Allusions in Les Miserables

There are a lot of allusions in Les Miserables mainly to two pieces of writing; Romeo and Juliet, regarding the love between Marius and Cosette, and allusions to the Bible. The biblical allusions in Les Mis often compare Jean Valjean to Jesus or God. For example on page 172 he is prepared to stay the night in a stable like Jesus, who was born in a stable. In Luke 7:36-50 Jesus blesses a prostitute and is very kind to her much like Valjean gives Fantine, a prostitute, shelter and health care as well as offering to retrieve her child for her. Valjean is full of mercy like Jesus was. An example of Jesus’ mercy can be found in John 8:1-59 when he offers an adulterer mercy , saying “I [do not] condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Valjean shows his mercy when he takes Cosette away from her abusers by taking in a child he didn’t even know to care and provide for when he could do many other things with the money spent raising Csette (177). Not only does he show mercy but Valjean also spends “more than a million francs” helping the poor (52) comparable to when Jesus tells people to “sell all that you have and give to the poor” in Mark 10:21. Also, as Jesus went through a resurrection, Valjean also went under a sort of resurrection or rebirth as “Monsieur Madeleine” (85) where he “comes back” kind and generous like Jesus was. On page 176 in Les Mis Victor Hugo inscribed “As demons and genii recognize by certain signs the presence of a superior God, Thenardier comprehended that he was to deal with one who was very powerful” which compares Valjean to a “superior God” to Thenardier who is compared to a “demon”. Victor Hugo alludes to the bible when talking of Valjean to stress his kindness and morality.

Another piece of writing that is often alluded to is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. While when alluding to the bible Hugo often refers to Valjean, but when alluding to Romeo and Juliet he refers to Marius and Cosette’s love. One main idea in both loves is love at first sight. In Romeo and Juliet in Act I Scene IV Romeo first sees Juliet he says “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!/It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-/Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!”similar to when Marius first sees Cosette as a woman and says “He saw only her long chestnut lashes, eloquent or mystery and modesty.” among other excessively sappy and descriptive quotes (271). Both descriptions involve boys rattling on about how beautiful these girls are and soon after these descriptions Romeo and Marius both decide that they are in love with Juliet and Cosette. Another theme in Romeo and Juliet but also in Marius and Cosette’s relationship if the idea of forbidden love. Both couples have to meet each other in secret because of disapproving relatives (368). Victor Hugo alludes to Romeo and Juliet when writing to emphasize the drama and tragedy of Marius and Cosette’s “forbidden love”