Written by Victor Hugo after the French Revolution, Les Misérables is a story that examines the many levels of social injustice in nineteenth-century France. Its protagonist, Jean Valjean, is central to the understanding of this injustice. Sentenced to 19 years in prison for committing a petty crime, Valjean comes to observe the law as an arbitrary force lacking in compassion and equality. However, Valjean's view is fanatically contradicted by Inspector Javert, a man whose commitment to the law is absolute. Through Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Reasoning, the successive conflicts between these two characters are given a basis of reason that is defined by the stages at which they function. Kohlberg's theory can also explain the opposing interpretations of the Common Good in relation to the moral stages of Valjean and Javert.
Functioning at the highest stage of Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Reasoning, Jean Valjean is guided by personal ethical principles. Even Valjean's initial......
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Approximate Word Count: 736
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |