Resumo de Les Mis?rables

Victor Hugo was born in 1802 in the French town of Besançon. Hugo began writing Les Misérables twenty years before its eventual publication in 1862. It is primarily a great humanitarian work that encourages compassion and hope in the face of adversity and injustice. It is also a historical novel of great scope and analysis. It provides a detailed vision of nineteenth-century French politics and society. By coupling his story of redemption with a meticulous documentation of the injustices of France?s recent past, Hugo hoped that Les Misérables would encourage a more progressive and democratic future. Les Misérables employs Hugo?s style of imaginative realism and is set in an artificially created human hell emphasizing the three major predicaments of the nineteenth century. Each of the three major characters in the novel symbolizes one of these predicaments. Jean Valjean represents the degradation of man in the proletariat, Fantine represents the subjection of women through hunger, and Cosette represents the atrophy of the child by darkness.
The convict Jean Valjean is released from a French prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. When Valjean arrives at the town of Digne, no one is willing to give him shelter because he is an ex-convict. Desperate, Valjean knocks on the door of M. Myriel, the kindly bishop of Digne. Myriel treats Valjean with kindness, but Valjean repays the bishop by stealing his silverware. The authorities release Valjean and Myriel makes him promise to become an honest man. Eager to fulfill his promise, Valjean masks his identity and enters the town of Montreuil-sur-mer. Under the assumed name of Madeleine, Valjean invents an ingenious manufacturing process that brings the town prosperity. Fantine, a young woman from Montreuil, lives in Paris. She falls in love with Tholomyès, a wealthy student who gets her pregnant and then abandons her. Fantine returns to her home village with her daughter, Cosette. On the way to Montreuil, Fantine realizes that she will never be able to find work if the townspeople know that she has an illegitimate child. In the town of Montfermeil, she meets the Thénardiers, a family that runs the local inn. The Thénardiers agree to look after Cosette as long as Fantine sends them a monthly allowance.
In Montreuil, Fantine finds work in Madeleine?s factory. Fantine?s coworkers find out about Cosette, however, and Fantine is fired. One night, Javert, Montreuil?s police chief, arrests Fantine. She is to be sent to prison, but Madeleine intervenes. First, however, he must contend with Javert, who has discovered Madeleine?s criminal past. Javert tells Madeleine that a man has been accused of being Jean Valjean, and Madeleine confesses his true identity. Javert shows up to arrest Valjean while Valjean is at Fantine?s bedside, and Fantine dies from the shock.
After a few years, Valjean escapes from prison and heads to Montfermeil, where he is able to buy Cosette from the Thénardiers. Valjean and Cosette move to a run-down part of Paris. Javert discovers their hideout and they are forced to flee. They find refuge in a convent, where Cosette attends school and Valjean works as a gardener.
Marius Pontmercy is a young man who lives with his wealthy grandfather, M. Gillenormand. One day, Marius sees Cosette at a public park. It is love at first sight, but the protective Valjean does his utmost to prevent Cosette and Marius from ever meeting. After Valjean leaves, Thénardier announces a plan to rob Valjean when he returns.
The ambush is foiled and the Thénardiers are arrested, but Valjean escapes before Javert can identify him.
Thénardier?s daughter Eponine, who is in love with Marius, helps Marius discover Cosette?s whereabouts. Marius is finally able to make contact with Cosette, and the two declare their love for each other. Valjean, however, soon shatters their happiness. Worried that he will lose Cosette, Valjean announces that he and Cosette are moving to England. In desperation, Marius runs to his grandfather, M. Gillenormand, to ask for M. Gillenormand?s permission to marry Cosette. When Marius returns to Cosette, she and Valjean have disappeared.
As Eponine dies in Marius?s arms, she hands him a letter from Cosette. Marius quickly scribbles a reply and orders a boy, Gavroche, to deliver it to Cosette.
Valjean arrives at the barricade and volunteers to execute Javert. As the army storms the barricade, Valjean grabs the wounded Marius and flees through the sewers. When Valjean emerges hours later, Javert immediately arrests him. Valjean pleads with Javert to let him take the dying Marius to Marius?s grandfather. Javert agrees. Ultimately, Javert lets Valjean go and throws himself into the river, where he drowns.
Marius makes a full recovery and is reconciled with Gillenormand, who consents to Marius and Cosette?s marriage. Their wedding is a happy one, marred only when Valjean confesses his criminal past to Marius. Alarmed by this revelation and unaware that it was Valjean who saved his life at the barricades, Marius tries to prevent Cosette from having contact with Valjean. Lonely and depressed, Valjean awaits his death. Marius eventually finds out from Thénardier that Valjean saved Marius?s life. Ashamed that he mistrusted Valjean, Marius tells Cosette everything that has happened. Marius and Cosette rush to Valjean?s side just in time for a final reconciliation. Happy to be reunited with his adopted daughter, Valjean dies in peace.

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