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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
“There is always more misery among the lower classes than there is humanity in the higher.”
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This thesis aims at analyzing Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Miserables, which reflects the change
s of the author’s intention and ideology. Victor Hugo himself has stated that he adjusted his ideological view into socialism
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. Les Miserables is written as Hugo believes that literature has a significant effect to the society. Hugo
writes the novel as a depiction of social life where God, the Infinite Mankind, is not the central of society reflected in Les Miserables
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. Hugo also emphasizes that the stagnant social structure which is built by the monastery needs liberty to transform
it into a republican. Les Miserables reflects that the social structure creates miserable
situation for the lower classes where humanity is neglected
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. The miserable situation of the lower class is also depicted in Hugo’s humanity essays entitled
“Capital Punishment” and “Mind and Masses”. In those two humanity essays, Hugo emphasizes his idea of socialism to point out false consciousness in the
society. However, Les Miserables is written as a character-based novel with a religious man, Jean Veljean, as the main character. Hugo also creates Monseigneur
Myriel, a bishop character as the basis of the story. This contradiction and Hugo’s idea about humanity would be the main reason why Les Miserables is analyzed to
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Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, trans. Norman Denny New York: Penguin Group, 2012153
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Victor Hugo, introduction, Les Miserables, by Norman Denny, trans. Norman Denny New York: Penguin Group, 2012 10
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables, 1202
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables, 153
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comprehend Hugo’s ideology transformation that is depicted in his idea of ideal society in Les Miserables and how his idea of ideal society leads into his ideology
transformation. Literature is an “active reflection” in which the society is reflected and
directed. The notion that literature serves as an active reflection is similar to Hugo’s idea that is reflected in Les Miserables. Victor Hugo creates the character
Javert and Jean Veljean with particular social condition and ideology background in order to emphasize the social relation and ideological conflict in the society. The
social conflict between classes leads to a recognition of social condition that triggers social changes. Both the transformation of Jean Veljean
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and the conflict in Javert’s ideology depict the social changes. Jean Veljean represents the ideology
transformation and social reconstruction. Meanwhile, Javert represents how social condition constraints someone’s
ideology. Further, this social condition leads him to reject any possible situations which contribute to changes. Javert has a strong belief that juridical responsibility
creates a false consciousness in the society
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. In Les Miserables, Hugo presents the depiction of Jean Veljean and Javert to reveal his idea about literature, ideology,
and social construction. In other words, Les Miserables is the medium in which Hugo analyzes social construction. Thus, the analysis on Les Miserables would
elaborate the transformation of Hugo’s ideology and the emergence of necessity to reconstruct social structure against the dominant ideology.
Les Miserables, first published in 1862, has been re-published and translated several times in many languages. Therefore, for the analysis, I choose
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables, 116
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables, 200 - 2001
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the version of Les Miserables which was translated by Norman Denny and published by Penguin Books in 2012. This selection is due to two reasons. First,
this version includes the unpublished parts of the novel. There are two parts of the novel which were not considered to be published in the first place; the part two of
book VII entitled “Parenthesis”
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and part four of book VII entitled “Argot”
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. Lacroix, Hugo’s publisher, decides to remove these parts because they do not
directly improve the character or the plot, though they are Hugo’s personal experience, religious belief, and intention
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. However, the unpublished parts of the novel would support the analysis of Hugo’s ideology transformation because they
vividly embodies Hugo’s deliberate attempt to criticize the society. The “Argot” and the “Parenthesis” emphasize Hugo’s reason in writing Les Miserables.
Second, the translation of the novel which Penguin Books published in 2012 contains the comprehension of Hugo’s ideology transformation. In the introduction
of the novel, Norman Denny stated that he is aware of Hugo’s personal life as he wrote:
He Hugo had moved steadily away from his right-wing bourgeois origins to the point where he was not only an avowed republican but could openly
proclaim himself a socialist
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. The quotation above explains that Penguin Books published the novel that focuses
on Hugo’s intention and ideology change. Since the novel includes “Argot”, this part greatly helps the translator to translate Hugo’s language. The “Argot” explains
the reason why Hugo chooses the diction of the novel, so it enables the readers to understand Hugo’s dialectical thinking.
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables, 202
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables,1214
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Norman Denny, introduction, Les Miserables. 11
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables,10
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The analysis focuses on how Les Miserables reflects Hugo’s ideology
transformation and the relation between ideology and literature as part of superstructure
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. In Marxist perspective, both literature arts and ideology reflect and shape the society. In other words, they define the forms of social
consciousness. However, we have to be aware that society, which refers to ‘base’ or the motor of social and economic life, is the one that produces both ideology and
literature
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. Thus, ideology and literature have complex correlation. A literary text is not merely produced as a reflection or a copy of reality; instead, it reflects and
shapes the real social life. In producing literary text, an author involves creative writing process to
create character and plot which is constrained by herhis intention. The creative writing process enables an author to not only describe but also create a fictive
social context. In fact, literature is not a sacred text unaffected by the real social life. In some degree, the author copies the realities and modifies it into herhis
fictional world
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. For instance, Hugo takes inspiration in writing Les Miserables from the real social condition, but he modifies the setting for achieving his goal.
Thus, literature is not just a reflection, but as Terry Eagleton proposes, it is called an active reflection because it reflects and affects the reality at the same time
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. At the same time, Hugo’s life and even his intentions are built by the social condition
around him. Although he was aware of the social structure, he was also a product of the society. It creates an area of shadow in Les Miserables where Hugo as an author
who is in one side able to produce a literary work due to his intention, but in the
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Terry Eagleton, Marxism and Literary Criticism New York:Routledge,20062
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T.Eagleton, Marxism and Literary Criticism, 3
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T.Eagleton, Marxism and Literary Criticism, 3
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T.Eagleton, Marxism and Literary Criticism, 2
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other side even his intention is built by social structure. Thus, psychoanalytic - Marxism would create a lens for us to read how Hugo uses a literary text as a
medium where he is also built by social structure. As an active reflection of the society, literature reflects the way of life or
ideology of the society. Althusser suggests ideology as praxis which means that ideology is not only a set of belief, but also the whole way of how a society life
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. A relation between literature and ideology becomes clearer because literary text
captures the whole life process in the society. Since literature is an active reflection of the society, in some degree it reflects particular ideology as praxis through
which the social life described in any literary text. Moreover, literature affects and even
shapes the society, for it shows the author’s set of beliefs which constrains the social condition in the literary text.
A literary text has complex relation to ideology because of the creative process of its production
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. Eagleton emphasizes that the creative process includes how and why the author develops the characters and the plot of the novel due to
herhis goal. The creative writing process enables an author, such as Victor Hugo, to show the social condition, people are capable of understanding the portrayal of
particular society. Since the literary text is written based on the author’s both conscious and unconscious intention, it becomes a projection or an active
reflection of the society. In the creative process of writing, not only does an author copy or rewrite the real social condition but also looks closer to the reality and
reconstruct the social condition to in fiction. It is true that the author is a product of
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Lois Althusser. “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses”, ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan, Literary Theory, an Anthology 2
nd
New York: Blackwell, 2004 694
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T. Eagleton, Marxism and Literary Criticism, 3-4
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social structure, but a literary text, although in some degree it is still under the society control, would be able to be a medium for people to notice the social
condition. To analyze Hugo’s ideology transformation, it is important to scrutinize
Hugo’s creative process while writing Les Miserables because the activity would provide sig
nificant support for the analysis. Hugo’s ability to create a complex social condition in Les Miserables is supported by his double social consciousness.
Victor Hugo was raised in a well-to-do middle class family where his mother was a religious Catholic and his father was a Bonaparte follower
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. His family background leads Hugo to be familiar with Christianity values and to be part of the
society where he had some accesses to education and stable economic condition. His family background constrains his ideology to be a right wing bourgeois with
religious life. His parents’ different ideology is the main reason for Hugo to experience political and religious lives.
Hugo was aware of the condition where social environment constrained people’ life. This awareness then results in his strong intention to analyze social
condition. He further concludes that society reconstruction can be achieved by means of making people have similar awareness. In his essays of humanity, Hugo
even emphasizes that literature is one of media to shape the society and it is a socialist belief that supports the process so he proclaims himself a socialist
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. Les Miserables reflects a long process of the ideology transformation. Hugo creates
Jean Veljean, a character who has undergone significant transformations in his life.
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N.Denny, introduction, Les Miserables, 1
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N.Denny, introduction, Les Miserables, 10
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Les Miserables provides a medium to analyze ideology through which Victor Hugo’s ideology transformation is intricately explained.
Society is a developing process which never comes to an end. Raymond Williams proposes a similar concept in his book entitled Marxism and Literature.
