The Tempest: Act III

Summary 

  Scene i 

    Prospero has commanded Ferdinand to move an innumerable amount of logs for who knows why. However he moves each log with a spring in his step, for he knows that his lover Miranda is out there, waiting for him. Suddenly Miranda bursts onto the scene, and Ferdinand's soul is filled with glee upon seeing her. They exchange words of love, and promises that they shall never ever be apart ever again; they swear that they shall be married. Prospero is looking on from a distance, and sees his daughter betrothal. He cannot be more elated, for not only is his dearest daughter happy, but he will also be able to exact revenge on those who wronged him.

  Scene ii

    The relationship between Trinculo, Stephano, and Caliban begins to strain. As Caliban explains what the island is like and who is on it, Trinculo doubts him. Ariel enters, and as Caliban tells how poorly Prospero treated him, Ariel imitates Trinculo's voice and calls him a liar. Caliban and Stephano are quick to attack Trinculo, telling him to keep a good tongue in his mouth. Trinculo, confused, doesn't know what they're talking about and claims he did not speak. Ariel does this twice more, and the final time Stephano loses it and beats Trinculo. After everyone's anger is appeased, Caliban reveals that there is a beautiful fair maiden on the island, and suggests that Stephano should kill Prospero and take Miranda as his wife. Ariel, still invisible, overhears their plan, and leads the three astray with his music.

  Scene iii

    King Alonso and his party have been searching for Ferdinand for a long time, and everyone has grown weary for walking for so long. Ariel, still invisible, summons several apparitions that bring forth a banquet for the party to dine on. Gonzalo is skeptical of the feast, and he advises everyone to stay away. However Alonso is not suspicious at all, and invites his brother and his fair duke (Sebastian and Antonio) to feast with him. As the three approach the table, Ariel appears as a harpy, and calls the three men traitorous sinners for usurping Prospero's dukedom. Alonso is overcome with guilt, and thinks that his son drowned because of his political actions back in Italy. The royal party follows Alonso away from the scene, who fled in fear and distress.

Analysis

    Act III contrasts with Act II in that Act II has a theme of betraying others whereas Act III has a theme of acting loyal to one's own self. However the consequences of self-loyalty depend on the actions taken. Alonso, for example, almost had his son killed by a storm because of his actions against Prospero. On the other hand, loyalty to one's self can also be rewarding: although Ferdinand has been condemned to slavery, he is enslaved to his love Miranda, the two of which being completely enamored with each other.
    Another thing to notice is the increasing importance of Ariel, Prospero's spirit. In the beginning of the play Ariel expressed that he hated serving Prospero, however he is showing a confusing level of enthusiasm in his actions; perhaps Ariel is attempting to secretly undermine Prospero's efforts in an attempt to further his own ambitions. If so, a theme of ambition can easily be seen.
    Ambition is what drove all these men to this island in one way or another, and now they must all face the consequences, whatever they may be.

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                       Nick

Les Misérables: Valjean's Soliloquy

"Did a voice whisper in his ear that he had just passed the solemn hour of his destiny; that there no longer remained a middle course for him; that if he were not henceforth the best of men, he would be 

the worst."

Summary

    Jean Valjean wanders down a road; it's insignificant which one, he just wanted to go anywhere besides D------. While walking down a country road, Jean Valjean hears someone coming up from behind him. He dodges into a push, and sees the thing behind him is a little boy who's flipping his coin; probably his only coin. The boy, who is known as Little Gervais, drops the coin, and it rolls to Jean Valjean, who quickly puts his foot on it so Little Gervais can't take it back. The boy demands that Jean Valjean five it back, but he plays dumb and pretends he does not have the coin. Confused and upset, Little Gervais runs away crying. Jean Valjean gets up, and stares down at the coin he just stole. Suddenly he realizes that he just stole a boy's only means of wealth and ruined the boy's life. Overcome with guilt and shame, he cries out for the boy and runs after where he might have gone. He shouts and shouts and runs and runs, and he asks everyone he comes across if they've seen a little boy named Little Gervais. Jean Valjean accepts that he will never find the poor boy, and breaks down; his entire world crashes down around him. The man cries for the first time in nineteen years.
    Jean Valjean was last seen praying in front of the Bishop's house in the middle of the night.

