One of the main characters in the movie Les Miserables is Richard Jordan who is referred to as Jean Valjean. The film portrays Valjean as a good man who unfortunately does a minor crime and makes him be imprisoned. However, Valjean escapes from prison. In the process of hiding, Valjean meets many people whom he impacts their lives. A police inspector, Anthony Perkins, who is named Javert, however, continues the pursuit of Valjean and goes to various lengths to ensure that Valjean is arrested. This paper will assess the behavior of Jordan and the factors that influenced Jordan's actions.
Valjean is a caring man since he decides to take t upon himself to feed the children of her sister. Valjean decides to steal bread to feed the children and is imprisoned because of that (Jordan, 1978). Valjean is a good person who is turned into a thief due to the circumstance that the children of his sister were going through due to poverty. The decision that Valjean takes to escape from prison is because he had spent nineteen years in prison. Valjean had spent five years in prison because of the bread that he was found stealing and another fourteen years for failed attempts to escaped. It is possible that Valjean felt that he had stayed in prison for too long because of a crime that he did due to sympathy for his nieces and nephews and that it was time to escape.
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Valjean decides to steal from Bishop Myriel. Valjean waits till everyone is asleep and then steals all the items of silver from the cabinet and decides to run away. Though this is an act of a criminal, Valjean is driven by circumstances. No person in the community wanted to help him because he was an ex-convict. At one point in the movie, when Valjean requests for a glass of water from the private home of a man, the man threatens him with a gun and asks him to leave immediately or be short. The movie also points out an instance where Valjean knocks on various doors trying to seek accommodation for the night but is turned down. The only people who help Valjean in Digne are a woman and Bishop Myriel. Therefore, Valjean feels like an outcast even though he is under the care of Bishop Myriel and thinks that he might be thrown out (Jordan, 1978). Due to the harsh life he had faced in Digne, he decides to steal and run away instead of waiting to be sent away without anything.
When Valjean becomes a successful business person, by using the technique of making black beads that he learned in prison in Toulon, Valjean changes his name to Madeleine, and he becomes the mayor. The change in name was because if people knew that he was Valjean the ex-convict, the would stripe him off the post of mayor and also ensure his arrest. When Javert is brought to the town as the chief of the local police, Javert identifies Valjean and even decides to tell their superiors. Coincidentally, in Arras, another man who is thought to Valjean is arrested (Jordan, 1978). Due to this, Javert feels that the accusations he made against Valjean were false and requested to be dismissed. Since Valjean is a guy with a good heart and character, he declines the Javerts request.
The fact that Valjean goes to Arras and confesses that he is the ex-convict to enable the release of the falsely accused man also illustrates that he is a good person. Out of this sympathy and care, Valjean decides to care for Fantine. Due to lack of enough resources and good living conditions, Fantine pays the Thernardiers to take care of her daughter Cosette. However, they subject Cosette, who is under five years, too many house chores (Jordan, 1978). When Fantine dies, Valjean decides to take Cosette and run away with her to save her from the child labor and also to save himself from being arrested.
When Valjean and Cosette are walking in the park, they meet a man called Marius who falls in love with Cosette at first sight. Marius goes ahead even to bribe Gavroche, who was the urchin so that Gavroche could follow them and get their address (Jordan, 1978). The love between Cosette and Marius grows, and the romance at the entrance of their homestead. Valjean witnesses this and become concerned. Valjean feels that he must care for Cosette and protect her from falling into the same fate that her mother fell of being a single mother. This illustrates that Valjean is concerned and loving.
Javert, being a member of the radical group that was against the government, is arrested by Enjolras. Valjean realizes this and tries to persuade Marius to release the radicals. When Valjean notices that the radicals will not be released, he requests Enjolras to allow him to kill Javert so that he can enable Javert to escape (Jordan, 1978). This illustrates that Valjean forgives too the same way that Bishop Mylier forgave him when he stole the silver items. In the end, Valjean allows Cosette to marry Marius since he realizes that the two are in love. Valjean offers support to Cosette in this marriage process thus illustrating that he is supportive.
Certain circumstances can make good people do wrong things just to help others or themselves. One of the major causes of this is poverty. Ex-convicts such as Valjean find it so hard to fit into the society since people still view them as bad people. The society should help such people conform by supporting them and not by discriminating them. People should do well to others to inspire others also to do the same as was the case with Bishop Myriel.
Reference
Jordan, G. (1978). Les Miserables . Incorporated Television Company.
