Cosette's Love
Cosette and Jean Valjean undoubtedly represent the strongest parent-child relationship throughout the whole novel, and therefore, provides the clearest illustration of Hugo’s love theme. When Jean Valjean first “saw Cosette, when he had taken her, carried her away and rescued her, he felt his heart moved”(Hugo, 183). After the death of Cosette’s and finding the little girl in such poor condition, the white-haired man feels obliged to take care of the poor girl. Not much time goes by before Cosette starts calling the man who “rescued”(183) her a “Father”(183), and they begin to love each other. Their love becomes so great that Jean Valjean compares the time he found Cosette to the life-changing day he meets the Bishop. His experience is described as, "the second white vision he had seen.
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The bishop had caused the dawn of virtue on his horizon; Cosette evoked the dawn of love”(183). When Jean Valjean meets the Bishop, he becomes a better man with better morals. When Jean Valjean meets Cosette, he becomes a man with love and strength in his heart. The theory of their love for each other giving Jean Valjean strength is touched upon many times throughout Les Miserables. After, “he had been sent back to the galleys this time for doing good; new waves of bitterness had overwhelmed him; disgust and weariness had once more resumed their sway… Who knows that Jean Valjean was not on the point of becoming discouraged and falling back to evil ways? Love came, and he again grew strong”(186). Jean Valjean is a good man who is sent back to the galleys in order to protect a man he does not even know. However, having to go back to prison, even after doing the right thing, may have caused Jean Valjean to start to lose faith in society and begin to hate again. He may have also begun to lose his moral strength; the strength that is restored by the love for Cosette. As explained, Love and Cosette replace the “disgust and weariness”(186) causing him to become emotionally strong. In addition, Cosette is another character who reveals the strength borne of a parent’s love for their child. If fact, in a parent-child relationship, strength presents itself in both sides. As described after Jean Valjean takes Cosette from the Thenardiers, “He protected her, and she gave strength to him”(186). An example of this protection occurs when Javert and other cops come after Jean Valjean. The white-haired man does everything he can to protect his little girl. The strength of love and the need to protect Cosette from the fate of a fatherless child gives him the ability to hoist himself and his daughter over a wall that others would deem impossible to scale. Also, “Thanks to him, she could walk upright in life; thanks to her, he could persist in virtuous deeds”(186).
Because of Jean Valjean, Cosette wears a convent schoolgirl dress instead of the rags she is forced to wear under the care of the Thenardiers. She feels loved instead of ashamed. This love and change in appearance strengthens Cosette’s heart and gives her the confidence to love another person. Not only does Cosette find the strength to love Jean Valjean, but she eventually loves Marius as well. Because of Cosette’s love, Jean Valjean is saved and instead of feeling the “bitterness”(186) and “disgust”(186) that comes from being imprisoned in the galleys, he feels the need to give to the poor. For example, he gives plenty of money to the Thenardiers later on in the novel and he is known as their “benefactor”(298). Raising Cosette, Jean Valjean “was the support of this child, and this child was his prop and staff”(186-187). Cosette and Jean Valjean’s love for each other give them the strength to support one another. If the old man does not love Cosette, then he may not be able to find the strength to raise the young girl which "took up nearly all of Jean Valjean's
life"(186). Just as well, If Cosette does not love the white-haired man, then she may not be able to find the strength to want to support and make someone, other than herself, happy. For example, when the pair live alone Cosette exclaims, “Father, I enjoy myself better here with you”(356). She knows that staying at home is what Jean Valjean prefers. Through the pain and torture Cosette suffers in the home of the Thenardiers, the young girl still finds the ability to be kind to her father and care for his needs. Even though the strength created as a result of the love between a parent and their child is uncanny, there are consequences as to when that love is lost. Once Jean Valjean thinks he lost Cosette for good when she married Marius, the old man becomes too weak to even go outside. Soon, Jean Valjean can not even get out of his bed. Not much time goes by after that when the weak old man dies. However, Jean Valjean is not the only person to have suffered the consequences of the loss of a child.
The bishop had caused the dawn of virtue on his horizon; Cosette evoked the dawn of love”(183). When Jean Valjean meets the Bishop, he becomes a better man with better morals. When Jean Valjean meets Cosette, he becomes a man with love and strength in his heart. The theory of their love for each other giving Jean Valjean strength is touched upon many times throughout Les Miserables. After, “he had been sent back to the galleys this time for doing good; new waves of bitterness had overwhelmed him; disgust and weariness had once more resumed their sway… Who knows that Jean Valjean was not on the point of becoming discouraged and falling back to evil ways? Love came, and he again grew strong”(186). Jean Valjean is a good man who is sent back to the galleys in order to protect a man he does not even know. However, having to go back to prison, even after doing the right thing, may have caused Jean Valjean to start to lose faith in society and begin to hate again. He may have also begun to lose his moral strength; the strength that is restored by the love for Cosette. As explained, Love and Cosette replace the “disgust and weariness”(186) causing him to become emotionally strong. In addition, Cosette is another character who reveals the strength borne of a parent’s love for their child. If fact, in a parent-child relationship, strength presents itself in both sides. As described after Jean Valjean takes Cosette from the Thenardiers, “He protected her, and she gave strength to him”(186). An example of this protection occurs when Javert and other cops come after Jean Valjean. The white-haired man does everything he can to protect his little girl. The strength of love and the need to protect Cosette from the fate of a fatherless child gives him the ability to hoist himself and his daughter over a wall that others would deem impossible to scale. Also, “Thanks to him, she could walk upright in life; thanks to her, he could persist in virtuous deeds”(186).
Because of Jean Valjean, Cosette wears a convent schoolgirl dress instead of the rags she is forced to wear under the care of the Thenardiers. She feels loved instead of ashamed. This love and change in appearance strengthens Cosette’s heart and gives her the confidence to love another person. Not only does Cosette find the strength to love Jean Valjean, but she eventually loves Marius as well. Because of Cosette’s love, Jean Valjean is saved and instead of feeling the “bitterness”(186) and “disgust”(186) that comes from being imprisoned in the galleys, he feels the need to give to the poor. For example, he gives plenty of money to the Thenardiers later on in the novel and he is known as their “benefactor”(298). Raising Cosette, Jean Valjean “was the support of this child, and this child was his prop and staff”(186-187). Cosette and Jean Valjean’s love for each other give them the strength to support one another. If the old man does not love Cosette, then he may not be able to find the strength to raise the young girl which "took up nearly all of Jean Valjean's
life"(186). Just as well, If Cosette does not love the white-haired man, then she may not be able to find the strength to want to support and make someone, other than herself, happy. For example, when the pair live alone Cosette exclaims, “Father, I enjoy myself better here with you”(356). She knows that staying at home is what Jean Valjean prefers. Through the pain and torture Cosette suffers in the home of the Thenardiers, the young girl still finds the ability to be kind to her father and care for his needs. Even though the strength created as a result of the love between a parent and their child is uncanny, there are consequences as to when that love is lost. Once Jean Valjean thinks he lost Cosette for good when she married Marius, the old man becomes too weak to even go outside. Soon, Jean Valjean can not even get out of his bed. Not much time goes by after that when the weak old man dies. However, Jean Valjean is not the only person to have suffered the consequences of the loss of a child.