Compare And Contrast Les Miserables And A Tale Of Two Cities

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People, as a whole, are constantly adapting to an ever-changing world, but those individuals who cannot adjust tend to lose their grip. This concept plays a huge role in the novel A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, as well as in the movie Les Miserables, directed by Tom Hooper, based on Victor Hugo’s book of the same name. Taking place during France’s major periods of revolution, the first occurring before and during the French Revolution, and Les Miserables twenty-four years later, the two novels showcase the difficult lives of the poverty stricken French commoners and an inherent struggle between the good and the cruel. As well as shining a light upon the lives the of the French poor, the novels have a recurrent theme of static characters falling victim to the world. The personalities of Madame Defarge, a brutal antagonist unwilling to end her reign of terror in the Revolution, and Javert, a strict French officer who will never cease fighting for the law, are prime examples. Both were unwilling to give up on their ideals which costed them their lives. The inevitable downfalls of both Dickens’ character, Madame Defarge, and Hugo’s, Javert, were a result of their inability to change and forgive. Madame…show more content…
Much different from Madame Defarge, who was unable to forgive a murderer, he would not forgive a petty crime, such as stealing a loaf of bread for a sick family member (Les Miserables). He continued to chase after the thief for years. Javert was unable to let the criminal live free because it went against all of his beliefs. Because he believed that those who go against the law are dangerous people, he thought that it was his duty to save the common people from the terrors of such people. Clearly, he took the chase too far, but it resulted in the same fate as Madame Defarge found: an untimely death. If the two had been willing to forgive and forget, they may not have lost their

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