Analysis

    The destruction of Jean Valjean's soul was brought about by self-hatred; by doing that which made him hate the world, his soul split into two: he must either be as good as a saint, or as evil as the society that he had grown to hate. But with every hateful thought comes an equivalently strong pang of guilt. An entire lifetime of psychological development flashes before his eyes: he sees a resentful yet sacrificing man become a man full of hate and sin; he no longer knows who this man is. Who is he? What does he want? Does he still want to hate the world? If so, what are the consequences? He'll continue to be a man of evil and the dangerous man that society has labelled him to be; but he can't do that without humoring the society he hates with the fury of a thousand blazing suns.
    There is no middle ground available for Jean Valjean because if he tried to take a twilight path, he would be walking a nearly invisible tightrope that hung above the abyss of evil. So, to prevent himself from fulfilling the expectations of the society who hated him, he chose the higher ground; and he had no choice. Jean Valjean re-identifies himself as a man of light, a man of pure good based off the light that blinded him just hours ago. The Jean Valjean of darkness is dead now; the Jean Valjean of light has been born and shall exist forevermore in the memories and stories of those he affected.

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                       Nick

The Tempest: Act II

"As thou got'st Milan, / I'll come by Naples...One stroke / Shall free thee from the tribute which thou payest, / And I the King shall love thee."

Summary

  Scene i

    We are now introduced to King Alonso and his entourage: Gonzalo, Francisco, and Adrian, the kind ones; and Sebastian and Antonio, the brothers of royalty and the jokers of the crowd. Alonso is convinced that his son, Ferdinand, was killed by the storm. Francisco, Adrian, and Gonzalo attempt to cheer up Alonso, but Sebastian and Antonio are there at every turn to mock their attempts. Suddenly Ariel appears, and puts everyone but Sebastian and and Antonio (note: before Alonso falls asleep, Sebastian tells him that he will protect him). Antonio then suggest to Sebastian that he should kill his brother Alonso while he sleeps. Since his sister is now married to the King of Tunis, Sebastian is the next in line to the throne. The two draw their swords, but since Prospero has other plans, Ariel wakes up Gonzalo, who wakes up the rest of the crew. Quick on their feet, Antonio and Sebastian say that they have their swords drawn because they heard a beast out in the woods. Everyone else then draws their swords, and vacates the area.

  Scene ii

    Caliban is carrying a large load of wood as a storm comes in. He laments over the mistreatment and hatred he receives from Prospero, when he hears something coming. Thinking it to be one of Prospero's spirits, Caliban hides under his own cloak. Trinculo, an Englishman that was aboard Alonso's ship. Trinculo sees Caliban as a pile of something, either fish or a dead body, but needing shelter from the storm, he crawls under Caliban's cloak [which is pretty ridiculous to be honest]. Then Trinculo's drunkard friend, Stephano, stumbles onto the scene. He sees Trinculo and Caliban under the same cloak, and thinks them to be a four-legged monster. Caliban continues to lament about the misery which Prospero constantly inflicts upon him (since he thinks Stephano is another one of Prospero's spirits), but Trinculo tries to convey his identity to Stephano, which further confuses him and makes him think he's encountered a two-headed four-legged beast. After some repetition, Stephano realizes that he's encountered his friend Trinculo and a stranger named Caliban. Caliban sees an opportunity to escape from his slavery to Prospero, and begs to work for Trinculo and Stephano instead. Stephano accepts, and Caliban drinks from Stephano's wine bottle to seal his fealty to him. All parties leave the scene in glee.

