ELA 8

1/16/2024

Les Misérables is about an ex-convict in the June Rebellion of 1832. It is also a worldwide bestseller for its intricate perception on poverty and other social issues at the time. Even now, there are similarities and parallels from this novel to the modern day world. Namely, in Pakistan.

Recently, Pakistan underwent a new change in laws that repressed freedom to protest. The events in Pakistan unfolded after a series of protests in Islamabad for the release of Imran Riaz Khan, a journalist critical of their [Pakistan’s] government. “In response, the government disrupted internet services across the country and shut down mobile internet in Islamabad for four days,”⁽¹⁾ In 19th century Paris, a popular liberal politician had died and was to be replaced with a monarchist, and the French staged a coup to prevent this.

Pakistani protestors had done nothing to justly warrant their plight. All they did was criticise their government, which is why I am here to say that I LOVE THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT! THEY HAVE NEVER EVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG AND ARE DEFINITELY THE MOST BESTEST GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD AND THEY NEVER SILENCE THE PRESS AND (That part was a joke, for the humor impaired who could not tell.)

In Les Misérables, the protestors are as violent as alleged, and they use more gunpowder in a few pages than the Pakistani demonstrators did in their whole protest. The protests were due to differing reasons: the catalyst for one was to demand the release of a figure from jail, and the other to “mourn” the death of a crucial liberal politician. Both convey an idea of getting to liberty whether or not the powerful care about it.

Pakistan has the sense to at least pretend they won’t respond with execution (all they’ve done in retaliation is close out the wifi), whereas the revolt in Paris was immediately met with the Paris Garde Nationale and at least two Regiments d’Infantrie, opening fire upon sight. 

We can draw from the June Rebellion that a violent action elicits a violent reaction. We do not yet know how this plays out for the peaceful protestors in Pakistan - my guess is not well - still, we know that it will be good for them not to poke the bear. 

⁽¹⁾ (Author Unknown) November 27, 2024 “Urgent and transparent investigation needed into deadly crackdown on opposition protestors” amnesty.org Accessed January 13, 2025.

Adelaide Peck

ELA/ Mrs. McLong

1-16-25

“Les Mis” matters today because Hugo talks about problems of his moment that are still relevant to our time. Poverty is a big problem in the U.S., particularly losing homes, and “Les Mis” talks about poverty and how it is a big problem. Our main character, Jean Valjean, faces poverty in the beginning of the book when he was released and one of the other characters, Marius, leaves his home and has to fend for himself with nothing and no one to help him. In the U.S., people are losing their jobs and homes because of poverty especially because of the pandemic which forced so many people into poverty. “Les Mis” is important to today's society.

In the book “Les Mis”, our two main characters, Jean Valjean and Marius both face poverty at different times in the book. Poverty affected their lives immensely and it took a while for them to get back on their feet. “He did whatever he could to find do. His sister worked also, but what could she do with seven little children? It was a sad group, which misery was grasping and closing upon, little by little.”(Les Miserables pg. 23)  Soon after this, Jean Valjean broke into a bakery and stole a loaf of bread. He was convicted for 19 years in prison. When he was set free, Jean Valjean walked a long way to find shelter.  Jean Valjean was kicked out of so many places because he only had money for very little things. Jean Valjean asked two inns if he could stay there but they rejected him.  Jean Valjean had no other choice but to go door-to-door and ask to stay. With the little money he had, people refused him until he desperately had to find shelter in a dog house. Another character that lived in poverty is Marius. He left his grandfather's house and was living in poverty because he refused money from his grandfather and he wasn’t able to work and make more. He lived in poverty for five years before being able to get back on his feet. He saw the worst in the world while he was living in poverty. Poverty was a big problem in the book, “Les Mis”.

Poverty is a big problem in the U.S.. Ever since Covid 19, inflation has taken control of America. People have lost their jobs and lost their apartments to eviction. During Covid 19, there were programs that supported people who could not afford the necessities to survive this pandemic but when the pandemic ended, people stopped being supported by the programs and went into poverty again. In Poverty Increased in 2023 as Prices Rose and Pandemic Aid Programs Expired,  “Extra federal money for nutrition assistance and free school lunches also ran out in late 2022 and early 2023, leaving millions of families with more limited options at the grocery store. That had a particular impact on children; the poverty rate for people under 18 rose 1.3 percentage points, to 13.7 percent.” The extra federal money that went to nutrition assistance also stopped which left people with limited food options. People who are forced out of their apartments because of eviction and people who can’t afford a lot of food are in danger of living on the streets with no money. Children are struggling to stay in school and get good nutrition because their families go into poverty. Poverty is a big problem in the U.S. and we need to address this issue.

In conclusion, “Les Mis” is still relevant today because the book talks about poverty which is a big problem in the U.S. today.  Marius and Jean Valjean both face poverty at some point in their lives which affected them greatly. It took a while for them to get back on their feet. Poverty in the U.S. has risen during 2021 due to COVID-19 programs shutting down and not delivering necessities to people in need. “Les Mis” is still important to read because it connects to many problems in the world.

ELA / 31

Mrs. McLong

1/15/25

Why Les Miserables Matters Today

Although Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables was written in the 19th century, almost 160 years ago,  it still retains its relevance mainly in the social issues Hugo brings to attention. One of these is the corruption in the foster care system and child abuse. As shown in the characters he wrote about, children are neglected in the foster care system, left to be abused, and treated like slaves. Although Hugo’s book is fiction, this problem is very relevant in real life. In New Zealand alone, a 6-year investigation discovered 200,000 children and vulnerable adults were harmed in orphanages and mental health institutes.