The never ending process of social process is part of Williams’ cultural theory in which he explains that the social and cultural systems are built by three basic
elements. According to Williams, there would always be the dominant who determines main social features and practice
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. The dominant authority would perpetuate particular ideology and determine the social condition in the time being.
At the same time, there would be always residual in this cultural process. The residual refers to particular ideology which was developed in the past, yet it is
not distinguished to the archaic
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. Though the residual was formed in the past, it still effectively affects the dominant. Williams explains that the dominant is even
formed on the residual basis. Thus, certain values are still affected by the residual, even the dominant ideology is formed by the previous cultural institution and
formation. In the last stage of social and cultural process, the emergent would appear. By the emergent Williams refers to meaning and social value and even new
social practice
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. The emergent denotes social changing against the dominant. In most cases it
also refers to the formation of new social class who emerges to reconstruct the social structure in radical way. In the early process, the emergent appears to be the
stage of realizing the false consciousness which is constrained by the dominant.
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Raymond Williams, Marxist and Literature, New York: Oxford University Press, 1977 121
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R.Williams, Marxist and Literature, 122
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R.Williams, Marxist and Literature, 123
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Hence, literature, for example Les Miserables, exists in the emergent area. Hugo writes Les Miserables to show the social and cultural process based on his ideology
where he believes that society is a never ending process. He begins the story with how monastery builds the social structure and becomes the social basis to continue
the soci al process. It is all explained through the narration of the Bishop’s life in
first part of Book I and the transformation of Jean Veljean as a character which is built by the social structure, but then transforms into the emergent that brings
changes. Ther efore, it would reflect the process of author’s ideology
transformation. Les Miserables
projects Hugo’s ideology transformation, and it reflects Raymond Williams’ idea of cultural theory. Therefore, Hugo’s intention and social
and psychotic background serve as the best supports for the analysis. In this case the “Parenthesis” stresses the ideology that Hugo believes and explains why in the
beginning of the book he emphasizes Christianity
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. In “Parenthesis” Hugo writes, “That is why in previous chapters I have talked of these establishments with
respect”
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. It shows that Hugo intends to explain why he writes so much about monasteries in the previous book. In the previous chapters and in the previous
books, especially in the Part One where Hugo reveals the story of Fantine, he stresses the importance of monastery to shape the society. Although the monastery
is not the focus of the story, Hugo writes that we should notice the function and the existence of monastery in the whole story
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.
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Victor Hugo, Parenthesis, Les Miserables New York: Penguin Group, 2012 1208 - 1212
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V. Hugo, Parenthesis, Les Miserables, 1027
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables, 9
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Then in “Parenthesis” Hugo also emphasizes that monastery is part of the history that has shaped the society. However, to continue the whole social life,
there should be a new value. Hugo emphasizes that Les Miserables is an imitation of a reality which he believes that God, not the monastery, has ordered it. He writes
that monastery creates some claustration that castrated people’ life
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. It is a product of community where the rule of law is created based on equality and fraternity, but
this stage has already done and the society needs liberty to transform the monastery into a republic
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. The monastery has created a society with a misconception that people are bound to obey the law and to judge or to be judged by the law. Jean
Veljean, who grows up to be a thief, reflects the social condition. Hugo stresses that the society has shaped Jean Veljean into a criminal, but Jean Veljean is
ironically punished for committing crimes. The society does not realize that they have shaped Jean Veljean to be a criminal. Hugo argues that this misconception or
false consciousness is constrained by the monastery as the dominant ideology at the time being.
Hugo argues that the monastery is supposed to aim for salvation with sacrifice as the method
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. The character of Bishop, Monseigneur Myriel depicts this condition. Les Miserables points out that the monastery should be the
reflection of God’s love that transforms Jean Veljean to be Madeleine rather than to be an institution that perpetuates dominant power
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. To continue the cultural and social process, Hugo proposes that republican should replace monastery. Hugo
emphasizes that the main objective is not to reconstruct the society to be ideal
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V. Hugo, Parenthesis, 1211
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V. Hugo, Parenthesis, 1207 - 1208
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Victor Hugo, “The Minds and the Masses”, The Works of Victor Hugo New York: P. F Coller Son Company, 1928 926
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V.Hugo, Parenthesis, 1211
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because God is ideal and absolute. Instead, this changes focus on establishing some progress in the society. Monastery has built the society into the society which is
described in the first book of Les Miserables
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. Yet, a society should be defined as a never ending social process. Hugo states in his essay on humanity entitled “The
Mind and The Masses” as he writes, “To destroy is the task; to build is the work. Progress demolishes with the left hand; it is with the right hand that it builds.”
