Importance Of Sense Of Justice And Molarity

Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” is one the most powerful and unique stories of redemption. This story is different in many ways. From its varied cast of characters to the meticulous mixing of storylines, it’s unique. Javert, the antagonist principal in “Les Mis”, is one of its most unique features. Javert is more than just a typical “bad guy”, modern literature has Javert as a complex character with a sense of justice. Javert could only be an antagonist in a novel as thoughtful and religious as “Les Mis”. It is clear that this character was created with great care and thought. Javert might seem like an antagonist if one only looks at his actions. Javert is a cop inspector who is committed to his work, morally upright, and obsessed about justice. This could be the ideal description for any detective story’s protagonist. So, how is Javert an antagonist? The answer is simple: Javert is directly opposing Jean Valjean, protagonist. Javert is therefore, automatically, the antagonist. An antagonist is someone who opposes or fights the hero. Javert relentlessly pursues Valjean throughout “Les Mis”, doing everything possible to return him to the galleys. He also opposes the student rebellion, which Valjean seems support, creating an opposition to ideals.

Even with these arguments, Javert could seem confusing to readers. Javert and Valjean are convicts. But is Javert not just “doing what he has to”? One could wonder if Valjean might be an antihero or a person with a different sense of morality. This notion is not supported by “Les Miserables”. Jean Valjean is a moral citizen, a mayor of a city, a businessman, and a humanitarian who believes in the truthfulness of Christian principles. He is a true hero. You must read “Les Miserables” to fully grasp Javert’s role as antagonist. The story of redemption is the essence of “Les Mis”. It tells the story of how a person’s journey from darkness to light is described. This story tells the story of justice sprinkled with mercy. Jean Valjean, the protagonist, is in essence the embodiment of that message, a living testament to the power and grace of grace. This is how we can see Javert for who he truly is. Javert, if Valjean represents grace, is Javert condemnation. Like antagonist and protagonist, mercy or condemnation can also oppose each other. Now, Javert and Valjean are not an individual clash, but a clash between theologies. Javert represents righteousness through the law, while Valjean represents righteousness through grace. James 2:13 of The New Testament states that “mercy wins over judgment”. Hugo was a religious man and this is what he had in mind when organizing the conflict between Javert (Valjean) and Javert. He also explains this by explaining to the reader how these characters will end and what the essence of the two theologies are. Valjean, who represents righteousness through grace, passes away happy and fulfilled after having received mercy from others. Javert, however, suffered a complete shattering of his world after being presented with a righteousness higher than his own legalistic notions of right or wrong.

It clarifies Jean Valjean’s redemption, which is one of Javert’s most important points. It becomes clear that Javert cannot be considered an antagonist if Valjean has never received grace and was never redeemed. Ex-convict Valjean would be hardened and irritable and end up back in Javert’s galleys. Valjean is, in some ways, reborn when he has his epiphany. He is now not subject to judgement but in grace. In a sense, Javert has been able to escape him. Javert’s numerous attempts to capture him and to treat him as “old Valjean”, he has made a stand against the entire idea of righteousness by grace. He is a complex and unique antagonist in literature.