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Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

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Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Hena Alyssa Marie L. Capati Mrs. Ma. Victoria Bacani
IV-BSED

LES MISERABLES
(Reaction paper)

The movie, Les Miserables is based on the novel of Victor Hugo, though the book is 100 of times better than the movie and there is a different final, they only talk about the same thing. Les Miserables is all about an illiterate boy who stole bread and convicted for 19 years. When he was discharged on his parole, he again committed same offense for the last time; stealing. In the movie, as he was been refused by other people to let him give food and shelter, he came to Monsigneur Myriel. There the bishop gave him food and let him sleep in a real bed. But desperately speaking, Valjean steal the bishop’s silver spoons, but in the book version, it was silver plates. When he was caught, the bishop gave him another two silver candlesticks, and let him go. The bishop believed him that he will become a good man, as he was said last night and Valjean promised that. So, after the incident, Valjean tried his best to become one. In the book version, he did his last temptation to do wrong; to steal two francs from a boy, but immediately he felt guilty.

In the book, there is an instance where he rescued two children of the police captain in the burning town hall. Where I think was not shown in the movie. Although both in the movie and book, he was just a factory worker, after the bankruptcy of the factory, he bought it for only 500 francs, he became prosperous and become mayor of the town. Another to contrast, Inspector Javert showed up in the movie scene by introducing himself to Valjean but in the book, he only appeared when Fantine caught and forcing to be in jail. Fantine works at the mayor’s factory, she is working for her young girl Cossette. The Thenardiers took care of him and lied to Fantine about Cossette’s health condition. So Fantine tried her best to earn money to give to the Thenardiers and pay for Cossette’s medicine, without knowing she has

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