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In the other part of the book which is not published in the first publication, Hugo writes the part four of book VII, entitled
“Argot”. In “Argot” Hugo explains the roots of the words “les miserables”
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. In this chapter, he also emphasizes that revolution is a starting point to reach the aim of Progress, as Hugo wrote:
Thanks to the Revolution, social conditions have changed and we have got the feudal and monarchic sickness out of our system. There is no longer
anything medieval in our constitution. [...] Revolutionary feeling is moral feelings. [...] The law for every man is liberty [...]
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. Hugo explains that social structure is ordered as well as the individual life is
constrained. The monarchic system has created a feudal society that he calls monarchic system. In Les Miserables
revolution is a symbol of people’ repressed feeling to the stagnant condition in the society where they no longer need to be
controlled. In other part of the novel, Hugo even strongly shows his point of view that religion or monastery order is even controlled by the monarchic social
structure and either way it directs people when he describes Madeleine, “The poor, as well as God, benefited by the deputy’s misgiving, for he also endowed two
hospital beds －
making twelve in all.”
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Both through “Argot” and “Parenthesis”
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V.Hugo, Parenthesis, 1205
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V. Hugo, Parenthesis, 1205.
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V. Hugo, Argot, 1214
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V. Hugo, Argot, 1228
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V. Hugo, Les Miserables, 157
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Hugo explains his idea of social construction and how it affects individual life. He also writes that Les Miserables is an illustration of how the social process which
aims at achieving some progress should run. As Les Miserables reflects the idea of developing process to build an ideal
society, there are two questions which would be examined in this thesis: 1
How is Hugo’s idea of ideal society depicted in Les Miserables? 2
How does Hugo’s idea of ideal society in Les Miserables lead to Hugo’s ideology transformation?
To analyze Hugo’s ideology transformation in Les Miserables, this research applies psychoanalytic - Marxism as the literary theory. Psychoanalytic - Marxism
is going to double perspectives to the analysis. It creates a possibility to analyze Les Miserables from Marxist perspective to see a literary text as an active
reflection. Marxism also creates research area for the historical and social to constrain people’ life
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, while psychoanalysis focuses on desire and emotional drive. Psychoanalysis would examine an individual psychotic condition through
herhis manifest desires. The manifest desires, sexual and aggressive drives, are actually formed by social rules that begins in the family
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. Thus, psychoanalytic - Marxism creates possibilities to see Les Miserables from its social point of view as
part of superstructure with its relation to base and examine its psychotic dimension. The ideology analysis, in this case Hugo’s ideology transformation in Les
Miserables, would be examined from the perspective of psychoanalytic - Marxism.
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Eugene Wolfenstein, Psychoanalytic - Marxism Groundwork New York: The Guilford Press, 1993 10
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E. Wolfenstein, Psychoanalytic - Marxism Groundwork, 11
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The psychoanalytic - Marxism would put Hugo’s psychotic idea in particular
social condition. Besides the literary theory, the previous literary studies of Les Miserables
would support the analysis of Hugo’s ideology transformation. There are some previous studies which analyzed Les Miserables, one of which that support the
analysis of Hugo’s ideology transformation is The Temptation of the Impossible which is written by Mario Vargas Llosa. Vargas Llosa focuses on how Les
Miserables creates a portrayal of the real social condition. According to Vargas Llosa, Hugo shows his idea of how the reality should be. In the introduction of his
book, Vargas Llosa even emphasizes that Les Miserables is a representation of the real reality
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. Hugo writes Les Miserables not only as a fiction but also as a criticism, suggestion, and analysis to a complex social condition in Paris around
the revolutionary years. Besides Vargas Llosa’s The Temptation of the Impossible, there are
economic and social studies which present deeper explanation on how the social system and social order affect the economic condition of the lower class characters.
