Summary:
A character sketch of Jean Valjean, the main character in Les Misérables.
At the beginning of the novel Jean Valjean is introduced right after he has been released from the galleys. He is a ragged traveler and is about 46 or 47 years old. He is of medium height and appears quite strong. He has on a leather cap, a yellow shirt, patched blue trousers and a torn, grey blouse. He carries with him a knapsack and a walking stick. His hair has been shaved, but is starting to grow back.
Throughout the novel, Jean Valjean stays mostly the same. He is always strong and does not look his age. This changes at the end of the novel when he is dying; it is apparent that time and the events in his life have taken their toll. He is so sick he cannot sit up, or even walk a few feet. He has hard time breathing and seems to have shrunk. He is not the same man he was when the novel commenced.
Jean Valjean truly has the personality of a saint. After he stops being the hardened, coarse man from the galleys, he spends the rest of his life doing good deeds for others. He saves the lives of numerous people, Marius and Javert included, even though he does not particularly like them. He raises an orphan girl and frequently gives money to the poor. He is an intelligent man; he makes hundreds of thousands of francs through his factory. He also becomes the mayor of a small town, which is not such a small feat.
It is not easy for Jean Valjean to reacquaint himself with relationships, but a little girl changed all of that. When he takes on care of Cosette, he becomes a joyful person; she makes him happy. With the love of Cosette, it is easier for Jean to converse with other people, though he did so infrequently. He tries to remain as obscure as possible, because Javert is always searching for them.
Even though there are people Jean Valjean detests, he is still kind to them. Javert tries on numerous occasions to arrest him, and yet when given the chance to kill Javert, Jean lets him go. Jean Valjean does not like Marius, because Marius wants to marry Cosette, and essentially take her away from Jean. At least, that is the way Jean perceives it. Even when he knows Marius' true feelings about Cosette, he still saves his life. Jean spends his whole life trying to redeem himself, for he always thinks of himself as a convict, not fit for a normal life. Jean dies a happy man, finally having realised he is a good person.
This is the complete article, containing 439 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