In Les Miserables, we see the main character Cosette go through these rough conditions. Cosette was shown to be treated horribly and was even compared to animals. Hugo narrates, ”Her clothes being gone, dressed her in the cast-off garments of the little Tehnardiers, that is in rags. They fed her on the odds and ends, a little better than the dog, and a little worse than the cat. (p46)” Cosette went through bad conditions to survive. She was treated like an animal and was said to be treated like a “servant of the house (p47)” This imagery from Hugo brings up the issue of the foster care system. Through the character Cosette, we see the harsh reality that children in the foster care system go through.

This problem also is a problem in real life. Investigators discovered the mistreatment in orphanages, mental health institutions, and more. A recently published article in the New York Times explains, “More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been abused by state and religious organizations in New Zealand that had been entrusted with their care, according to the final report from a landmark independent inquiry released on Wednesday. The abuse included sexual assault, electric shocks, chemical restraints, medical experimentation, sterilization, starvation and beatings.” An investigation of the foster care system discovered hundreds of thousands of people being abused by their caregivers. This abuse is harsh and includes getting beat, starved, shocked, and sexually assaulted. Like in Les Miserables, people are harmed in the foster care system. Even though Les Miserables was made years ago, the issues still exist to this day.

In conclusion, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables is still important today. Hugo brings up social injustices and critiques them through the characters he wrote. Through Cosette’s story, Hugo showed the cruelty in the foster care system and the abuse they suffered through. The injustices in the novel show that Les Miserables is still as important now as it was centuries ago.

McKenzie, Pete. “New Zealand Abuse in Care Report Speaks of ‘National Catastrophe.’” The New York Times, 24 July 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/24/world/asia/new-zealand-abuse-in-care-report.html?searchResultPosition=8. Accessed 14 January 2025.

     Power is being abused and taken advantage of  because when some leaders appoint someone to a certain position, they know that they have to act in a praising way, in order to continue working there. This shows that when these people realize that they have a commanding position and power, they tend to not stop doing it and become corrupt. Later in the novel “Les Mis” the father says “Quick! Off the bed, good-for-nothing! Will you never do anything? Break a pane of glass! The little girl sprang off the bed trembling. Break a pane of glass! He said again. The child was speechless. Do you hear me? Repeated the father, I tell you to break a pane!” (208). The father in this case is taking his power and abusing it to hurt a child in a non threatening way. That shows his appointed position in his family, powerful and demanding. This happens because the man wants money to “pay” his rent even though earlier in the novel  Marius helped him by giving him money to help pay rent.  

When powerful people threaten civilians and their own family they create  a harmful environment and a harmful life for the person or people they harm. In the article recently written “Trump 2.0 and the Return of ‘Court Politics’ it states “They understand what the terms are on the table: You win Trump’s favor by being of use to him, and then maybe you prosper. You get power. You get money. You oppose him - he’s going to make you and your company and perhaps the people you love, pay”.  This quote states how power is dynamic, and the sense for more is never satisfied with what they have. For example, soon to be President Donald Trump. He always wants to hurt or take away important rights, laws or just simply anything from the people he hates. That shows how there are power issues in America and in Les Miserables. 

In conclusion that is why even though Les Miserables has power problems just like the current world. Power is being abused and taken advantage of. Also how corrupt leaders threaten the civilians into many terrible acts of violence. In America power is a big problem and we as citizens must step up. In order to create a better country we have to make the change.

Citation:

Klein, Ezra. "Trump 2.0 and the Return of 'Court Politics." The New York Times,   New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/opinion/ ezra-klein-podcast-erica-frantz.html?searchResultPosition=1. Accessed 15

  Jan. 2025. 

Sec: 31

1-16-25

Why “Les Mis” Matters Today 

“Les Mis” is a wonderful novel that highlights the class struggles or economic struggles the French faced in 1815. The novel shows us readers how important the role of money plays in this book and in real life. Shows how poor the citizens were. The author Victor Hugo does a great job presenting the issues faced at the time and what people had to go through in order to survive. These all relate to how people live in today's society. 

In the novel “Les Mis” by Victor Hugo, we get introduced to the main character Jean Valijean. A man who was jailed for stealing bread and given 19 years in prison because of trying to escape. He was no felon but yet treated as one. As he himself was living in poverty, he decided to steal bread for his sister's children. “Jean had no work, the family had no bread; literally, no bread, and seven children”pg 23. Although it was just a loaf of bread Valjean couldn't afford it and many people were going through the same thing. 

In today's modern society wealthy and poor citizens are concerned of not being able to make ends meet. According to the article “Even wealthy americans are struggling to make ends meet” by Matt Egan, CNN says that “Nearly a third (30.8%) of consumers making between $100,000 and $149,999 a year are concerned about making ends meet in the next six months,” This clearly shows how people both rich and poor have been affected by inflation. Causing them to not be able to afford life. 

We all have lived during times of struggles but yet are able to survive and make it through another day. “Les Mis” represents our modern day problems and how hard life truly can be. That is why “Les Mis”matters today, to remind us of the problems surrounding us so we can relate to the issues and challenges faced by the citizens during this period and do something about it. Victor Hugo wanted to spread notice about the tragedies that occurred due to class struggles. And shined light at those who fought for a change. 

