Les Miserables: Part 1 Book 6 & 7

[Trisha]

Post comments for this chunk here! Sorry that I fell behind with the thread, I have got to leave a reminder for myself! Hahaha!

[Brenda]

Will Jean Valjean fess up? Won't he? I kept going back and forth in my mind about as much as he did. Still not quite sure I am happy with his final decision.

[Emma]

It is a very difficult situation - I mean, Jean Valjean can do so much more for others from his position within the town, and by letting go of his role as Monsieur Madeline and going underground, he becomes very limited in what he can do. It is rather painful to watch his dilemma. What did other people think?

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

I am so far behind in reading. I will get caught up!

[Margy]

I've finally gotten into the discussion; this is an amazing piece of literature. The complexity of the issues M. Madeline grapples with really moved me. Who today cannot rationalize the easier course of action? But Hugo insists that his character keep delving deeper, to look at the irreducible fact, that a man has been falsely identified as Jean Valjean, and M. Madeline is the only one who can correct this.
I kept wondering, would he truly have been corrupted by his knowledge that he didn't act in time, if he hadn't been so driven to overcome the many problems with horse and vehicle? Would he really have become a monster, with one little failure to act leading to another and another, untill his life all became a facade of self-serving rationalizations for not living honestly?
Of course we know more about Cosette and her perilous situation than M. Madeline does, but he had an obligation to Fantine to see that her child was safe. Was that really less of an obligation than to see that justice was done in the court for the wrongly accused man?
Furthermore, he fears that all the good he has done, all the industry and charity he has introduced to the town will fall without him there to sustain it. So he knows that by affirming the innocence of the wrongly accused man, he is putting the lives and futures of hundreds of others in jeopardy.
Well, this dilemma had me just about gasping. Part of me was upset that there was no clever, or wise, or easy way out (as in contemporary popular entertainment). No doubt, part of me was looking for forgiveness for my own evaisions and omissions.

[Barbara]

I wonder if Hugo finally shows that Jean Valjean's decision to exonerate the falsely accused man was indeed the best course. Without M. Madeleine in charge the factory succumbs to individuals' squabbling and personal greed. If they truly deserved his efforts they could have made it continue to succeed by working together for the good of others. And he manages to fulfil his obligation to Cosette after some delay.

Margy wrote: "I've finally gotten into the discussion; this is an amazing piece of literature. The complexity of the issues M. Madeline grapples with really moved me. Who today cannot rationalize the easier cour..."

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

In reading over the posts I felt that several people saw Valjean’s dilemma as simply a choice between the lessor of two evils. I don’t see this as a choice between sacrificing one man’s life for the continued wellbeing of the factory, the town, and Cosette. I believe that Hugo was illustrating a man’s personal crisis of faith and conscience.

Valjean’s crisis of conscience is can he live with himself if he allows an innocent man to take his place in prison. His crisis of faith rests with how deeply, does he believe in God. He can make one of two choices. He can save the innocent man from prison. This means that he will spend the rest of his mortal life, in a hell made by man. Or he can condemn the innocent man to prison, which he believes, will result in his immortal soul spending eternity in hell. He agonizingly knows that the depth of his faith is being tested. In the end if he truly believes the words of the Bishop only one choice is open to him.

Personally I don’t think he failed the test, but it does make his life much more difficult.

[Christine]

Bob wrote: "In reading over the posts I felt that several people saw Valjean’s dilemma as simply a choice between the lessor of two evils. I don’t see this as a choice between sacrificing one man’s life for t..."

I agree with your take on it Bob. Hugo had me agonizing right along with Valjean! What a horrible choice to have to make. And what a cliffhanger at the end of Book 7! I was glad for Valjean that he saved the man, because I really don't think he could've lived with himself if he hadn't. He would have been tortured about it for the rest of his life. But I so hope he does not have to go back to prison!

[siriusedward]

I agree with Bob and Christine too.

What Jean Valjean did was right.or he would have been free to do good at another mans freedom.and it will eat away at him.now hewill have the satisfaction of knowing that since petite Gervaise he has always tried to be a beter man.. his conscience will be free...I am glad for him too..he proved that what the Bishop did by saving him was a soul saving thing..that he was truly redeemed..
Or from then on his whole life would have been tainted.

[siriusedward]

So.