Les Misèrables: Life Of An Average Citizen In The Working Class
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Les Misèrables is a film that depicts the life of an average citizen in the working and middle class.
Industrialization helped the spread of liberalism because of the middle class. The middle class wanted
representation in their government. They started convincing the lower class, that they should have the
right to vote. The French people then wanted to have more power in the government, thus showing their
national pride they have for France. Industrialism, nationalism, and liberalism were depicted in the film
Les Misérables. The movie showed how industrialism caused terrible conditions for the working class,
influencing the French people to express their national pride and liberal views through their participation
in the Rebellion…show more content… In the film Les
Misèrables, Marius was educated and in the middle class. He was part of the ABC society, who wanted to
raise the lower class up so they can fight for their rights. In the revolution in both 1830 and 1848 the
rallies always were planned by the middle class, the middle class were fighting for suffrage to be
expanded for all (“LouisPhilippe” 2). If suffrage was to be expanded to all the classes then the French
people can choose each law, leader, etc. that they think will help better France and make it a power
country again. The middle and lower class want to have the privilege to be able to vote because its part of
their natural rights, Freedom of speech, they are expressing their beliefs. The Revolution of 1832 was
about the citizens overthrowing LouisPhilippe and becoming a republic. The citizens were shouting
“Long, Live, Republic” during the parade for Lamarque. Even though the Revolution of 1832 had not
worked out, it still paved a way for the citizens to win another revolution 16 years later. During the
Revolution of 1848, the revolutionaries won, and they created a republic (“LouisPhilippe” 2). The…show more content… Industrialism caused the working class to get illnesses, injuries that were lifethreatening or
left them handicap forever. Fantine was a factory worker who was trying to take care of her bastard child
Cosette. She had developed a cough, and without the right treatment and not enough money to afford
health care, she later died. “Industry also posed new dangers for workers, Factories were not often well lit
or clean” (Beck, Black, Krieger, Naylor, and Shabaka 1439). This shows the factories are never clean
which can lead to the workers developing various illnesses that cut their life expectancy shorter than it
normally is. Valjean giving Lafiette money showed theres a gap between the rich and the poor. “Factory
owners... grew wealthier” (Beck, Black, Kreiger, Naylor, and Shabaka 1439). This shows how rich Valjean
is and how poor Lafiette is because Lafiette is a worker that was involved in an accident and Valjean
being sympathetic and he gave a large sum of money to Lafiette.
Les Misèrables shows industrialism, nationalism, and liberalism in many more ways then what
were mentioned. The film depicts what the lower classes had to endure, such as having to work in