Citations : 

Egan, Matt. "Even Wealthy Americans Are Struggling to Make Ends Meet." CNN, 26

     June 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/06/26/economy/wealthy-economy-inflation/

     index.html. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Even though Les Miserables is a book that's included with poverty, there are very similar problems faced today which people still care about. Poverty is an issue with Jean Valjean having a food insecurity which is relevant to people today. This matters today from the people that have insecurities about being in poverty.

The beginning of learning about Jean Valjean, he was sent to jail before trying to steal a loaf of bread for his family. He was sent to jail for nineteen years for trying to be able to feed his family, as Jean Valjean narrates, “I am a convict: I have been nineteen years in the galleys.” which explains him being in jail. This shows his acts from hard work which shows the poor and addresses poverty. Hugo uses Valjeans poverty to show the social issues. It shows how unfair poor people were being treated for trying to survive instead of being helped from getting thrown in jail for just trying to take food instead of giving it bad and going on with their lives. This shows how unfair the system is to the poor.

Once Valjean was released from jail, everyone was scared of him since he was an ex-convict and couldn't be able to find jobs. They don't give him a second chance after understanding what happened to him. There are many things that change throughout the story. 

 Everywhere he went everyone was judging him and giving him bad treatment. This shows that poverty can make you feel like you’re nothing no matter what you do. As it shows in the text “My yellow passport, which I had shown at the mayor’s office… they said “Get out!” On this page on 16 it shows thinking of people not wanting to be able to cooperate with people because of what happened to them. He slowly gets comfortable with people which everyone slowly likes him after. As it shows on page 17 “put some sheets on the bed in the alcove.” The bishop told Madame Magloire to help Valjean out instead of kicking him out and being good to him. People can help others out but still be confused at this.

In the end of this novel, there is a role in making the world a better place for people to understand each other. Jean Valjean spends his days helping others, giving kindness and work that creates a big difference. Recently in a New York Times article this explains that in today’s world, many people are still treated poorly. The book shows poverty for people who are struggling and being afraid to speak up, as the article  chosen explains teens struggling in school. In conclusion, Les Miserables reminds us about poverty with social issues, with challenges for us to try to change for a more fair world for everyone.

ELA section 31

Due January 17th

Why Les Mis Matters Today

Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables shows the negative energy of struggles of poverty and homelessness, that remain are still relevant today. In the edition by James K. Robinson, Hugo's depiction of Fantine's downgrade into poverty and Jean Valjean's getting the boot from society is also faced by lowlives in today's communities. A recent article in The Guardian titled “Rising Homelessness in Urban Areas: A Humanitarian Crisis” presents the broke energy that continues to increase the chances of individuals departure into homelessness reflecting the depressing tale of the unwanted characters in the Les Miserables book.

In Les Misérables, Hugo shows Fantine’s fall from a normal life as a direct result of society. Fantine gets booted out from her job after her privacy has been leaked and leaves her with the trash: “With no other options, Fantine sold her hair, her teeth, and finally herself, sinking further into despair” (p. 67). Similarly, today’s society often punishes those who already have other problems to attend to/targeting less fortunate people, as highlighted in The Guardian article, which notes, “Job insecurity and the dum  costs of products have left many hard working single mothers among the trash, unable to put fries on the table for their child.” Fantine’s situation is exactly like that of less fortunate mothers in the present time.

Jean Valjean’s being knocked down by others after gaining back his freedom also reflects ong

oing discrimination against formerly jailed people. Hugo writes, “Every door was shut to him, and even the innkeepers would not let him stay” (Robinson, p. 48). These issues still exist with released inmates today, as described in the article: “Former inmates often struggle to find employment and housing, leading to a high rate of recidivism.” Recidivism is when some who already committed a crime commits another crime. This cycle of poverty then jailing makes putting these people into society nearly impossible.

Hugo’s Les Misérables reminds readers that indifference increases poverty and homelessness. The issue of urban homelessness, as presented in The Guardian, shows that the challenges faced by these unwanted characters Fantine and Valjean are still relevant today.  Hugo's work keeps people in the present informed on the problems people still have today.

“The Guardian.” “Rising Homelessness in Urban Areas: A Humanitarian Crisis.” The Guardian, 14 Jan. 2025 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/dec/27/homelessness-rising-2024

Les Miserables is a fictional story written by Victor Hugo published in 1862. Hugo used Les Miserables to criticize the injustices and issues of 19th Century France. However, this book was published over 100 years ago, it is still relevant today because of the inequalities in the judicial system. Les Miserables and How Rising Inequality Has Widened the Justice Gap by Robert H. Frank both explore similar ideas of how, based on your social economic status, you may not have the same privileges as others when it comes to facing legal disputes. Although Hugo’s classic was written in the 19th century, this French novel still matters to readers today.

Jean Valjean’s imprisonment is a powerful example in Les Miserables. As time went on he was sentenced more and more years of imprisonment until he was finally free on the 19th year of being in the Galleys. Jean Valjean committed a minor crime of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving children. Early in the novel, Valjean believes he got away with it until “Isabeau pursued him and caught him… It was Jean Valjean… Jean Valjean was found guilty… sentenced to five years in the Galleys.” (pg 23) This harsh punishment underscores the extreme divergence in the justice system of the time, where the poor and desperate were treated with severe cruelty, while the wealthy often faced minimal consequences for their actions. Jean Valjean’s story highlights the enduring need for justice and equitable treatment for all individuals, regardless of their socio economic status.

