1. Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, and the French Revolution Some history, biography, and random helpful information!

2. The Enlightenment The Enlightenment was a cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe, in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted science and intellectual interchange and opposed superstition, intolerance and abuses in church and state.cultural movement 18th centuryEurope Major Ideas Liberty Equality Reason Progress

3. The American Revolution 1775-1783 Showed the ideas of Enlightenment in action French soldiers who helped came home inspired Put Louis XVI in deep debt

4. French Economy National debt: 4 billion livres 50 percent of government’s income went to interest on debt No central bank or paper currency Inefficent and uneven taxation system

5. The Estate System The first estate was made up of the Church. They made up 1% of the population and owned 10% of the land. They also taxed the peasants heavily to avoid paying taxes themselves. The second estate was made up of nobles and kings. They were about 4% of the population but owned 20% of the land. They lived rich lives and taxed peasants to avoid paying their taxes. The Third estate was everybody else. They were workers and farmers. some were rich but never went up to the 2nd or 1st estate. The third estate was taxed heavily making the poor poorer and this helped the rich stay rich.

6. Feudal Estate System Estate system outdated Posed many difficulties to rising middle class of the Third Estate Difficult to move upward in society unless very rich Less well-off commoners resented the inequality of the three estates

7. Louis XVI Good intentions “enlightened” Weak-willed Indecisive Marie Antoinette allowed “to dispense patronage amongst friends”

8. Marie Antoinette

9. Causes of the French Revolution All of these items would understandably create tension and anger within a society. Remember that Industrialization is just starting to be implemented. In many ways the problems facing the people of France (1780s) mirrored the problems that arose in Russia later, but there was a HUGE difference in how the government (monarchy) and people reacted to these problems. We’ll talk about this when we look at Animal Farm

10. Peasants’ sitatuation “web of obligations” Obviously unfairly taxed Noble hunting privileges Land-starved Subsistence farmers

18. The Oath The Tennis Court Oath was an assertion that the sovereignty of the people did not reside with King, but in the people themselves, and their representatives. It was the first assertion of revolutionary authority by the Third Estate and it united virtually all its members to common action. Its success can be seen by the fact that a scant one week later, Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates General for the purpose of writing a constitution.

22. The Bastille today

24. 1792 Monarchy of France overthrown. Crowds pivotal in the overthrow --They stormed royal residence, massacred royal guards, royal family fled Dismembered bodies of guards Carried heads through city on pikes Gave Parisians reputation as blood thirsty savages throughout Europe

26. Corvee? Labor exacted by a local authority for little or no pay or instead of taxes and used especially in the maintenance of roads. A day of unpaid work required of a vassal by a feudal lord. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/corv%C3%A9e

33. Victor Hugo “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come” Hugo’s father was a high ranking officer in Napoleon's army. His mother was a staunch Catholic Royalist After his parents’ separation, Hugo was raised by his mother in Paris

34. His House -----   ----His bedroom

35. His acceptance of his father’s political views grew stronger; eventually, Hugo himself became a staunch republican. When Napoleon III took power and reestablished the monarchy, republicans like Hugo fled the country. While in exile, Hugo wrote Les Miserables Biographical Information Cont.

36. And now … the book itself... Different from the musical!

37. Les Misérables: The Story Hugo divided his story into five parts. He named each part after a major character. The storyline of each major character develops separately but eventually intersects with the other characters. Together, these characters represent the society of Paris in the early 1800s. Each character takes on a different social role or represents a social issue from this time period.

38. What does Les Misérables mean? “misérables” (Fr. noun) (1) poor wretches (2) scoundrels or villains

39. What’s in a name? In Victor Hugo’s mind, the double meaning of “Miserables” reflected social reality in 19 th century France. There was often a thin line between desperate poverty and the life of a criminal. We will return to a discussion of such themes. Let’s get more background.

40. Time of Les Miserables This classic French epic was written and published by Victor Hugo in 1862. The novel paints a vivid picture of Paris after the French Revolution and the contro- versial rule of Napoleon Bonaparte. Hugo presents the city as a microcosm of the world. He explores the challenges faced at every level of society during this time, especially the injustices endured by the poor.

41. Victor Hugo – Author’s Purpose In explaining his epic novel, Les Miserables, Victor Hugo famously said, “I condemn slavery, I banish poverty, I teach ignorance, I treat disease, I lighten the night, and I hate hatred That is what I am, and that is why I have written Les Miserables.”

