Victor Hugo
Les Miserables

•	Born in 1802, Father an officer in Napoleon’s army
•	1st writings at 15, In 1848, he won a seat in the National assemby
•	Flees the country in 1851; he opposed Louis Napoleon
•	Symbol of French resistance to tyranny
•	Returned to Paris after Revolution of 1870
•	Died in 1885 with full honors
Les Mis
•	Written in 1862
•	Recounts Revolution/uprising of 1832 in Paris
•	Themes:  Good vs. evil (Jean Valjean vs. Javert, Valjean vs. Thenardier, Barricaders vs. soldiers)
Comparison to Tale
•	Inescapable social stratification
•	Imprisonment
•	The suffering of the child
•	Revolution
•	Government corruption
•	Morality and Righteousness
•	Loss of Identity (24601 vs. 105 North Tower)
•	Prostitution
•	Gender Roles
Common Themes
•	Crime and Punishment
•	Desperation 
•	Prisons of the Mind