LITERARY DEVICES IN LES MISERABLES

ALLEGORY: LES MISERABLES AS ANOVEL IS AN ALLEGORY.JEAN VALJEAN'S

PERSONAL JOURNEY FROM ANGRY EX-CONVICT TO BELOVED ADOPTED FATHER

MIRRORS THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL FROM BITTERNESS TO GRACE.VICTOR HUGO

SUGGESTS THAT SUFFERING MIGHT BE A CATALYST TOWARDS GREATER PERSONAL

PURITY, AND THAT THE SOUL MUST MOVE FROM DARKNESS AND HATRED TOWARD

LIGHT AND LOVE.

ALLUSION: THERE ARE MANY ALLUSIONS IN LES MISERABLES, SPECIFICALLY

BIBLICAL ALLUSIONS. FOR EXAMPLE,FOR EXAMPLE ON PAGE 172 HE IS PREPARED TO

STAY THE NIGHT IN A STABLE LIKE JESUS, WHO WAS BORN IN A STABLE. IN LUKE

7:36-50 JESUS BLESSES A PROSTITUTE AND IS VERY KIND TO HER MUCH LIKE

VALJEAN GIVES FANTINE, A PROSTITUTE, SHELTER AND HEALTH CARE AS WELL AS

OFFERING TO RETRIEVE HER CHILD FOR HER.

DRAMATIC IRONY AFFAIRS: THE MAIN DRAMATIC IRONY AFFAIR IN LES MISERABLES IS

THE BARRICADE. THE CHARACTERS EXPECT THE AMAZING VICTORY, BUT THE TRAGIC

REVERSE IS ALL THE DEATH AND LOSSES THAT ENSUED.

FIGURE OF SPEECH: HUGO USES A LOT OF FIGURES OF SPEECH, BUT PARTICULARLY

SIMILES AND METAPHORS. AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE IS "JUST AS DEMONS AND

EVIL SPIRITS RECOGNIZE BY CERTAIN SIGNS THE PRESENCE OF A HIGHER GOD, SO

THENARDIER REALIZED THAT HE HAD TO DO WITH A MAN OF GREAT MORAL

STRENGTH"(P.376).