Analysis

     Prospero described Antonio as a traitorous tyrant, yet when we see him for ourselves, we see why the people loved him: he's charismatic and well-learned. So we again begin to question the validity of Prospero's proclamations;was he a dove or a hawk? Was he loved, or was he feared like he is on the island? Was he betrayed, or overthrown? More importantly, what traits of him from the past will come forth and present themselves in the present? At the beginning of the play, Prospero painted himself to be an innocent man who has been wronged. However we quickly saw that he is not what he wants others to see him as. His mysterious and antagonistic character reveals why Caliban despises his master and why he wishes to betray him.
    The motives for betrayal are what set aside the innocent and the greedy. Caliban ditched his master because he was being treated as if he were more worthless than dirt, but Sebastian tried to one-up his master for his own personal game. However, it wasn't even of his own initiative; Antonio was the one who convinced him, because, as Sebastian said, he would stop making him pay tribute to Naples for helping him ascend to Dukehood in Milan. So perhaps Antonio and Prospero are both greedy individuals of different degrees: Prospero works on a smaller, more personal scale, whereas Antonio works on a more political scale. This would would explain their behaviors pre-Tempest.

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                     Nick

The Tempest: Act I

"I boarded the King's ship/...I flamed amazement. Sometimes I'd divide/ and burn in many places/...

On their sustaining garments not a blemish,/

But fresher than before."

 Summary 

  Scene i

    The play opens up with a ship and its crew in a tempest the likes of which no one has ever seen. On board is the crew, consisting of a shipmaster and a boatswain. King Alonso of Naples, his son Ferdinand, and his entourage, Sebastian, Antonio, and Gonzalo. Upon realizing that the ship is going to crash, the crew panics and most of them jump ship. However our main characters remain, since they have faith in their obedient, if rude, crew. The scene ends with Gonzalo crying aloud that he would give everything he could to "die a dry death."

  Scene ii

    The wizard Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been living on an uninhabited island for twelve years; and until now, Prospero has refused to tell Miranda why. But now, after having destroyed that ship, Prospero decides to tell his daughter the tale of their origin.
    Prospero was once the Duke of Milan, but due to his immense and obsessive interests in the humanities (i.e. math, science, history, and basically anything other than theology), he let his brother Antonio rule in substitution, meaning that he would act as the Duke without actually being the Duke. As time passed on, Antonio convinced himself that he was actually the Duke of Milan. So, to secure his dukehood, Antonio secured his position with the people by doing all the things a political zealot needs to do to ascend. Furthermore, Antonio paid Alonso, King of Naples, innumerable favors to help him overthrow Prospero and seal Antonio's dukedom once and for all. One sudden night, the traitorous troops of Milan burst in, took Prospero and baby Miranda, stuck them on a raft with but a few worldly possessions and some food and water (provided by Gonzalo, a nobleman of Naples) , and shoved them off to sea. And now all those who betrayed Prospero and a few more are on the island because he crashed their ship. After telling Miranda all this, he puts her to sleep so he can talk to his enslaved spirit, Ariel.
    Prospero interrogates Ariel about the ship he destroyed for his master. Ariel describes it with much joy, saying the ship went up in flames as the wind and the ocean flung it about. Everyone aboard was cast in various places around the island, save King Alonso, whose ship was safely harbored in a cave, and the crew, who Ariel shipped back to Italy. Delighted to hear of the perfect execution of his plans, Prospero declares that there is more work to be done, but Ariel reminds him that he promised him his freedom. Prospero is infuriated by this back-talk, and sternly reminds Ariel that he freed him from the tree that the evil witch Sycorax trapped him in for twelve years and threatens to trap him for twelve more. Ariel concedes with his tail between his legs, and listens for Prospero's instructions. He tells him to turn into an invisible water nymph, and he leaves. After Ariel leaves, Prospero awakens Miranda, who claims that his tale made him faint. Prospero and Miranda then visit their slave, Caliban, who is the son of Sycorax. After exchanging several slurs, we learn that Caliban became Prospero's slave because Prospero nurtured and taught Caliban when they met him on the island, so Caliban serves Prospero and Miranda out of fear of Prospero's magic. Caliban exits to fetch some fuel, and Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, enters. Miranda instantly falls instantly and madly in love with the handsome man while Ariel, invisible, plays a song around him, convincing him that his father has died. Ferdinand's eyes finds Miranda, who instantly loves her in return. However Prospero intercedes and accuses Ferdinand of being a spy and a traitor, and that he'll torture him for daring to come to the island. Ferdinand draws his sword, but Prospero uses his magic to freeze him there. Miranda, desperate to save her new-found lover, beseeches her father to let him live. At her demands Prospero has mercy on the boy, only on the condition that he be disabled enough to keep him from revolting against him but able enough to move. Prospero forbids Miranda from speaking to Ferdinand, and everyone exits.