Understanding this aspect of Les Miserables is crucial and still relevant today, because similar issues continue to be in modern society. For instance, the New York Times article, written by Robert H. Frank states, “More than 70 percent of low-income American households had been involved in eviction cases, labor law cases, and other civil legal disputes during the preceding year, and in more than 80 percent of those cases they lacked effective legal representation.” This conveys how certain groups like low income households have higher percentages of being involved with legal disputes. Marginalized communities often face harsher penalties and have fewer chances for rehabilitation. People with low incomes might not be able to afford quality legal representation, leading to unfair outcomes in court cases.

Even though some may receive ruthless penalties while others don’t, it is clear that Les Miserables still matters today. This novel can be used to spread awareness of the inequalities in today’s society and can even assist in creating change. 

                                                                                                                 Works Cited

Frank, Robert H. "How Rising Inequality Has Widened the Justice Gap." New York Times, 31 Aug. 2018. The New York Times,www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/business/rising-inequality-widened-justice-gap.html. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

In Les Mis, Madame Thenardier and her daughter face abuse from Monsieur Thenarder. When the Thenardiers find out that Marius Pontmery is coming, Monsieur Thenardier yells angrily at his daughter and wife, trying to get them to destroy things and appear poor to the wealthy gentleman, hoping to get some money. Thenardier tells his daughter to break the windows and his wife -who is sick- to put out the fire, and “In breaking the glass she [Thenarider's daughter Eponine] had cut herself; she had gone to her mother’s bed, and she was weeping in silence.” [209] This shows how little Monsieur Thenardier values the safety and happiness of his daughter and only cares about receiving money from Marius. Also, this excerpt indicates how little Thenardier’s daughter, Eponine, trusts Monsieur Thenardier. When she got hurt, she was scared to show her dad and instead went over to cry to her mother silently. She is scared of her father, and in this case, her father is abusing her, which proves that there is a theme of domestic abuse in Les Miserables. 

Australia is also facing problems relating to the issue of domestic abuse. Government data on domestic abuse, published in the New York Times found that, “in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, 34 women were killed by a current or previous intimate partner, up 28 percent from the previous fiscal year.” The article also continues to talk about how domestic abuse has been on the rise in the years 2023-2024 and is still on the rise. In the end, the problems of domestic abuse got so bad that it was considered a “national crisis”. Women getting killed by their partners is a form of abuse, as extreme as abuse can be. Other than just the documented dead women, countless others are being abused physically and verbally, just like Eponine and the Thenardiers.  This proves how an issue from Les Mis, a book from the 1800s is still relevant today.

In Les Mis, we see that Madame Thenardier and Eponine face abuse from M. Thenardier, and Eponine hurts herself, to the dissatisfaction of Thenardier. In the article, we see how women, subject to the anger of their partner, are brutally murdered by their partner. In these two, we see the common thread of abuse - both verbal and physical towards women. This and the evidence given above prove that Les Mis matters today and that the threads of abuse that have been woven into the story are still present in our everyday lives.

Les Miserablés was first published on March 31, 1862, by Victor Hugo. This book takes place around what was called the Paris Uprising. The Paris Uprising was a famous event in 1832, 30 years before Les Miserablés. Fast forward to 2025, and the events and social problems highlighted in Les Miserablés are still a glaring problem. The world has evolved majorly over the years, with industrialization creating a system around automation and Oppenheimer creating the Atomic Bomb, destroying the world as much as he saved it. In contrast, however, there are still many terrifying parallels 163 years later from when Victor Hugo published Les Miserablés. The idea of corruption and flaws in child and foster care is still reflected now in the modern world. Les Miserablés is still important today because thousands of children become orphans every day, and their new caretakers start charging more because of unnecessary reasons to make more money.

In a world of 8 billion people, it is simple math that some families end up on the wrong end of the sword daily. Hence why, every day, children lose their parents and sometimes their siblings too, becoming orphans. In the article The War in Gaza Is Making Thousands of Orphans, Vivian Yee and Bilal Shbair talk about how the war in Gaza is creating thousands of orphans because their families are getting killed in this horrible and dark war. Yee and Shbair explain that, “In Khan Younis, a volunteer-run camp has sprung up to shelter more than 1,000 children who have lost one or both parents, including the Akeilas.” One thousand children have lost their families and have to start a new life. However, after all the trauma during this war, it would be difficult to fight the tears and continue fighting.  Their lives will never be the same because they have a long road ahead of them. They will struggle infinitely without the help they need, and they don’t have the help.

Every human is driven by 4 things: money, power, pleasure, and fame. They are all linked together and build each other up. It is a natural feeling, so when someone makes money, their first thought is to try to make more money. This is how the childcare system works and how it is corrupt to the point that they are in it for the money and not for the children. In the book Les Miserablés, Fantine lives in poverty, so she has to work. She can’t work with her child, which requires a lot of time and money, so she hands her to the Thernardiers for a large sum of money. However, not only do they treat Cosette like a second-class citizen and a maid, they start charging more for every payment for their service. On page 46 of Les Miserablés, Victor Hugo writes about what Thernardier said to Fantine , “Cosette is doing wonderfully well… A pretty price that is. What does she expect us to do for her seven francs? And he wrote demanding twelve francs… The woman was unkind to Cosette; Eponine and Azelma were unkind also.” This shows how the Thernardiers charged more money when they needed more money. In other words, whenever they felt like it. Instead of bringing it back down, they kept continuously raising it until Jean Valjean could finally release Cosette from what seemed like a prison sentence and took custody of her. Miss Thernardier and her daughters were also rude to Cosette, and it was overall just a bad experience. It was like the Thernardiers were paid to have a maid, not the other way around. However, this is just the case for all child care programs, if it’s a facility or a single person, it’s all the same thing. It’s all the same lies.

