Comparing The Crucible, And Les Miserables

The text and film adaptation of The Crucible complement each other, catching the essence of Arthur Miller’s central themes and messages. Although the film reiterates the theme and the basis of the play, there are many differences to contrast. The film featured scenes that were merely referenced in the text, allowing the audience to fully grasp the storyline. These additions are also necessary to convey emotions and accentuate important attributes of the characters.

Arthur Miller wrote the play, The Crucible, in 1952 and the movie in 1996. The story is historical fiction depicting the Salem witch trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692-1693. The movie and the play have obvious differences, however the movie does not stray too far from the original play. The main character, Abigail, in an attempt to steal the love of John Proctor, weaves a web of lies and leads the community to believe that there are witches among them. Ultimately this leads to the trials and hangings of several good people in the village, including John Proctor. The main differences between the movie and play are displayed in plot, setting, and characterization.

Jean Valjean went through the ultimate self-sacrifice, giving up everything he had in life, which was Cosette; he decided to give her to her lover Marius. He had watched and knew that Marius was in love with her. He found him at the barricades and saved him. “Jean Valjean, in the thick cloud of combat, did not appear to see Marius; the fact is that he did not take his eyes from him. When a shot struck down Marius, Jean Valjean bounded with the agility of a tiger, dropped upon him as a prey, and carried him away” (Hugo 389). He saved Marius so he could save Cosette; he rid himself of his protective bond for her benefit. He sacrificed what he wanted most, to give her what she needed. Although he had never experienced a happy life, and no one ever sacrificed for him, he sacrificed his well-being, money and heart to keep a promise.

In the everyday live one repeatedly meets people who turn out to have a two-faced personality. In both The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, and The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, we get to know characters with split character traits. While The Crucible is a play and The Scarlet Letter a novel, both works have several points in common even though in the stories they tell they are so very different. Both of these literary works are set in the early days of the Massachusetts colony around the mid 1700’s. In this time period many citizens of both Salem in The Crucible and Boston in The Scarlet Letter were highly religious. So if anything happened that was not able to be solved with a believable explanation, the citizens believed

The protagonist’s transformation begins when the bishop recognizes Jean Valjean’s human soul that is capable of goodness. When he is put out into the streets, Valjean goes from place to place being rejected for being a convict until he meets the bishop who sees him as a common person, “That men saw his mask, but the bishop saw his face”(75). Even though people might be good, they don’t always see someone’s true soul. The bishop’s simple act of kindness and deeper understanding

His devotion to the law goes past mere morals, rivalling the revolutionary leader Enjolras’ devotion to the Revolution - like Enjolras, he does not take a wife or have children. By giving Valjean a child but not Javert, Hugo enforces the idea that love is higher than law. He spends a decent amount of time tracking down Valjean to bring him back into custody; in this time, a second offense would result in death. Javert’s turning point comes during and immediately after the insurrection of June 5-6, 1832. Javert is captured by the student revolutionaries, who wish to spare him until the moment that one of their friends, Jehan Prouvaire, is shot by the National Guard. Enjolras turns to Javert and says, “Your friends have just shot you,” sealing his fate. Javert fully expects to be killed at the barricades, and even more so when Valjean himself arrives to save Marius Pontmercy, the young man who is courting his daughter. As payment for saving the barricade, Enjolras allows Valjean to shoot Javert himself. Valjean not only lets Javert go, but tells Javert his address and says, “I do not think I shall escape from this place. But if by chance, I do, I live under the name of Fauchelevent, in the Rue de l’Homme arm, No. 7.” Valjean knows to be an honest man he must not kill, and he must be truthful, and he does exactly this. When Javert finds him as Valjean emerges from the sewers with Marius after the fall of the barricades, Valjean still acts courteous to Javert, requesting to help save Marius’ life before turning himself in. Javert accompanies Valjean to Marius’ house, and then to Valjean’s home, before disappearing. After these events, Hugo describes Javert as his whole demeanor changing; “his whole person, slow and sombre, was stamped with anxiety.” The guilt of being shown compassion by a man who should have every reason to oppose Javert is too

When terrible things happen to good people there are two paths that can be traveled: forgiveness can be offered, or vengeance can be pursued. Madame Defarge from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, takes the latter of these two options and religiously lives by it, seeking revenge on the cruel heartless aristocracy plaguing France with famine, poverty, and oppression; however, the reasons behind her malice force the reader to understand why she performs such hateful acts during the French Revolution. Madame Defarge, though intelligent, is consumed by her hatred and has transformed into something just as bad, if not worse, than the members of the aristocracy.

This film uncovers the injustices of the treatment of juvenile offenders in France during that time. It was also written from inspiration from Truffaut’s own life. Screening Notes: Throughout this whole movie, there were many

Depending on the situation, I believe (most) people deserve a second chance if they have already “paid” for their mistake and they should not be discriminated against or outcasted by society. Jean Valjean is an example of someone who has paid for his mistake, but is still being served social injustice for a petty crime of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. He was judged for his crime over and over again. This is a prime example of social injustice. Social justice being “the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities” (Social Justice 1). Jean Valjean’s development as he struggles for redemption after his release from the

Fantine is a young woman who is a single mother. She works at a small factory to support her daughter but when all of the workers find out about her daughter they ask to kick her out because others don’t want trouble. Fantine than has no other option than to sell all her hair, two teeth and also her body for her daughter.

“When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law”, (Bastiat). In Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Misérables, a multitudinous of contrasts are used. The contrast of law vs morality is illustrated by Javert’s veneration to the law, Jean’s unjust imprisonment, Jean’s choice to save Champmathieu, and Jean’s change of moral values to show that true justice lies in mercy. To begin with, Javert’s veneration to the law is an example of when the law surmounts morality illustrating how true justice lies in mercy.

Under the Declaration of Rights, the foreman's action of discriminating Valjean would be legally protected because distinction based on virtue is permitted. However, the Declaration completely disregards the fact that Valjean was imprisoned for something he did in a hopeless situation. The society turned innocent people into hardened criminals because of their status. In Les Misérables, Hugo focuses on society's mistreatment of Valjean in order to show how society in nineteenth century France was defective because it took no notice of the morality of inevitable crime.

While most of the town seems to turn against Jean Valjean after his time in prison, the Bishop continues to forgive him and walks

Jean Valjean is a man who people perceive as a monster, who can never be a changed man and who will always be a criminal. We observe in Les Miserables Jean Valjean only became a criminal for the sake of feeding his sister’s children and was wrongfully imprisoned for 19 long and tortuous years. Now, with a life that can only be lived in despair, a name which is tainted with his criminal past, and with a only a few decades left of his life. Jean Valjean is homeless and unemployed. A man named “Monsieur Bienvenu” showed Jean Valjean the power of forgiveness and empathy, and a direct effect of this is the change Jean Valjean goes through. From what society classified as a completely destructive and barbaric man to one of the uttermost civilized and respected men in France, under the alias “Monsieur Madeleine”. As, Monsieur Madeleine he does an innumerable amount good deeds and gave so much back to the people that begged him to be mayor. “...that the king again appointed him mayor of the city. He refused again…” Les Miserables Pg. 57. If he stayed with the name society had left him with then, this would have never happened.

     The endless bills sent by the Thenardiers become so great, Fantine can barely support herself, because she sends all her money to Cosette. Eventually, the foreman of the factory learns Fantine has a daughter and no husband. Because of the society they live in, he and the other workers believe