Analysis

    Something that I noticed that kept arising in the text was the usage of the four elements: air, earth, water, and fire. The usage of the four elements as well as the excessive references to witches and magic might possibly foreshadow the strangeness of the story that will ensue; all societal norms will break down and anything can happen.
     Furthermore, the characterization of Prospero is...mysterious. He builds himself up to be a great man and a victim to his daughter, but after he puts her to sleep he is revealed to have not one, but two slaves. So, perhaps Prospero and Antonio are truly brothers in that they disillusion the people to serve their own ambitions: Antonio painted himself as a great man to the people of Milan so he could ascend to Dukehood, but Prospero painted himself as a great man to his daughter to maintain his relationship with her. Furthermore, he wants to use the love between Miranda and Ferdinand to get back at Antonio and Milan. Their relationship obviously centers around each other because, with the exception of Caliban, they are the only two on the island. So, if their relationship is lost, they could risk their sanity.
    Caliban provides an interesting look into how humans treat foreign humans. At first, Prospero tried to teach Caliban the finer things, but when Caliban actively expressed his lack of desire to learn those things, Prospero enslaved him because he thought he'd be put to better use. One could conclude from this action that humans are initially good, yet have the capacity to be evil.

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Thanks for reading,
                      Nick

Les Misérables: The Bishop

"Monseigneur, monseigneur! Does your Grace know where the basket of silver is?"

"Yes. Here it is."

"Well! Nothing in it! And the silver?"

"Ah, so it is the silver which troubles you? I don't know where it is."

Summary

    Victor Hugo spends the first forty pages of Les Misérables saying just how good the Bishop of D------ is, and I think it's because he wanted to emphasize how good humanity can be before showing how horrible it is.

    The Bishop, like any man, has his story. As one of the higher-up priests of theocratic Europe, he had his own part to play in the French Revolution of 1792. A man of mercy yet also a man of peace and love, he reluctantly stood behind the Revolutionaries, and, with much grimace, voted for the execution of King Louis XVI. And, much to the Bishop's discontent, he had to attend the execution. He arrived, and felt the chill of the guillotine upon sight. Victor Hugo paints the guillotine not as the executioner's weapon, but as the executioner itself. To the Bishop, the guillotine was a monster that thirsted for blood and craved the attention of the masses. It stood tall and proud as a killer, and the people cheered it on with each victim. It's a truly horrifying thing, and I deeply apologize that I do not have the literary capacity to illustrate such horror. 

    After experiencing petrifying secondhand agony during the first revolution, the Bishop exiles himself to the mountainside town of D------, to try and cleanse himself of darkness with some fresh air. When he arrives, the people welcome him with open arms and put him in the biggest house in the town. He reluctantly accepts; he is thankful and appreciative of their patronage, but would much rather be put into a home that would bring him closer to the poor. While doing his rounds, the Bishop comes across the town's hospital, and is confused as to why they have a hundred or more people in a building that fits maybe twenty at most when he himself lives in a house that could fit two hundred or more, but is only occupied by three. He then moved into the hospital with his sister, his maid, and only the most necessary things to live (with the exception of some silver cutlery, for his sister refused to let her brother live in absolute poverty when he deserved to have so much more), and quickly gained the reputation of a saint without having any ambition to have a reputation at all. 

