Pick and write about any topic or theme in the abridged version of Les Miserables

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The Theme of Love and Compassion
Les Miserables has a perception about love and compassion. The author makes the society to look like a prison where people have no feeling of love from their neighbors, friends and the leaders as a whole. Hugo presents a people in the novel who desire social justice which is not provided by most characters. Jean who is the protagonist in the novel suffers in prison without love and compassion from the leaders in prison and the society. He is unjustly jailed and starves from actions that were not well considered. The protagonist does not run from his past despite his show of love and compassion to the people he serves as mayor. The description Hugo uses depicts Paris rebellion of 1832 where citizens fight for love and compassion without success as portrayed by Jean.
In the novel, Hugo confirms that love and compassion are the gifts mostly desired by people, and offering such a gift is crucial to the survival of the human race. This are the goals all the people in the society should strive to have no matter where they come from. Jean’s overall transformation from a hard core criminal to a philanthropist is Hugo’s emphasis on the issue of love and compassion among the people in the society. It is only through love that Jean improves himself and desires to love others and provide for their needs in the society. His efforts however cause him problems instead of appreciation from the people. Through his love and compassion Hugo describes Jean as a person who feels contented and happy.

His love for Cosette is seen as the greatest and is what keeps him going on with life albeit all the problems he encounters (Hugo 5).
Loving others according to the author is never a task that does not have returns. He indicates this by using Fauchelevent and Jean who are two characters who reciprocate in the pursuit of giving love to their friends. Indeed compassions begets compassion and so is love amid few characters in the novel. Jean jumped out of the crowd to save Fauchelevent, who also reciprocates years later by offering him refuge in the convent. Love and compassion is seen as being infectious and clearly flows from one individual to another. Later, after Myriel changes Jean with various acts of love and compassion he also in return rescues Cosette from the Thénardiers. The love that Cosette has becomes infectious and she later decides to marry Marius who later forgives Jean for his past records because of their love and compassion.
The novel is used to condemn the selfish nature of various structures like that of the nineteenth century in the region. The society is seen as changing loving citizens into criminals and beggars. The perceived society is meant to change in various areas like criminal justice, treatment of women and education. The areas can only become better if the citizens are showed love and compassion from their leaders. Lack of love and compassion makes Fantine despair about life and dies even though she was one who had love and compassion herself. She is left by her lover Tholomyès, and her reputation spoilt simply because of having a child who is not legitimate. She tries to hide such information to the society but everything becomes plain due to her lack of education. The factory also lacks love and compassion and this makes her to resort to prostitution, an activity that brings her pain and death later. It is vital to note that Hugo uses his novel to depict women as people who are neglected by society hence their lack of education and better life. The hypocrisy of the society does not attend to the needs of women while it also allows behaviors of people like Tholomyès.
In conclusion, the novel points a critical eye to the law enforcement agencies which denies people love and compassion, a tenet that is crucial for development. The French justice system does lack compassion as they transform Jean who is bread thief into a more serious criminal in the region. This makes the protagonist to become vicious and sneaky after years of cruelty in the hands of the society and the justice system. This is in contrast to the love showed by Myriel who is kind and loving with the desire to make Jean a responsible citizen. Myriel loves Jean and has compassion even when the society itself denies to provide the people with love. The plight of Jean can also be seen from his dealing with the police after the Patron-Minette ring. Unlike the latter, Jean was a bread thief who was changed into a criminal. The crime rings had a high scale of criminal activities as they robbed and killed innocent souls, but were given lesser sentences and the opportunity to escape jail was inevitable. In the French society the issues of love and compassion are unattended to as different characters are not shown mercy and consideration to start over with their lives.
Works Cited
Victor Hugo. Les Misérables. 1887. Print.