By Surathkal Srinivas Kamath

“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” – Oscar Wilde

Jean Valjean – is an adaptation of French author Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. It depicts the nineteen year long struggle of Jean Valjean to have a peaceful life after serving a prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his sister’s children. He is released from Toulon prison in1815 and from here starts his story of struggle.

My intention is not to tell his story in detail, but to depict Jean Valjean’s struggle to transform himself from his criminal-thief image to honest gentleman personality. “Even the darkest night will end and bright sunshine will rise” – so the curtain rises for Jean Valjean with his Yellow Passport (an identity card given to a criminal on release) at a small town – Digny.

One night that changed him
Seeing his yellow passport no one gives a job, food or shelter to Jean Valjean. Rejected everywhere he enters the Bishop’s House late in the evening. Bishop Marley was a very pious and kind hearted person. Seeing Jean Valjean, Bishop Marley welcomes him saying “You are sent here by God, you will go out of this God’s house a changed man.” He gives him food and bed. Totally confused he goes to sleep. A crooked idea comes to his mind to steal the silver candles stand, plates and other silverware kept on the table and run away. So he wakes up, steals some silver items and goes out into the darkness. Unfortunately the police take him into custody and enquire about the silver. Later he is produced before Bishop Marley. On seeing Jean Valjean, the Bishop says, “Friend, you have left these candle stands given to you.” The bishop tells the police to release Jean Valjean as he has done nothing wrong. Later Bishop Marley in his saintly voice advises Jean Valjean to start life afresh and blesses him. Bewildered, Jean Valjean comes out a changed man, a man full of remorse, and disappears.

Monsieur Madeleine of Montreuil
Police officer Javert is always behind Jean Valjean to arrest him on one pretext or the other. So to avoid him Jean Valjean disguises himself as Monsieur Madeleine and enters the town of Montreuil. Here he revolutionizes black jade manufacturing and earns a fortune. But he doesn’t forget his promise to Bishop Marley of Digny. So he spends a large portion of his wealth on hospital patients, their treatment, orphanages and schools. Soon he became very popular and is offered to be the mayor. First he rejects the offer, but accepts when it is offered the second time.

By his service to the citizens of the town, his popularity grows still higher. Once he rescues a person who had fallen beneath a horse cart risking his own life. One day news of the death of Bishop Marley of Digny reaches him. He spends the whole day in mourning and prayer. People are very impressed by his act. Later he rescues a poor sick lady Fantine by name, who had been arrested by Javert on some silly charges and admits her to a nearby hospital. There he promises Fantine that he would rescue her six year old daughter, Cosette from the clutches of an evil man – Thénardier.

Meanwhile his stay in Montreuil comes to an abrupt end when he is morally forced to reveal his real name in a court of law to save an innocent person. Officer Javert as usual is ever ready to arrest him. So Jean Valjean packs his few essential things and flees Montreuil in search of Thénardier. Hard prison life had made Jean Valjean robust in health. So he travels in search of Thénardier, the wicked man in possession of the innocent six year old daughter of Fantine – Cosette. At last he succeeds in finding Thénardier and after much negotiation he releases Thénardier and moves out in search of a safe place for both of them.

He is in the outskirts of Paris when the shrewd Inspector Javert spots him. Now in desperation, he, with the help of a street light rope, climbs up a tall wall of a nearby convent along with little Cosette. As if fate had destined, he finds a good hearted gardener there. The gardener was none other than the person whom Jean Valjean (then Monsieur Madeleine) had saved from beneath the horse cart at Montreuil. Next day he introduces Jean Valjean as his younger brother and Cosette as his daughter to the convent authorities and requests them to keep them inside of the convent as his assistant gardener, to which they agree. So now on, Jean Valjean and Cosette are safe inside the walls of the convent.

Father of little angel princess
Life inside the convent with cute Cosette is an amazing experience for Jean Valjean. All these years he didn’t have any idea about the love and affection of a daughter. Moreover here he had to shower motherly love to on Cosette. Anyhow he looks on Cosette as his little angel princess. His is a silent sacrifice. In his loving arms Cosette has happy and joyous days. There is no place higher than Jean Valjean’s shoulder. While praying, he prays for the best for his Princess. In a way, Jean Valjean, the tough looking, stony faced, unsmiling person has turned into a Soft hearted, kind and loving father of Cosette. Convent is the very heaven for them. Cosette has her primary school education in the convent itself. She is now thirteen years, a beautiful and attractive young girl. With the death of the gardener, Jean Valjean has to vacate the convent room. He moves to a small house in the outskirts of Paris. Here once again, there is a twist in Jean Valjean’s life.

Final days of Jean Valjean
In his new house Jean Valjean is not so comfortable as the fear of Inspector Javert surfaces once again. Cosette is busy with her school and housekeeping. Soon a new person enters in Jean Valjean family. Cosette has a new friend, the young Marius Pontmercy. He is handsome and talkative. Slowly their friendship turns into love. Jean Valjean first feared about losing Cosette and her love and affection. But taking it philosophically, he consents to their marriage. So Cosette moves to her new house.

Jean Valjean lives all alone in the house. One day, he confesses his life story to Cosette and Marius Pontmercy. On knowing Jean Valjean about being an ex-convict Marius Pontmercy begins to detest him and keeps a safe distance from him. As a result Jean Valjean becomes more philosophical day by day. There is no purpose in his life now. Everything is over for him. His health begins to deteriorate and he is mentally prepared for the final departure from this world. But it so happens that one day Thénardier visits Marius Pontmercy and reveals the full story of Jean Valjean. His noble work as the mayor of Montreuil etc. He tells Marius Pontmercy it was Jean Valjean who saved his life by physically carrying unconscious Marius Pontmercy through the underground sewers of Paris.

Marius Pontmercy is shocked to hear the noble personality of Jean Valjean. Immediately both he and Cosette rush to the house of Jean Valjean. There, Jean Valjean is on his death bed, holding his breath to see his little angel princess Cosette. Candles are burning on the very candle stands given by Bishop Marley of Digny. Tears roll out of the eyes of Jean Valjean and Cosette. He thanks God for whatever he had given to him. Minutes later Jean Valjean’s eyelids close and it’s all over for a very noble soul.

As per his wish his body is buried in a corner of the cemetery. On it is engraved: “He sleeps. Although his fate was very strange, he lived. He died when he no longer had his angel. The thing came to pass simply, of itself, as the night comes when day is gone.”

Message of Jean Valjean
Hardened by prison and rescued by kindness of Bishop Marley, molded by his encounters and circumstances, his ability to reform makes Jean Valjean a universal symbol of hope. If he can cherish love and charity after suffering so much injustice, anyone can.