42. "So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine, with human fatality;

43. So long as the three problems of the age - the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of woman by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night - are not solved…

44. As long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless.”

45. Meet the cast of characters.... and the social issues they explore.

46. The Hero: Jean Valjean Protagonist, Jean Valjean, begins the story as an impoverished ex-convict, newly released after serving nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Through the course of the story, he defies the odds and rebuilds his life to become a respected man.

47. Social Issue: Poverty and the Poor In the beginning of the novel, Jean Valjean represents the fate of many poor men in 19 th century France. Despite endless revolts by the working class in that century, there was still a sharp divide between the rich and poor. Jean Valjean’s character and actions were inspired by Hugo’s observations in the streets of Paris. Before starting the novel, Hugo witnessed a poor man being arrested for stealing a loaf of bread. As the man was arrested, a rich woman dressed in velvet and furs walked by. Hugo saw the poor man stare at the woman, but she was totally unaware of him. The author later wrote about the encounter, saying, “The moment he became aware of her existence, while she remained unaware of his, a catastrophe was inevitable.”

48. Social Issue: Criminals and Prisons Jean Valjean’s character also offers a commentary on the prison system in 19 th century France. Hugo saw that the French criminal justice system was corrupt and the prisons filled with poor men. At that time, 80-86% of the prisoners in French prisons were male and the majority were in prison for the crime of thievery.

49. Until 1748, imprisonment meant being sentenced to be a galley slave in a ship where inmates were chained to benches to row. This sentence was often used in place of the death penalty since most prisoners died within a few years. In the book, Jean Valjean is held in a famous prison / galley in Toulon. Based on Hugo’s own research, prisoners were frequently abused by guards, held in overcrowded cells, required to wear color-coded uniforms to indicate their crime, and were branded or tatooed with an identification number.

50. The Villain: Inspector Javert Inspector Javert represents the corrupt justice system of France during this time period. In the story, he works as a prison guard and later as a police chief. Javert serves as opposition to Jean Valjean’s character at every turn. Yet, he is a complex man who cannot be viewed as just another “bad guy.”

51. Social Issue: Abuse of Power Class warfare between the rich and the poor was rampant in 19 th century France, and government leaders often took advantage of this situation. Many police chiefs gained their position through bribery while the public turned a blind-eye to their abuses. At this time, the term "police" encompassed varying levels of authority and significance within society. There were the police responsible for the prevention of crime, punishment of criminals, and patrolling the city streets. There were specific police divisions designated to monitor prostitution in Paris. There was even a group of police who worked to arrest vagrant children.

52. The Damsel: Fantine Fantine represents the plight of women, especially poor women, in 19 th century France. Because of limited opportunities for work, women without husbands or well-off families often ended up on the streets. After being jilted by her fiance, Fantine struggles to survive. She works in factories and later on the street corner.

53. Social Issue: Prostitution In the 19th century, two different categories of prostitutes could be identified. The first category, streetwalkers, were those lower-class women forced into prostitution due to poverty. This form of prostitution was illegal. The second category, courtesans, were prostitutes for upper- class men in society. Becoming a courtesan was actually an acceptable profession for many upper-class women who chose to remain unmarried. Many men in positions of power paid for the company of courtesans.

54. The Children: Cosette / Gavroche Cosette and Gavroche are both young children affected by the poverty of this society. Cosette is Fantine’s illegitimate daughter and Gavroche is an orphan who roams the streets of Paris. He forms a family by “adopting” younger orphans. Both play pivotal roles in the story.

55. Social Issue: Children in Poverty Children were in a particularly bad situation in 19 th century cities. They were often abandoned or became wards of the state due to poverty. They were sometimes sold into child labor or prostitutsion to make money for the family. Often they ended up on the streets. The upper class believed that children of the poor inherited their parents’ criminal tendencies, so they didn’t want to take them in when they were abandoned. The government set up a program in 1801 that would take abandoned children.

56. The Lover: Marius Readers don’t meet Marius Pontmercy until the second half of the novel. This character offers an important glimpse into the lives of the revolutionaries. By the 1830s, France has returned to rule under a monarchy. However, many young students and thinkers refused to give up on the fight for individual rights and democracy. Marius is one of the revolutionaries involved in the Liberals’ Rebellion of 1832.

57. Social Issue: Class Warfare Marius Pontmercy represents a member of the upper-class who turns against his wealthy family to fight for social change. Marius’ grandfather was a Royalist who supported the Monarchy of Louis XVI. He avoided being killed during the Reign of Terror, only to see his son fight in Napoleon’s army and his grandson lead a student rebellion. Political differences and class warfare turned many family members against each other during this time period. Victor Hugo probably modeled the character of Marius after himself. Hugo’s grandfather was a royalist, his father was a general in the Napoleonic wars, and Hugo was a social activist in his time.