The Triumph of Les MisérablesLes Misérables (1862), a novel set in early 19th-century France, presents a story of obsessions with honor, love and duty , and through it redemption and salvation. It is the story of poor Jean Valjean, sentenced to an unjust prison sentence and a life on the run for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family. The kind act of forgiveness of a bishop with whom Jean Valjean spends a night changes the course in which he chooses to live his life. Under a different identity, he becomes rich thanks to a business he starts and is later elected mayor of the town of Montreuil. He falls madly in love with Fantine, one of the workers in his factory. Because Fantine, one of Montreuil's poorest and most pitiful residents, has a son born out of wedlock, Jean Valjean, as a respected mayor, must keep his love for her a secret. When Fantine dies unexpectedly, Jean Valjean vows that he will raise his daughter Cosette and protect her from all the evils of the world. Through it all, Jean Valjean is pursued by Javert, a policeman whose entire life has been dedicated to finding Jean Valjean. Fleeing from Javert, Jean Valjean and Cosette find themselves in Paris at the height of the Revolution of 1832. As Cosette matures, she falls in love with Marius, a young revolutionary. Despite Jean Valjean's objections, Cosette continues to secretly visit Marius at night. During the revolution, Marius is seriously wounded, and Jean Valjean, having found a love note from Marius to Cosette, quickly comes to the aid of the wounded gentleman. Eventually Jean Valjean and Marius' grandfather agree to Cosette and Marius' marriage. In this novel, "there is a point where ... middle of paper ... the obsessive anxieties of ... help him to more effectively narrate his novel, Les Misérables, to the reader. At the end of book, Jean Valjean dies knowing that he is happy, content, and prepared for his death. His adoration for Cosette has left her loving him and satisfied with the life he helped her create Marius: "I die happy. Let me lay my hands on you, beloved heads" (399). Like Jean Valjean, Javert's obsessions rule his life, but with negative rather than positive intentions. Once Javert realizes that his obsessions are not nothing but empty promises, he too is empty and chooses to end his life. Three of the story's main characters find that their perseverance and obsession to have the life they desire ends triumphantly. 1997.