Jean Valjean was a Truly Bad Guy

While Les Miserables makes Valjean out to be a saint, if you examine his actions you will see that the truth is vastly different.

Firstly, he is – undeniably a thief. He even admits it. And he was given an fourteen years for repeatedly trying to escape.

One of his first acts after he is given parole is to return to his life of crime. He steals a whole shed-load of silver. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he steals from A CHURCH!!

And then he breaks his parole and goes on the lamb. When most people do this, they are hunred down and re-arrested, and yet when Javert does his duty, people consider him to be the bad guy.

Flash forward a few years, and he is living a lie as an honest man, and then – when he is discovered – he makes a vow to Javert that he “will return in three days”. Does he keep this pledge? No – once again he goes on the run, and creates another fake identity, this time dragging an innocent child in to his world of lies and deceit.

Another few years pass, and he is lying to his daughter – refusing to tell her about their shared past.

Then he gets involved in the rebellion (such as it is), and racks up no less than two counts of treason (one against the French state by joining the insurgents, and one against the rebellion – instead of killing Javert, like he promised, he lets the policeman go. And no doubt Javert runs straight back to the authorities and tells them the entire disposition of everyone at the barricade – which would explain why it ends so fast and so bloody).

Add to that, perverting the course of justice by aiding and abetting the escape of Marius from the fallen barricade.

And then – on the eve of her wedding – he not only lies to his daughter, but gets his future son-in-law to lie as well.

So – a thief, a liar, a convict, a fugitive, a traitor, the probable reason everyone at the barricade died and someone who corrupts others into his criminal conspiracy.

And somehow people think HE is the hero of the piece?