Overall, childcare for people in need is in a state of maximum need because orphans are being created quickly, not only from wars like the Gaza war in the article, but also just a parent leaving voluntarily because they do not want the pressure of a child. No matter the cause, the effect is thousands and thousands of children becoming orphans and losing almost everyone they loved. They get sent into foster homes or child caretakers that supposedly help the children from the deepest bottom of their hearts. However, the children always get the bad end of the stick because they don’t get treated well. This is evident when Victor Hugo reveals that the women of the Thernardier family have not treated Cosette well. Therefore, the corruption from the child care system comes from the increasing abundance of parentless children because of events like the war in Gaza, as highlighted in the article I have mentioned above. All in all, the life of a child after losing their family is really tough, and the child care system doesn’t care.

In Les Miserables, poverty is shown by a bunch of characters. One of those characters is Eponine. She is the eldest daughter of the Thenardiers. When Marius has to watch her, he sees her with tattered clothes and very pale. She also asks him for money because of how poor she is to pay for rent. When she leaves, she sees a piece of dry bread on the ground with mold on it, she grabs it and eats it. “On her way, she saw on the bureau a dry crust of bread molding there in the dust; she sprang upon it, and bit it, muttering: This is good! It’s hard! It breaks my teeth! Then she went out. Pg.204-205”. 

Poverty is still relevant today even after 2 centuries. In the article that I read by the New York Times, it said that in New York City, 1 out of 4 children live in poverty and tens of thousands of kids don’t have enough food and can barely afford rent. They probably can’t get healthcare. “In New York City, one in every four children lives in poverty. Tens of thousands of children are not getting enough food to eat, and their families are struggling to make rent.” The article said that data shows that kids in poverty are less likely to finish high school and will continue to be in the cycle of poverty. They also had very low literacy rates, even trapping them even deeper into poverty. The good news is some organizations are trying to reduce poverty. Children’s Aid Dunlevy Milbank Community Center in Harlem is a center that provides one-on-one tutoring and teaches kids how to read and write. Another organization is the Children’s Aid which is a nonprofit organization. They were founded in 1853 and help support children and families by helping pay for rent, buying groceries, getting clothes in the winter, and paying for college tuition for students who can’t afford it. They also have free eye screenings and prescription glasses.

In conclusion, Les Miserables still affects the 21st century, especially poverty. From Cosette having to work at a very young age without proper clothes, to Eponine who has to eat bread with mold on the ground, and the kids in New York who can barely eat food and pay rent. But unlike Les Miserables, more kids in this century are escaping poverty. From free tutoring on how to read and write at the center, to the Children's Fund which has helped many families with rent, clothes, food, and basic health. As time goes on, maybe more kids will experience less poverty.  

Abby Wilson

Victor Hugo’s les Miserables makes a lot of commentary on society and the government in 19th century France. While it first comes across as a love story between main characters Marius and Cosette, it is really about the social issues Hugo saw all around him in his day to day life. The book covers many important topics, one of them being charity. Despite being written more than 150 years ago, the inclusion of charity in les Miserables is still very relevant today.

Throughout the novel, many characters show charity towards the less fortunate around them. One of the characters who shows charity to others time and time again is Jean Valjean, the protagonist. On page 127 of les Miserables, it is mentioned that there was “a mendicant who sat crouching over the edge of a condemned public well near by, and to whom Jean Valjean often gave alms. He never passed this man without giving him a few pennies.” Valjean knew what it was like to not have enough money for food, and wanted to make sure others wouldn’t have to experience what he did. This is one example of charity in les Miserables.

Charity is also a big topic today. Many people all around the world are in need of money and other forms of help, especially after natural disasters. Right now, some people who are in need of charity are victims of the Southern California wildfires. In one New York Times article named How to Help Victims of the Southern California Wildfires, author Aimee Ortiz writes that many “volunteers and aid groups are working to help communities affected by this natural disaster.” The L.A. wildfires have affected many people, and it is estimated that the economic cost of the wildfires could be more than $50 billion. Because of this, many organizations and charities are working to donate money and supplies to anyone who fell victim to the fires. Helping those who have been affected by this natural disaster is an excellent example of charity today.

In conclusion, charity is a theme that is still as relevant today as it was in the 19th century. Society has always had issues such as poverty and natural disasters that lead to people, families, and even communities being in need of charity. Through les Miserables and our everyday lives, charity proves itself to be a common theme, time and time again.

Works Cited

Ortiz, Aimee. “How to Help Victims of the Southern California Wildfires.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025.

Why Les Miserables Matters Today

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo is a captivating book based on an ex-convict, Jean Valjean’s journey, starting a new life after being released from the galleys. Although this book was written in 1862, many of the issues touched on in this captivating novel can be reflected on society today. Hugo highlights the obstacles people in 19th century France faced. One of the major issues shown multiple times throughout the book is poverty. Poverty is still a large issue in today’s world, and many connections from Les Miserables to society’s current issues can be found.