In her journal, Ariana Smart analyzes that the way Hugo describes Paris in Les Miserables shows his psychotic condition from which he suffered from
claustrophobia
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. A social study such as the “Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables: A Marxist Consciousness” is another analysis to Les Miserables which is conducted
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Mario Vargas Llosa, The Temptation of the Impossible Victor Hugo and Les Miserables, New York: Princeton University Press, 2004 3 - 4
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Ariane Smart, “The Darkness and the Claustrophobia of the City: Victor Hugo and the Myth of Paris” Vol.8, 2000, 315
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to Les Miserables
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. Qurat-ul-Ain Ahmad, Sofia Dildar Alfi, and Abdul Baseer claim that Les Miserables portrays inter-class conflict with vivid social-economic
background. At the same time, there are some comparative studies about Les Miserables and its surrogation. There have been various kinds of adaptations of
Les Miserables such as the musical movie which was released in 2005. A comparative study to thi
s musical movie entitled “The Missing Half of Les Mis” compared the picture or revolution which is depicted in the novel and in the
movie
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. The study of Hugo’s ideology transformation depicted in Les Miserables
would function as literary study which supports and continues the previous studies. The previous studies have analyzed how Hugo reconstructs the society in Les
Miserables and emphasizes his idea of an ideal society show his ideology transformation. Thus, this study would analyze Hugo’s ideology transformation
which is depicted in Les Miserables. Although some previous studies have confirmed that Hugo’s ideology changing leads him to perform a radical acts in his
writing with socialist lining, this thesis would show the other point of Hugo’s socialism which is affected by his religious and romantic mind.
Furthermore, this study would reflect the idea of creative writing process in which Les Miserables is seen as a projection of reality. The previous studies which
focus on Hugo’s particular psychotic condition and the social condition in the novel would support the analysis about Hugo’s ideology transformation. Thus, the
previous studies leave a room for the analysis of Hugo’s ideology transformation.
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Qurat-ul- Ain Ahmad, Sofia Dildar Alfi, Abdul Baseer.“Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables: A
Marxist Consciousness”. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Business. 5.52003:115 - 123
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Charles Walton, “The Half Missing of Les Mis; the film pessimistic revolution view --- and ours”.Council and foreign relation. 2003: 51
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The analysis of Hugo’s ideology transformation would confirm that inter-disciplinary studies can be conducted. In addition, it would also answer the
doubt of the blur picture of revolution in Les Miserables which can be interpreted in different tones when it comes to the surrogations.
Besides psychoanalytic - Marxist reading and locating the analysis among the previous studies, Hugo’s other works are also essential sources to support the
analysis. Two essays on humanity serve as the secondary data sources to analyze Hugo’s ideology transformation. In his essays entitled “The Mind and the Masses”
and “Capital Punishment” Hugo explained his idea of society and socialism.
Research Methodology
To conduct the analysis of Hugo’s ideology transformation depicted in Les Miserables, several steps of research methodology are performed. The study
begins with reading the novel to find particular topic for the analysis. To support Les Miserables analysis,
Hugo’s other works that are in dialogue with Les Miserables
, “Capital Punishment” and “Mind and Masses”, are examined. Based on the reading process, it is found that indeed Hugo himself states that he
transforms into a socialist. In “Parenthesis”, part two of Les Miserables’ book seven, Hugo explains that Les Miserables is a literary text where social structure
has creates allusion to the society in the story. He emphasizes that it is monastery that perpetuates the allusion and the society needs to be liberated in order to aim an
ideal situation where society stays in a progress. Up to this point, Marxism seems to be a literary theory to comprehend the analysis.
Yet, during the analysis process, an religious idea which is contrast to socialism is found. Since the beginning of the novel Hugo emphasizes a story of a
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bishop character and how Jean Veljean, the main character, changes his way of life for a religious reason. This fact shows that there is a repressed ideological conflict
within Hugo’s mind. To see Hugo’s ideology transformation only from Marxist perspective would
leave Hugo’s psychotic condition untouched. Thus, applying psychoanalytic - Marxism as a literary theory for the analysis would be a key for
the analysis . After synthesizing the theory and defining Hugo’s idea of socialism,
the analysis about Hugo’s ideology transformation is conducted to write this thesis. This thesis consists of five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction of
the study which explores the background of the study. This sub-chapter includes the explanation about the reason of choosing Les Miserables that is translated by
Norma n Denny as the main data source to analyze Hugo’s ideology
transformation. Chapter one also depicts the formulation of the focus of the analysis. The second chapter contains the literature review which focuses on the
previous studies and the literary theories which are used to conduct the study. The third chapter would provide an elaborate explanation about the first research
question. This chapter contains the discussion on Hugo’s idea of ideal society and his criticism to the society. The fourth chapter would present an explanation about
how Les Miserables depicts Hugo’s ideology transformation. Finally, the last
chapter consists of concluding remarks.
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CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
Kategori