    The most important thing to understand about the Bishop of D------- is that he is a pure and absolute good; Hugo states that in his sleep, the Bishop sleeps with a smile of contentment on his face, and he visibly radiates with goodness. Now, enter Jean Valjean, the man who, after forty or so years of being treated without any kindness, has become a man of darkness who has come to hate the world. He knocks at the door that is never locked, and the Bishop, without even asking who's there, says, "Come in." Jean Valjean bursts in in a fit of frustration, and tells (or rather, yells) his entire story right there at the Bishop's doorstep. The two women are horrified, for they knew who it was the second the door was flung open. The Bishop, however, maintains his air of civility, hears Jean Valjean's story, and invites him in for supper, which his sister has just nearly finished. Over dinner the Bishop learns as much about Jean Valjean's story as possbile, all the while calling him "sir" and "friend" and even "brother," to which he is astounded that anyone, let alone a stranger, would treat him, the lowly hateful criminal, with such kindness and respect. The Bishop knows how exhausted Jean Valjean must be after such a hard day, so he gives him the guest bed. After nineteen years in prison, Jean Valjean sleeps on a real bed for the first time.
    Jean Valjean awakes after a few hours of sleep, since the galleys taught him to get a lot out of a few hours of sleep. He recalls the silver which he ate supper with; he thinks to himself, "I deserve that silver," and rightly so. His nineteen years of virtual slavery earned him about $100, then they took off $20 for trying to escape four times, and another $20 as a parole fee. Since they stole nearly half of his potential earnings as well as half of his life for trying to feel his family, Jean Valjean feels cheated by the world. So, to try and get back what was stolen from him, he decides to steal the silver. He gets up out of bed, meditates on his decision, then, before going to the kitchen to take the silver, he goes into the Bishop's room. Jean Valjean finds a literally glowing man sleeping with a content smile in the Bishop's bed. Jean Valjean approaches the Bishop, and stares at him for a second. This is the moment where Jean Valjean begins to split in two: he is either good or evil, with no in between. He looks at the Bishop, and is faced with a choice: spare him, or break his trust and kill an innocent man. Jean Valjean feels hatred, possibly jealousy of the Bishop's ability to be kind, for he doesn't know how it feels to feel righteous. Jean Valjean decides to spare the Bishop; he leaves the room, takes the silver, and flees into the night.
    The next morning, the Bishop's sister discovers that the silver has been stolen, but the Bishop is quick to console her, saying that they never really needed the silver in the first place, and that it had always belonged to the poor. Suddenly, two guards arrive carrying Jean Valjean with them. They claim that he stole the silver, but without hesitation, the Bishop gives him the candlesticks too, saying he forgot the best ones. Disgruntled that they weren't able to arrest Jean Valjean, the two guards leave the Bishop's house. Immediately after the Bishop looks him in the eyes and tells him in a stern voice that little to no one has ever heard: "Do not forget that you promised to use this money to do good." Scared of the light of the Bishop, Jean Valjean takes the silver and the candlesticks and escapes from that blinding place without looking back.

Analysis

    The Bishop of D------'s past illustrates the fact that all lights are not necessarily pure; take for example, the first French Revolution,  whose infinite tentacles engulfed anyone who was unfortunate enough to be near it. Certainly the Bishop's choice to vote for the execution of the king was not an easy one: a man of supreme good electing for a supreme evil. However the Bishop decided not to let that choice haunt him, but let it motivate him. He went out to the wilds of France, and traveled from town to town preaching the good Word.

     I think, though, the most interesting thing to think about when it comes to the Bishop is the effect a pure light can have on any given thing. Now, keep in mind, the Bishop has no ambition to move higher up the papal hierarchy; he only wishes to improve the lives of those who wouldn't have a chance otherwise. So, he does everything for others and nothing for himself. For the wealthy, a pure light brings interest and respect; they are curious about what it is and if they can use it as a stepping stone. For the poor, a pure light brings salvation; they cling to it with everything they have because it's the only good thing they've seen in many years, probably. However criminals, like Jean Valjean, can hardly even recognize it because they've only been shown darkness for so long, if not their whole lives. They are often baffled that anyone would be fair to them, and question what they're doing, if only for just a moment. Jean Valjean had just enough of a moral standing remaining after his prison sentence so that he had the potential to rebuild himself in the Bishop's image.