Although poverty has drastically improved since the 1800s, it is still a worldwide issue today. A recently published New York Times article states that “People around the world are still struggling to afford housing, heating, transport and healthy food for themselves and their families.” Just like Jean Valjean and his family, people today are also struggling to afford housing and food. Jean Valjean worked hard as a pruner while he was living with his sister, but for a very low wage. Because of the minute amount of money he would earn, this led him to later steal in desperation. 

Jean Valjean was imprisoned for 19 years, with the original charge for stealing bread to feed his family. He was living with his sister and her family of 9 at the time, and times were tough. Hugo writes: “There was a very severe winter; Jean had no work, the family had no bread; literally, no bread, and seven children.” (23)  Because of these extreme circumstances, one could imagine why Jean Valjean would need to turn to his last resort: stealing for his family. This action can be seen in today’s world too, quite often. Because people cannot afford food, they, like Jean Valjean, have no other choice than to resort to theft. 

Poverty makes an appearance many times throughout Les Miserables, making it relevant to today’s global issues. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so, like Jean Valjean, people might need to break the law in order to survive. There are countless other global issues that are touched upon in Les Miserables, making it a novel with timeless issues and injustices that will be relevant for generations to come. 

In Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, throughout the story, poverty is demonstrated. Poverty has been a big problem since the 1700s and even now. Victor Hugo shows how poverty affects people in society, no matter how intelligent they are. Even in today’s society, we see how many kids and adults are starving day after day, and children do not have enough resources to live. It isn’t just in the U.S.; it's also in other countries. Many kids who don't grow up with the opportunities that other kids have tend to be left behind and struggle to tend to many different things and get affected in the long run. Les Misérables still matters to readers today beecause Hugo’s characters show how difficult, yet not impossible it is to escape poverty when people are born into it.

We see multiple characters from the book go through poverty, such as Jean Valjean, Fantine, and Cosette. Due to Jean Valjean being an ex-convict, nobody was willing to give him a spot to sleep or get something to eat. However, later he finds a bishop named Magloire. He was invited to a spot to sleep and to share a meal that wasn’t excellent, but it's better than nothing. “Meanwhile, Madame Magloire had served up supper; it consisted of soup made of water, oil, bread, and salt, a little pork, a scrap of mutton, a few figs, a green cheese, and a large loaf of rye bread” (20). At the time in France, there was a lot of poverty going around, so the meals that some people would eat weren’t so great. 

Poverty is such an important problem that is around the world and has been going on for hundreds of years. Poverty is an important problem due to its effect on people who experience it. People who experience poverty face challenges such as bad mental health and physical issues and go through a lot of hunger. “Poverty is associated with substandard housing, hunger, homelessness, inadequate childcare, unsafe neighborhoods, and under-resourced schools. In addition, low-income children are at greater risk than higher-income children for a range of cognitive, emotional, and health-related problems, including detrimental effects on executive functioning, below-average academic achievement, poor social-emotional functioning, developmental delays, behavioral problems, asthma, inadequate nutrition, low birth weight, and higher rates of pneumonia.” This news article explains and shows us just how much people who experience poverty can go through and the struggles they live and grow up with. 

Les Misérables demonstrates a lot of poverty throughout the book that relates to what the world is like now, whether it's living conditions, food conditions, mental and physical health, or just how some adults and kids live. We can even relate the article back to what Les Misérables shows and how the book goes along. We see how some kids have better lives and do better than other kids based on their living conditions compared to kids who are less fortunate.

One of the biggest problems in the world is homelessness and poverty. Once you get in them, there's an astronomically slim chance that you will make it out. Both of these issues are addressed in the book Les Miserables, and still matter today. In the book Les Miserables, an ex-convict Jean Valjean gets out of his nineteen year sentence and strives to be an honest man without catching the attention of a police officer named Javert who is so fixed on the ideal that nobody will truly reach the conclusion of his punishment. The author, Victor Hugo, explores these ideas and many others throughout the book and almost all of them are still relevant in the present day.

Early on in the book Les Miserables, Jean Valjean shares the struggles of being in poverty and being homeless to the Bishop of Dyne,  he explains that he “crept into a dog-kennel, the dog bit me, and drove me away as if he had been a man; you would have said that he knew who I was. I went into the fields to sleep beneath the stars: there were no stars; I thought it would rain, and there was no good God to stop the drops, so I came back to the town to get the shelter of some doorway.” (16). This shows that poverty and homelessness can lead to just barely making it through the day, and how Les Miserables shows a perfect example of portraying this.

One article from the New York Times investigated the issue of homelessness and poverty throughout the youth of the United States. They interviewed an 18 year old woman named Brianna DeMai who has been homeless for six years to see how they get by in the world. The article shows the hardships of being in poverty and being homeless by saying, “At night, she spent much of her time on the street, often struggling to find enough food. Sometimes she ate at a shelter. Other times, she stole food and soda from stores. But nothing was worse than sleeping outside. She still remembers the first night she spent in a park, huddled up in a couple of thick blankets in the middle of winter.” These struggles are almost identical to what Victor Hugo wrote, which is why Les Miserables does a tremendous job illustrating the troubles of homelessness and poverty. The reason why this example does an excellent job encapsulating Les Miserables is because hardships that Brianna DeMai went through are about the same as what Jean Valjean went through. For example, they both didn’t have a place to stay, got rejected by almost everyone and therefore barely had anything to eat or drink, and they both had to find a place outside for them to sleep.

