Re-Reading Les Misérables

Thoughts and commentary on Victor Hugo’s masterpiece.

What’s “Good” for Valjean and Javert

While putting together my review of the 1978 movie, I thought of the key difference between Valjean and Javert in terms of what they think of as being “good.”

  • Valjean helps people, even at the expense of the social order.
  • Javert preserves the social order, even at the expense of people.