The Voices
Blog Post #2
Topic F
April 24, 2015
Tommy Lacher
The passage where Jean Valjean and Cosette hear the voices after jumping over the wall to escape Javert and the soldiers contains a great amount of imagery. The first, and most important as well as predominant, thing that this scene contains is the image of freedom. Throughout this section there are many references to freedom. The constant symbolism of birds shows us that Jean Valjean and Cosette are free like birds. This ties into the scene containing the voices. When Jean Valjean and Cosette jump over the wall, they "fell on their knees" and were mesmerized (138). They were caught up in the moment that they had just escaped from being captured by Javert and the soldiers and did not know what was going on. The two listened to the voices without moving or thinking until they were done. While the novel does not explicitly say that the voices were from singing, it is implied after the reader learns that they are in a convent. This whole scene show the disbelief of Jean Valjean and Cosette that they are actually free. To them, the notion that they can live without the fear of being apprehended is unbelievable, hence the startling reaction when they heard the mysterious voices. The second thing that this passage could symbolize is the new start Jean Valjean and Cosette are going to have at the convent. The voices are described as " a celestial, divine, infallible sound" that could not come from this earth (138). It can symbolize that Jean Valjean and Cosette have passed into another life, like someone dying passes into a new life in Heaven.
Tommy, I am loving all your ideas and symbols that you are bringing up about the birds, freedom, and their new life in the convent. One thing that I want to bring up though is how you are mixing all these ideas together when they should really be separate ideas. The whole symbolism on birds and that connection to freedom is great and it shows a lot throughout this section, however, I do not see how these birds pertain to the convent scene. They certainly act like birds as they fly up onto the rooftops to escape Javert, but this does not really show their freedom. Other than that small point, however, your connections and analyzation of these scenes were very in depth. I especially enjoyed how you compared the celestial voices to passing into a new life. I want to add finally, though, that they really do enter into a new life in the convent with Jean living happily as a gardener and Cosette finally having friends to play with.
ReplyDeleteTommy, I am also loving all the symbolism that you have put in your post. I disagree with Jonathan about the convent scene. I think a connection can be drawn between that scene and their freedom. This scene shows how Valjean and Cosette, the birds, escape from Javert, the hound, and gain freedom. Your connections and analyzation of these scenes were very detailed and I thought the quote was fitting and appropriately used. I agree with Jonathan, the comparison between the celestial voices and a new life was especially good. They do enter into a new life, where they can live happily away from the dangers of the past.
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