio play

Audio book

  • The Südwestfunk (today SWR) produced an unabridged, 57-hour reading with Gert Westphal from 1991–1994 ; it was published in 2013 by Audio Verlag, Berlin.

Web links

Commons : Les Misérables  - album with pictures, videos and audio files