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                       Nick

Les Misérables: On Parole

"I was sent away from the other inn."

"And you are to be turned out of this one."

Summary

    Upon being "freed," Jean Valjean was issued the horrible yellow passport, a document which would block out virtually all mercy and kindness from any who he hoped to receive him. He then walked. And walked. And walked. He tried to get some work here and there, but his passport prevented him from keeping said jobs. He went like this for a short while before reaching the town of D------*. D------ used to be a fortress, so to enter the small town, Jean Valjean had to show his passport upon entry. Word quickly spread of Jean Valjean's, or rather, the dangerous criminal's, arrival. Not knowing of the wave of gossip that spread around him, Jean Valjean went to the first inn that he saw, and went in. He had severely worn apparel on which was accessorized by a thin coat of dirt, so the innkeeper was suspicious from the get-go. However Jean Valjean had the money for supper and a night of rest, so the innkeeper let him stay. While Jean Valjean sat down beside the fire and tried to warm himself, the innkeeper caught wind of the man who had just entered. He asked Jean Valjean to leave, like any host should; politely, but sternly, so that it was a command that took the form of a request. Confused and suddenly irritated, Jean Valjean asked why he should leave. The innkeeper started with saying how there wasn't enough food, and then how there wasn't enough lodging, but then just had to resort to bluntly kicking him out because he was a criminal. 

     Jean Valjean went around the town like this for the rest of the night. The pub turned him out in similar fashion, and so did each of the townsfolk. Out of frustration and pure exhaustion, Jean Valjean found a stone bench and laid down. A woman found him laying there, and told him he need not sleep on a bed of stone. That was ridiculous, and surely someone would take him in. Jean Valjean said he knocked on every door, but the woman pointed out to him that he missed one door in particular: the door of Bishop Monseigneur Bienvenu.

Analysis

     Jean Valjean finds himself being released from the cycle of misfortune and hatred and pushed into a new cycle of resentment. The feudal system of pre-Revolutionary France created an enormous imbalance of wealth and, which in turn created a cycle of resentment: the rich and royal look down on the poor like dirt just for being dirt; the poor look down on criminals like unwanted dirt for doing that of which they are tempted to do but can't out of fear for sinking themselves down to that level; and the criminals look down on the rest of the world as if they were faux masterpieces for betraying them. And because of how their society is set up, almost everyone is forced to turn with it, and most cannot manage to escape.

    Take for example the peasant who was the third person to turn Jean Valjean away from shelter. Through the windowpane, Jean Valjean saw the peasant man and his family, and they almost seemed happy, if not content with themselves. Hopeful, Jean Valjean knocked, but quickly discovered that he was no better than the rest: when he realized Jean Valjean carried the yellow passport, he demanded for him to leave, and threatened to bring out his gun. However, the peasant is like Jean Valjean from nineteen years ago in that he is protective and content with his life, but is quick to revert to aggressiveness. No man can escape the cycle of prejudice unless an outside force gives them motivation to either step outside of it or push against it.

     The question to ask, though, is if after two hundred or so years, if our society has lifted itself out of the cycle of prejudice. The Occupy movement in early 2012 brought the issue of America's extremely imbalanced distribution of wealth, revealing the lower and middle class's discontentment with the "one percenters." Furthermore, the American political system (as well as other countries' political systems, I'm sure) creates an inescapable divide. Victor Hugo and Jean Valjean believe that society will never change, but it really comes down to whether you're more of a half-empty or half-full kind of person.

*Some old books censor out some of the names of places and people in such a fashion. Personally I think that publishing companies do this because they'd rather censor the name than get it wrong.

Thanks for reading,

                       Nick

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(Blogger's Note: I'm splitting up "On Parole/The Bishop," because if I didn't,the post would be extraneously long.)

Les Misérables: Prologue

"Look down, look down, sweet Jesus doesn't care."