In short, the issues of poverty and homelessness that are addressed in Les Miserables are still relevant today in the modern world. The problems that Victor Hugo demonstrates in Les Miserables are similar to the problems that many of the people who are homeless in the present day, such as sleeping outside, having trouble finding food or water, and so on. Victor Hugo perfectly shows what it is like to live in poverty and homelessness, and will most likely continue to be relevant in the future.

Citations:

"'I've been homeless for six years': Brianna DeMaio, 18, is one of more than a

     million homeless youth in the United States. How do they survive on the

     streets?" Gale, 15 Sept. 2014, go-gale-com.bostonlatin.idm.oclc.org/ps/

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     erGroupName=mlin_b_blatshl&inPS=true&aty=ip. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Early in the novel les miserables, Cosette had suffered child abuse at a young age from the Therandiers, even though her mom, Fatine was paying a lot of money for her daughter to be taking care of. The Thernaiders didn’t feed her that much. They had dressed her in rags. They treated her really badly, and they used her as a servant. “ It was a harrowing  sight to see in the winter time the poor child, not yet six years old, shivering under the tatters of what was once a calico dress, sweeping the street before daylight with an enormous broom in her little red hands and tears in her large eyes.” This quote shows that they didn’t really take care of her. Also she was treated 

Healthychildren.org states that “ neglect is the most common and dangerous form of maltreatment and can take many forms. HHS figures for 2022 suggest that nearly 75% of all children involved in maltreatment cases faced some form of neglect, such as: physical neglect, emotional neglect, medical neglect, education neglect, supervisory neglect.” This quote proves that these issues can cause children to die, and be in serious danger, not getting taken care of correctly. 

Another quote from Les Miserables that shows that the novel is still relevant to today from the author Victor Hugo. “ They fed her on the odds and ends, a little better than the dog , and a little worse than the cat. The dog and cat were her messmates. Cosette ate with them under the table in a wooden dish. This quote shows that she doesnt get fed that much.

Amy Garvil states  that “ Physical Abuse is  failure to provide food, clothing, shelter and other essentials that keep kids healthy and safe.” This quote means that children can die without any food, and not having a good amount of food, in order for them to have energy. They can become very sick and ill. 

Even though some people don’t read old novels like “Les Miserables" is still relevant to this day because in the novel, Cosette had suffered neglect, and other children in the country experienced the same thing. And this can cause them to be sad or it can cause them to die. It can also cause children to do things they’re not supposed to be doing. 

Jean Valjean, the novel’s main character, is really affected by poverty. After stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sisters starving children. Jean is sentenced to nineteen years in prison. His poverty and the unfair treatment he faces in prison are many of his struggles. As the book says, “Valjean was born of a poor peasant family of Brie” (20). After his release Jean faces rejection from society because of his criminal record. “Jean Valhean, my brother, you belong no longer…” (34). This shows how poverty traps people even when they try to change. Similarly today many people in poverty find it hard to escape because of their lack of resources and the things that come with being poor. As the article explains, “people who struggle to pay the rent or provide sufficient food for their families have little ability to work on higher–level strategies for building intergenerational economic security–like saving to buy a home or investing in a retirement account.”

Fantine is another character who faces poverty's harsh realities. She is forced to send her daughter, Cossete, to  live with the cruel innkeepers, the Thenardiers, because she cannot afford to care forher. As the book says, “What is the history of Fantine? Is it society buying a slave…?” (67). Fantine’s desperate situation leads her to turn to prostitution to survive which harms her health. In the end, she dies, but Jean Valjean helps her before her death bringing some relief. Just like Fantine, many people today have to make difficult choices when living in poverty. The article mentions, “While some public conversation is now pivoting to even thinking about wealth building.” Without the right support, like Jean Valjean’s intervention, people can find it nearly impossible to escape poverty, even if they work hard. 

Cossette, like her mother, also struggles with poverty. Living with the Thenardiers, she suffers from neglect and hardship. The book says, “How poverty changes Cossette” (162). When Jean Valjean rescues her, Cosette’s life begins to improve but she still struggles with the effects of her earlier life. The article reveals that in Massachusetts, “poverty thresholds are still so low–by either measure–that many families above the poverty line still struggle to make ends meet.” This is similar to Cosette’s situation where even though her circumstances improve, she continues to be affected by her difficult childhood. The same is true today: even when people move out of poverty it's hard to overcome the lasting effects of living in such bad conditions 

In conclusion, Les Miserables continues to be relevant today because it shows how poverty affects individuals and society as a whole. The struggles of Jean Valjean, Fantine, and Cosette reflect the 

ongoing difficulties faced by many people in poverty today. As the article suggests, “We continue to make gradual progress on reducing poverty; but the absolute level of poverty remains unnecessarily high.” Just like in Hugo’s time, people today are still fighting against poverty’seffects. By examining these connections we see why Les Miserables still matters. It teaches us that poverty is not just an issue of the past but something that must still be said in our world today.

Calef, Anne. "Massachusetts shows progress on poverty, but remains worse than 21

     other states due to high cost of living." Boston Indicators, Anne Calef, 21

     Sept. 2022, www.bostonindicators.org/article-pages/2022/september/

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     ed,the%20expanded%20Child%20Tax%20Credit. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Les Miserables is a french novel that was written ages ago and although of its age its message still remains prominent to this day. Many problems are shown throughout the story such as abuse, education, and prison conditions, but the one the theme that is shown the most throughout the book is Poverty. Many characters are shown going through poverty and one that stands out is Marius. He is shown going through poverty or as he calls it misery but he realizes that true misery is the misery of childhood. This means that what he's going through is much worse as a child and that's what true misery is, and that's what's happening in our world right now.Many children are going through poverty in New York right now. Les Miserables matters today because it shows an example of what going through poverty looks like and then shows in the real world how this is happening.

