Chapter 7: ...Or the Bible

Biblical allusions and parallels are extremely common in the world of literature. The Bible is perhaps the most often used text referenced to create deeper meaning or to provide a similar situation to consult when reading. For example, while reading Les Misêrables I could not help but notice certain qualities in Jean Valjean that were reminiscent of your average redeemed sinner and even Jesus himself.

Jean Valjean is the classic redeemed sinner: he has a history of theft, deceit, violence. But Valjean, after an encounter with a person of faith, he vows to honor that man and follow the path of righteousness. He becomes merciful and loving, and tries to live a life of goodness to glorify his God. Valjean is the bad boy gone good.

Jesus is, to the world of Christianity at least, the savior of the world, of sinners everywhere. He bore the sins of all to allow everyone a shot at Heaven. While not so grandiose an action, Valjean also is a savior. Not to the world, but to a little girl, Cosette, whose mother is dead and who has no family to care for her. Jean Valjean rescues her from a horrible life and shows her love, and is indeed a savior in her dim world.

Like Jesus, Valjean has his self-proclaimed enemies. While Jesus dealt with countless persecutors who mocked him, did not believe in his divine origin, and eventually crucified him, Valjean had an inspector constantly on his tail, trying desperately to convict him once more. Javert shows no mercy to Valjean, chasing him for years and attempting to thwart his retrieval of young Cosette. In Javert's eyes, there is nothing more important than the recapture of ex-convict Jean Valjean, prisoner 24601. He does not understand mercy or grace, does not care of the fate of Cosette if she has no life with Valjean, and does not attempt to understand the possible consequences of his manhunt.

But despite the awful tension between Javert and Valjean, Valjean still manages to extend forgiveness to his pursuer. In a truly "forgive they know not what they do" situation, Valjean forgives Javert for all the grief he has caused in Valjean's life, and then Valjean actually passes on the opportunity to kill Javert and instead sets him free. Furthermore, just as Jesus willingly gave himself to die, waited in the garden of Gethsemane for his captors and betrayer, Valjean informed Javert as to where he would be after the battle at the barricades. Javert received all the information from the willing ex-convict to finally capture Valjean and throw him back into prison.

But the similarities between the two texts do not stop at Valjean and Jesus. Judas, Jesus's betrayer, feels horrific guilt after he realizes the monstrosity of his action. Unable to cope with the guilt and ask for forgiveness, he resorts to a desperate measure: suicide. Javert, similarly, feels guilty about arresting Valjean after being spared from death by the same man. He knows that he cannot capture the ex-convict and not feel awful, so he leaves Valjean at his house with the intention to never chase after him again. However, Javert's highest duty is to the law. He cannot cope with arresting Valjean, yet he cannot cope with not arresting Valjean either, for if he neglects to do so, he will be compromising his vow to obey and enforce all law. Javert, like Judas, sees no escape from his dilemma, and throws himself from a bridge into the Seine.

After seeing the similarities between the Bible and Les Misêrables, I was able to see that the novel is not only a story of an ex-prisoner gone good, a miserable man turned happy by his new devotion to God. The story, as it turns out, is a modern redemption story, the tale of a man who is forgiven and takes on the qualities of Jesus, acting as savior, friend, and even redeemer himself. Valjean indeed attempts to "be perfect as [his] heavenly father is perfect."