*Oh dear. It has just occurred to me that I am shortly going to get to a Part number too large for my pitifully miniscule knowledge of roman numerals.
I dreaded reading Fantine's story - it's so tragic. Tragically inevitable. Was there really anywhere else for her end up? Her story seems to parallel Valjean's, with Hugo using another character to make his statement about society creating these lowest of the low who are then saved by those who have been in the same place and been raised up themselves. I liked how Hugo showed both of them at a pivotal point between light and dark.
Javert will take much thinking about. I wonder what his purpose (well, there are probably multiple purposes) in the story is. Maybe I mean his moral purpose. Justice is his sole moral. Is this to provide a contrast to Valjean/the bishop? To make us realize the importance of mercy and love, which we might not realize so fully without the presence of the stark opposite?
I know I'm skimming the surface so lightly it's ridiculous, but even 2 notes out of 2000 is better than none, right?
p. 161, "The two highest functionaries of the state are the wet-nurse and the school teacher."
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