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Handle: Kath
Contact: whaleen
Over 18? Yes ma’am
Characters Played: N/A

THE CHARACTER

Character Name: Jean Valjean
Series: Les Miserables
Canon Point: After leaving the convent and installing himself and Cosette at 55 Rue Plumet (autumn 1829)
Character Age: 59
Background: Detailed here

Personality: Jean Valjean is wholly the result of his will to reform and redeem himself after his conversion through the compassion of Bishop Myriel. He seeks to follow the path that God would have him follow, helping those who are less fortunate than himself in any way he can. This is evident in the philanthropic acts he commits with the wealth he amasses through his business in Montreuil-sur-Mer, and the commitment he has to the townspeople once he is named mayor. His ultimate act of charity is of course his adopting Cosette in penance for the hardship he inadvertently caused Fantine when she was turned out of one of his factories. He promises Fantine that her child will want for nothing, and he adheres to this promise until his death, providing for Cosette fine clothes, furniture, and food, and whatever trinkets she may desire. Once out of the convent at Petit-Picpus, where he and Cosette live for five years, he regularly donates money to the poor. All of this demonstrates that he cares more for others than he does himself. Also apparent is his extraordinary determination, in both becoming a self-made millionaire and fully committing himself first to the advice of the bishop and then his promise to Fantine.

For the humble and self-sacrificial lifestyle Valjean adopts, Victor Hugo compares him to a saint. He seems to think that due to the ignominy with which his convict status has branded him, he is deserving of little. For example, he sets up Cosette in the house proper at 55 Rue Plumet while he consigns himself to the tiny cottage in the back; when he goes out with Cosette he dresses as a gentleman, but when he goes alone he favors the dress of a working man. Such is his low view of himself. He is selfless almost to a fault, viewing his own wellbeing as necessary only insofar as Cosette’s wellbeing depends on him. Despite all the good he has done, he does not even believe that he is truly worthy of the happiness with which his adopted daughter has blessed his life.

This is not to say that he has not stumbled while trying to follow this saintly path. The greatest test of his character comes of course when another man is mistakenly identified as Jean Valjean and thus put on trial for breaking parole. Valjean spends an entire night deciding on a course of action, which shows how difficult is the choice he faces – even he hesitates to choose the path of honesty when doing so would threaten all that he has worked for. Even once he decides to ride out to Arras, where the trial shall be held, it seems that his convictions are not entirely set. When his carriage’s wheel is damaged and he learns that repairs cannot be done within the day, he is relieved that he will not be able to complete the trip – and is promptly filled with dread when one of the villagers offers him a carriage for purchase. Ultimately, although he is far from perfect, his integrity is emphasized all the more by the difficulty of his decision, and by the fact that he almost chose the easy route.

Although Valjean was set on the path of an honest man, he retains some telling marks of his former life as a convict. He is described as possessing both the thoughts of a saint and the wiles of a convict. For example, he is adept at thinking on his feet; his mind is only sharpened under pressure, such as the various times has run from the law. He is able to use his environment and any tools in his possession to his greatest advantage, revealing an impressive sense of ingenuity. His calculating mind works not just in the short term but also in the long term, as shown by his ability to lay plans for the times he has had to uproot his life. He is able to think multiple steps ahead in order to achieve his goal, which is crucial in maintaining his liberty and Cosette’s comfort.

The shadow of his former life also causes him to lead a reclusive lifestyle due to his extreme caution in concealing his identity. When he served as mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer, although he showed compassion and generosity toward the citizens, he did not form any close personal attachments. So too in his life with Cosette, once they have left the convent: he chooses the house at 55 Rue Plumet specifically because it is located on a little traveled street, buffeted by a large garden in the front, and equipped with a passage through which to escape into another district of the city. He even chooses a parish in another neighborhood at which to worship, so that none can guess where he might live. His modus operandi is essentially to keep his head low and keep all personal details close to the vest, lest he risk the authorities picking up on his scent.

He does not, however, find such a life lonely. Because Cosette is by his side, he is content. She is described as the only person he has felt love for, and so each depends upon the other for support. Ultimately, she is his primary motivation, as she represents the purest form of the goodness and light he has vowed to protect and uphold.

Powers/Abilities:

Strength: Jean Valjean possesses unusual physical strength for a man his age, as demonstrated by numerous feats in the novel, including a famous incident in which he singlehandedly raises a broken cart high enough to free the man trapped underneath it.
Pain tolerance: He also possesses unusually high pain tolerance, as demonstrated when he holds a fire poker to his own arm for a prolonged period of time in order to show Thenardier that he cannot be tortured for information.
Agility/Nimbleness: As demonstrated when he climbs the garden wall of the convent using only rope, and when he jumps from the second story window to escape Thenardier and the thieves known collectively as Patron-Minette.
Sleight of hand: As demonstrated when he is able to cut the ropes that bind him without Thenardier noticing.
Gardening/Pruning: Before he was convicted and sent to the galleys, Valjean worked as a pruner, which skills he employs once again during his time in the convent garden.

Power Nerfs (if applicable): Not applicable.

Inventory:

(1) set of clothes
(1) purse (contains unknown but nominal amount of money)
(1) small valise (contains the clothes that Cosette wore when Valjean took her from Montfermeil)
(1) large sou coin, hollowed out, fashioned into a tiny saw (this can count as his allotted weapon, if need be)

Incentives: If he may be granted two allowances, Jean Valjean would require first that Cosette’s health and safety shall be guaranteed while she remains in her pod, and second that in all official documents his name appear as Ultime Fauchelevent.

SAMPLES

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