Les Miserables Final Exam Essay Questions

Socratic Seminar—Language Arts Final Exam: Les Miserables Essay

Instructions: Select ONE of the following essay prompts.  Respond in a thoughtful essay.  You will have the full final period to write (2 hours).  You may use your book, notes, and an outline you have prepared in advance.  Make sure to use evidence to support your interpretation of the novel.

The body of your essay should consist of four-part quote analyses linked together with transitions:

·        Claim/interpretation

·        Background to the quote/evidence (Who is speaking? To whom? At what point in the story?)

·        Quote/paraphrase (Do not quote long passages.)

·        Analysis/explanation (usually 4-6 sentences)

Prompts:

1)    What does Les Miserables say about love?

a.     Why is the love story of Marius and Cosette included?Does Marius’ love count?

b.     How does Eponine’s love compare with Marius’?

c.      What does the novel say about parental love? (Think of Fantine, Jean Valjean, Marius’ dad/grandfather, the Thernardiers, and Gavroche.)

d.     What is the relationship between sacrifice and love in the novel?

e.     What kind of love does the bishop show?

f.       In what ways is Marius’ love letter Hugo’s thesis for the novel?

2)    What does Les Miserables say about perceiving people?

a.     Which characters are labeled?

b.     Which characters ignore labels?

c.      Do characters become their labels?

d.     Discuss the symbolism of mirrors and glass. How do they relate to perception?

e.     What is the difference between how justice and law view characters in the novel?

3)    What does Les Miserables say about justice?

a.     Interpret Javert.

b.     Is he playing God? Explain.

c.      What is the difference between justice and law?

d.     When in the story is law flawed?

e.     Does mercy have a role in justice? In law?

f.       Does punishment help people change?

g.     According to the novel, what is true justice?

4)    What does Les Miserables say about poverty/misery?

a.     What role does the bestial (animalistic) imagery play in developing this theme?

b.     Which characters are reduced and how?

c.      Who does Hugo portray as the miserables (the wretched)?

d.     Who is most miserable and why?

e.     Does Hugo consider Javert one of the miserables? The Thernardiers?

5)    What does Les Miserables say about transformation?

a.     How does change take place for various characters?

b.     How does Jean Valjean change? Is his change all at once, or are there stages in the change?

c.      Does Javert change?  Why/why not? Compare/contrast Javert and Jean Valjean.

d.     How does one person help another change?

e.     How do labels (perceived identities) facilitate or hinder change?