In Les Miserables, Marius is shown going through poverty and thinks that he is going through misery. Later he finds out that although he feels as he is going through misery, true misery is going through this as a child. Marius is living by himself in poverty currently and he has just paid for a family's rent even though he is poor and the book reads as, “For five years Marius had lived in poverty, in privation, in distress even, but he perceived that he had never known real misery. Real misery he had just seen. In fact, he who has seen the misery of man only has seen nothing, he must see the misery of woman; he who has seen the misery of woman only has seen nothing, he must see the misery of childhood.” This shows that Les Miserables matters today because it shows not only a character going through poverty but also showing this character realize that many others go through this too. He realizes that children go through this and it is much more difficult for them to go through poverty and that is what true misery really is.

Les Miserables matters today because Les Miserables shows the poverty many go through today. In New York there has been an uprise in poverty recently and especially in children. Marius explains that true misery is when a child has to go through poverty and children going through poverty is very common today. The New York Times published an article and it talks about how there was a huge spike in poverty and especially in children. The article says, “After several years of declining poverty, New York City saw a sharp reversal in 2022, when it experienced its largest yearly increase in the poverty level in a decade. Twenty-three percent of the city’s residents were unable to afford basic necessities like housing and food, according to a new report by a research group at Columbia University and Robin Hood, a large philanthropic organization. In 2021, that number was 18 percent. The number of New Yorkers living in poverty, nearly two million in all, included one in four children.” This shows that now more than ever poverty is spiking and children are especially impacted by poverty. They explain in Les Miserables that children are the ones who go through true misery and that children really are affected by poverty and Marius realizes this and that's why Les Miserables matters today

In conclusion the French novel Les Miserables matters for many reasons today. They show many problems that are happening in the world such as abuse, fraud, and many more but the one that stays prominent is poverty. Les Miserables matters today because it represents the character Marius going through poverty and realizing that children have it much worse when they're going through poverty and right now in New York there is an uprising of children going through poverty.

in Les Misérables, Hugo writes, “You who suffer because you love, love still more. To die of love is to live by it.” Through this line and Jean Valjean’s transformation, victor Hugo stresses the power of compassion and charity to show systemic issues like poverty. Valjean’s retaliation happens when a bishop shows him kindness by forgiving his earlier crime for stealing and giving him a second chance. This action of kindness and mercy contrasts starkly with the unforgiving justice system that targets him and wants to punish him. Victor Hugo uses Jean Valjean’s story to bring out the  societal structures that fail to address the main problems of poverty and inequality, and try to turn readers' mindsets to a more empathetic approach.

Similarly, a recent article in The Boston Globe titled “Boston Faces Growing Homelessness Crisis Amid Rising Rents” (January 2025) examines how poverty and housing inequality continue to plague modern cities. The article highlights how due to rent being so high and terrible public assistance leaving a lot of families homeless, with shelters struggling to meet demand. It also tells the story of Maria Lopez, a single mother who lost her home after losing her job, underscoring the systemic failures that perpetuate cycles of poverty. The piece reflects the same urgency victor Hugo showed in his depiction of the desperate struggles faced by the impoverished.

These parallels between Les Misérables and current events illustrate the novel's enduring significance. Hugo’s advocacy for compassion, systemic reform, and attention to social injustices resonates as strongly today as it did in the 19th century. By addressing modern issues such as homelessness and economic inequality, we continue the dialogue Hugo initiated, reminding us of the moral obligation to build a society that values justice and humanity.

Citation for Article: Boston Globe Staff. “Boston Faces Growing Homelessness Crisis Amid Rising Rents.” The Boston Globe, January 2025. www.bostonglobe.com.

Hugo's classic shows a form of child abuse or neglect. In les Misérables, Cosette's mother, Fantine, leaves her with the Thenardiers who mistreat her. by Victor Hugo narates “The dog and cat were her messmates. Cosette ate with them under the table in a wooden dish(46)”. This shows her getting made to eat with animals under a table, like she isn't a human. While living with in Thenardier’s care, Cosette was a “harrowing sight to see in the winter time the poor child, not yet six years old, shivering under the tatters of what was once a calico dress, sweeping the street before daylight with an enormous broom in her little red hands and tears in her large eyes(47)”. This also shows the child neglect and how she had to do brutal things in the winter at only 6 years old.

The article called Breaking the Abuse Cycle By Virgie Townsend shows information about abused children or children who were neglected. This article states “I’d heard that people who were abused as children often abuse their own kids”. This shows how damaging and life scaring this could be to a child being neglected/abused. It could often lead to it happening to other children.

In conclusion les Misérables does, in fact, matter today. This is proven by how it shows and addresses these social issues and shows how it could damage a person wich still goes on today. Like shown in the article, that happens today and more likely to happen in the future because of the fact that people who have been abused/neglected as a child, are more likely to do it to theres in the future.

Works Cited

Townsend, Virgie. "Breaking the Abuse Cycle." The New York Times, 15 Apr. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/well/family/breaking-the-abuse-cycle.html. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.