Summary

    In the musical, "Prologue" is simply a short devotion to the prison life that Jean Valjean spent nineteen years in. Obviously, there was more character development in those long nineteen years than a four minute song can convey.
    Jean Valjean had one sister, who had seven children. One particular winter, Jean Valjean was not able to harvest lumber to provide income for his sister, and therefore, no food was available: in the everlasting words of Victor Hugo, "There was no bread that winter. Literally no bread. Seven children!" Being a man of sacrifice, Jean Valjean had to resort to crime to feed his beloved sister and her children. He broke open a window to steal some bread from a bakery. Unfortunately (and that's really putting it lightly, let me tell you) for him, he was caught and sent to prison for five years charged with theft and breaking and entering.
    In the galleys, Jean Valjean became an entirely different person. He went from someone who did what he could to serve his family well to someone who wanted to do everything he could to exact vengeance any way he could. After his arrest, Jean Valean only heard about his family once more for the rest of his life: his sister was alive and working, and had one child alive, who attended a school. After that, he never saw or heard from or about his family ever again.
    He attempted to escape four times, and was caught each time. Each attempt added more and more years to his sentence. So, within the course of nineteen years, Jean Valjean not only developed a hate for the world, but also nurtured that hatred. Having nothing but time, Jean Valjean meditated on why it was acceptable for him to be thrown in jail for so long just for trying to feed his family. Was society to blame? Was society so corrupt and greedy that it tossed aside any defective parts? Or did it simply have no pity for the forgotten? Or maybe it was God Himself, for creating such a world? And if God did allow such a world to be created, perhaps then he also allowed everyone in it to be as cruel? For all these things and more, Jean Valjean slowly grew to hate the world that had never once showed him any kindness during his sentence in jail.
     After nineteen long, hard, resentful, hateful years, our protagonist, Jean Valjean, was released from the prison in Toulon with one string attached: the cursed yellow passport. The yellow passport required Jean Valjean to return to the officials every so often to ensure he was behaving, and declared him as an extremely dangerous man (and rightly so; after being shown a lifetime of hate without any kindness whatsoever, that's all one learns how to feel and express).
     The misfortunes and transgressions that Jean Valjean experienced in the first forty or so years of his life sets the stage for one of the most remarkable pieces of literature of all time, one which I will document here.

Analysis

     As compared to the first forty or so pages that described what the ultimate good was like, the description of Jean Valjean's upbringing up until the present plot-line is one of what the ultimate bad is like. It showed that society, at least in the early nineteenth century, was cruel and unforgiving. Such an unfavorable society often produced unfavorable people, which then perpetuated the unfavorable society, which then produced more unfavorable people, etc etc. However, Jean Valjean is a man of enormous potential: he is strong, driven, and most importantly, caring; so he has the capabilities to step outside of the cycle and make something of himself. Unfortunately, in order to do so, Jean Valjean would have had to toe an impossibly minuscule rope to get there; and, as with most who have the potential of Jean Valjean, the rope snapped underneath him at the drop of a hat, and he barely managed to survive. During his stay at the prison in Toulon, Jean Valjean began to put his potential for greatness down the path of infamy instead. Of course, it couldn't be helped; it's almost as impossible to come out of a situation like his as a kind man as it was to become royalty. But one can only think about what would have happened if Jean Valjean hadn't broke into the bakery that night? Victor Hugo even remarks that, what if he had waited to ask for the bread instead of steal it? I think that Jean Valjean would've continued to work at the lumber mill, he would've continued to feed his sister's family, and would've continued to gravel about how hard he has it until he died, and no one would've been the wiser. That being said, I think that it wasn't only critical to the plot that Jean Valjean spend nineteen years in jail, but it was even more critical to his character.Spending such a long time in the galleys allowed him to see and learn the true nature of his society as well as himself. In the galleys he learned that he was a man of extremes, and of impulse: Jean Valjean became a man of hate, and at every chance he saw he tried to escape, despite numerous failures in the past. Furthermore, he became a man of intense passion: he saw how cruel the world he was in was, and realized that he was against it, that he was one of the many hundred thousands who were treated unjustly for no legitimate reason. It is this passion that would break him apart inside, and it is this passion that will make him the most influential characters in Les Misérables.

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Thanks for reading,
                         Nick