Deacon Frollo & Inspector Javert

[Lettow77]

 These two characters are, to me, perhaps Victor Hugo's greatest legacy.

Consider Frollo- the austere, self-denying intellectual and man of faith. He despises the gypsy that brings turmoil to his life, but she is blameless; she is a vessel for his sin, but is not deliberately wanton to entice Frollo. His shame, anger and self-conflict as he struggles not to defile himself are extremely evocative to me; He ultimately places the responsibility for his sins upon her, a weakness which leads to his descent into turpitude, as by refusing to recognize that the sin is wholly of his own creation, he is unequipped to properly combat himself, and ultimately he falls to his baser nature.

I think it a pity that the common western audience can no longer relate with, understand or appreciate much of Frollo's motivations and internal dialogue, but they speak to me quite deeply. I wonder if the Islamic world could appreciate Frollo's suffering?

Alike to Frollo is Javert, the relentless inspector for whom the law is the final morality. His actions, much like those of Frollo, are the passions of a fatalist who has quietly loathed himself all his life. His criminal heritage poisons his opinion of both criminals and his own self-worth, and his external crusade against all who disturb the peace of France is a quest for self-redemption. How many people have you seen who, having very nearly made a decision but decided against it, attack those who went down the path they almost chose, to confirm that they made the right choice? Or see sometime how people say things they scarcely mean in an attempt to convince themselves their poorly-thought decisions were correct- it defies rationality but I have seen it often enough, and I see it as well in Javert. 

Javert sees the world in black and white, and destroys himself rather than accept a revelation that he was wrong. I find myself moved by the tragedy of his actions and understand them well. Frollo and Javert both represent a more dour, predestined view of the world that has passed from the West's collective identity, and I think we are the poorer for it. Certainly, they were ideas whose time had eclipsed by the era of Victor Hugo- a reality reflected by how their views of the world allow for no internal inconsistencies, and ultimately lead directly to the death of them both.

I believe Victor Hugo and his works represent the highest ascension of the 19th century literary tradition.

[Eddie Teach]

Don't taint Hugo.