End of Part One...

First, a brief re-cap. The point where I left off Fantine had just been rescued from penury by Madeleine, Javert had arrested Champmathieau thinking he was Valjean and Valjean himself was about to make a mysterious journey. Now, we find out what the journey is for, meet some new characters in the process and explored some of the themes central to the book. Throughout these two chapters Hugo sets his characters in a direct contrast to each other, particularly Javert and Valjean. 

The first new characters are the two nuns, Perpetua and Simplice. When we first see Simplice Hugo is very careful to make a point that her central belief is that of honesty, that she believes dishonesty is pure evil. In this respect, she is as rigid in her beliefs and attitude as Javert. 

This rigidity of attitude contrasts with Vajean’s inner turmoil over Champmathieau. Despite all the things that ostensibly tell him not to make the journey, that he would be doing the right thing to avoid it, and against his own inclination, he still decides to go to Arras knowing believing that it is the right thing for him to do. Valjean lacks the certainty but it shows him to be a more enlightened character. Hugo portrays his transformation from Valjean to Madeleine, how he has become a man who tries always to do the right thing even at the risk of exposure. 

Simplice is tested in the Books as well, and is portrayed as someone who will lie for the sake of doing the right thing, first to comfort Fantine and second to save Valjean. She is shown to have the mercy that is lacking in Javert, the court and in the majority of the townspeople who ignore the good that Valjean has done and condemn him after his arrest.

 Champmathieau’s trial is obviously just a formality – he has no way to defend himself as he is probably suffering from some form of mental incapability, he has no employer to testify on his behalf (having left work due to be paid less than the younger workers) and the people who identify him all have some sort of reason to have him condemned (a snitch and a savage).  He is a son of two tramps who has had no schooling and is powerless. The court itself is shown as a shabby, ugly place, representing law and justice as something that is corrupt and shameful. The only way that Valjean can save him is to admit his true identity, as the court has already decided that he is guilty. Luckily, they are so shocked by his admission he is able to walk out to return to Fantine. 

Fantine has been transformed in a way that is quite familiar in the 19^th Century novel. She is almost beautified by her approaching death – she is described as looking serene, with pale skin, a ‘lustre on her cheeks’ (p261) and gently fluttering eyelashes, associated with the mother and the maternal rather than with being a ravaged prostitute. There is also something of the child about her as well in the way that she asks for Cosette.  Hugo doesn’t draw out her death scene so it is rather a surprise when she drops dead suddenly when Javert turns up to arrest Valjean. 

Javert is also transfigured to become a kind of avenging angel, ‘bathed in glory’ (p267) with the ‘...superhuman ferocity of the avenging angel’ (ibid). He is triumphant, yet ignorant, so Hugo believe that he deserves pity because he doesn’t realise that he is doing something evil in the name of justice.  Despite his triumph he is still afraid of Valjean who is more concerned with Fantine’s death than with his own arrest. His compassion contrasts with Javert’s lack of mercy. 

Javert’s worship of authority allows Valjean to escape as he blindly believes that no person from the Church would ever lie to him. He judges people on the basis of his own preconceived opinions, so Vajean is a gaolbird; Fantine is just a prostitute and no nun could ever behave in a way that placed compassion over honesty. 

Some great characters here, I’d already guessed Fantine was probably going to die, after all, there is nowhere really left for her to go as a character, but I will still miss her. Valjean’s inner turmoil was wonderfully handled, as is Javert’s lack of inner turmoil. The story moves on at a good pace and I’m looking forward to reading more.