10 questions on plot, characters, and themes. Free to take, so you can see exactly what to review before class.
1. Why does Jean Valjean confess his true identity in court after another man is arrested and identified as him?
2. What does the bishop's action at the beginning of the novel set in motion?
3. How does Fantine's story illustrate the novel's theme about social judgment?
4. What happens to Javert after he releases Valjean at the sewer exit?
5. What is Valjean's primary motivation for going to the barricade during the 1832 uprising?
6. How does Éponine's behavior toward Marius reveal the novel's theme about love as a force for sacrifice?
7. What does Valjean's act of carrying the wounded Marius through the Paris sewers demonstrate about his character?
8. Why does Marius initially pull away from Valjean after learning about his criminal past?
9. What does the novel suggest about political idealism through the fate of the 1832 student uprising?
10. How does Valjean's death at the end of the novel reflect the overall arc of his character?
0 of 10 answered
How this guide is built
This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.
