Effects of Love in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Essay

The novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini introduces multiple cases in which society defines people as well as the novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. In Les Miserables, Cosette is introduced as the daughter of Fantine. She was given to the Thenardiers, a family who owned an Inn and treated her like a slave. Since a young age she was made to take the role of a grown women. She was saved by Jean ValJean, a formal criminal who changed his life.

Because love is universally perceived, everyone can relate to the author. The reader experiences a great deal of empathy and slight distress when Nicole, as well as Teague, goes through the experience and effects of her cancer. “Love wasn’t something I felt anymore,” Teague expresses, “It was something I did,” (281). This statement authenticates that he had the truest love for her. He validates this even more so by comforting and providing for Nicole through selfless actions during her sickness whereas others would have given up if the relationship did not attribute to real love. He proved his romantic love, a once inner feeling, through deeds that were physical and clearly apparent. A similar, yet different love, was further

From the moment on he dedicated his life solely to her, to protecting her from the sorrows of poverty. From that moment he could no longer be Jean Valjean, or Monsieur Madeleine, he had to start his life over once again and Cosette was all he had in it. He sacrificed in order to gain self-approval and the ability to forgive himself.

Yet it is not until Armand believes that Desiree is black that he fully dominates her simply by thinking that he is superior.  At this point, “when he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out” (317).  Armand feels that he is too superior to Desiree to devote his full attention to her.  Since he no longer expresses his love for Desiree, she feels further pushed into a slave-like position in the relationship, and, “was miserable enough to die” (318).

Desiree?s words show that her life depends on the race, notions, and social class of her husband and consequently, she feels obligated to obey his every desire. Desiree is presented as vulnerable to whatever Armand wants and tells her to do when she says, ?Do you want me to go?? (177). Desiree displays through her actions that in many ways, her happiness only comes from pleasing her husband. Therefore, Desiree must decide whether to live completely separate from Armand, or to live with him in constant fear and unpleasantness. Desiree achieves personal freedom and independence from Armand when ?she disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thing along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; she did not come back again? (177). It is not even an option and is unheard of that Armand, being a male holding a respectable background, could possibly be black. Consequently, Desiree feels compelled to leave because she wants to please him. When Desiree decides to kill herself and her child, she shows that she is sensitive and vulnerable to her husband?s thoughts and actions.

There is also a parental love for Juliet when lord Capulet is talking to Paris as he is very overprotective and wants to make sure that his daughter only gets the best. He is also trying to delay the marriage by saying it is better to wait a while.

As the sky continues mourning, tears are running down her face. She caresses her beloved's face and stabs her heart with a dagger, for she would rather die than be alive without the love of her life. Every human being goes through heartbreak and the joyus wonders of ‘true love.’ Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, is the perfect embodiment of both unrequited and romantic love. Paris trying to get the affection of Juliet and Romeo being so in love with Juliet are types of love that are very different but in a way alike.

Everyone needs someone to love and care for as well as someone who can return that love and care. When Cosette comes into Valjean’s life, it makes him feel something he didn’t feel in a long time, “When he saw Cosette, when he had taken her, carried her away, and rescued her, he felt his heart move” (123). At this point, she becomes more than just a girl but another symbol in Valjean’s

Love is defined as the intense feeling of deep affection. In the play, Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, the attraction between the two protagonists, Romeo and Juliet, does not factually classify as true love. Meanwhile, lust is a concept in which is commonly mistaken for love, which is very apparent throughout this classic “love story” of Romeo and Juliet. While others could debate that Romeo and Juliet’s love, was love at first sight, it is debateable that their feelings towards one another were pure lust. Romeo and Juliet are too immature to fully understand the concept of love as they are too young and hormone-driven, they were both in search for escapism from their present troubles, and they had an excessive amount of

Ever wondered how love can bring you happiness and pain and make you sane and crazy at the same time. How this emotion can change you and make you accept things you are not used to. How this emotion can overpower you in many ways in which you did not know existed. In Lancelot by Chretien de Troyes, the power of love is a commanding driving force that can dominate a person’s mind, body, and soul and one who is courageous enough to love sometimes undergoes serious consequences. Consequences that are driven from the power of love that harm and cause hardship to the one who is determined to seek love.

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

What is love? Is it an object? Is it a feeling? Is it even attainable? Love is everything, it is an object, it is an emotion, and it cannot be bought, stolen, given. Love can only be found. Love is discovered in the most unthinkable places during the most unimaginable times. It can never be predicted who you fall in love with or when you do but all you do know is that you are in love and you would give anything for that person, and for your love to always stay resilient through all other obstacles and distractions. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Montague’s and Capulet’s are know and expected to hate each other until the miracle of love presented its self. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet. They both fell in love when

Jean Valjean sacrificed much as he sought redemption. One of the first sacrifices that Jean Valjean makes is that of his identity, during the Champmathieu affair. As Monsieur Madeleine, Jean Valjean was a trusted official in a high position. He struggled with himself when he heard that the ‘real’ Jean Valjean had been caught: should he stay in M—sur m—where he was comfortable and popular, or do the right thing, remove a man from an undeserved galley life, and become a convict once more. When Madeleine revealed himself as Jean Valjean, he forever gave up that comfortable position of authority. He became a convict again – a wanted convict. He would now live out the rest of his life hiding, of not running, from the police. Jean sacrificed his safety. Saving Marius’ life by carrying him through the sewers also proved to be a sacrifice. Jean’s entire existence revolved around Cosette. She was what kept him on the track the bishop set him on. He adored her. He was devastated to learn that she was in love with Marius, yet he saved

Desiree has a genuine love for people. She is the wife of a slave owner but is saddened by the cruelty inflicted on the slaves by her husband. After the birth of her their son, Armand grows kinder and is not harsh to the slaves. She whispers to her mother “he hasn’t punished one of them, not one since the baby is born” (540). Desiree loves her husband unconditionally, despite his occasional negative behavior. She also loves her son despite the negative murmurings from others. She is an individual who loves others despite the ultimate betrayal from her husband, Armand. I can identify with Desiree because I am a person who loves family. I enjoy helping others, and sometimes my efforts go unappreciated. Loving others and providing assistance does not mean your efforts/deeds will be appreciated or reciprocated. I cannot change my personality or my desire to help others. My desire to help others is what makes me what I have become, a good man.

"True redemption is when guilt leads to good" (Khaled Hosseini). Not one person on earth is completely free from wrongs. Humans have lapses in judgement that can hurt them and others. Some people believe you can be redeemed and can put your wrongs behind you, these people are kind and generous. Others believe you have one chance to get it right, these people are often angry and judgmental. There are also those who believe that someone can't be redeemed, but begin to realize that people can change. By looking at the Bishop, Javert, and Jean Valjean and their actions it becomes clear that Les Miserables is a book about redemption coming to those who did wrongs in their past and the behaviors of those who believe and don't believe.