Caleb's Blog

 I have seen bits and pieces of the movie before so I already kind of pictured the characters as in the movies. One way the movie and book is  different is the movie doesn't spend as much time with the Bishop. Also, there is no women that points Jean Valjean to the Bishop's house. Both the book and the movie showed Jean Valjean getting kicked out of all the hotels/inns. I also thought they did a good job of depicting how hungry and tired Jean Valjean was after getting out of prison in the movie. I'd also liked to add that the prison looked absolutely miserable and exhausting.

 

      This semester is unlike any I've ever had. With the pandemic keeping us home, and only attending class every other day, it was a pretty big adjustment from the previous semesters. Luckily it was a somewhat smooth adjustment as everyone was figuring out how to do life and school in a pandemic. Even with all that, one couldn't miss how even this English course by itself, is so different than any other courses.      One thing that made my English 2 Honors course different was the flexibility of it. Flexibility in a class is hard to come by with deadlines for assignments and  specific stuff we have to learn by the end of the year., but this class managed to be it. For example, in class we would have conversations about when something should be assigned or future projects that students would recommend. Maybe some of my other classes would push an assignment back by a day, but they would never ask the students if it was too much too soon. Even when I thought the course was too

 I found it interesting that Jean Valjean knows that he did a bad thing that deserved to be punished. Most people would get very defensive and say  they didn't deserve it and that it was justified theft. Jean Valjean however, acknowledges that he probably just could've asked for it and the bread would've been given to him. I do agree with Jean Valjean though that he was punished to severely for the crime and that he should've never been going hungry as he was a hard worker who wasn't reckless with his money. Also, after reading what Jean Valjean thinks of humanity, I am a little concerned for the Bishop but I don't think anything really bad will happen to him as the Bishop was the only person who showed him kindness.

 Jean Valjean's life just can't seem to get even a little but better. He's lost pretty much everything in his life. His mother, father, sister, nephews, and nieces are all lost to him in one way or another. He was give a  cruel punishment for the crime of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. I like what was mentioned in class about how he is a good person that was forced to do bad things by the circumstances around him. Seriously though, was he suppose to just let the children starve to death. One would think that someone would understand his circumstances but I guess not. Hopefully, he can get a fresh start at life but I doubt he will.

 This chapter was even shorter than the last. One thing that stood out to me was how tired Jean Valjean was. Just reading it started to make me feel tired. I must say to that the Bishop is super confident to let Jean Valjean sleep so close to him, as he knows almost nothing about him besides the fact that he has stolen in the past. However, it isn't surprising that the Bishop is okay with it.

 This was a very short chapter so not a lot could stand out to me. One thing that stood out though was how Mademoiselle Baptistine mentioned how her brother treated Jean Valjean just like he would someone very important. Another thing that stood out to me was how Mademoiselle Baptistine gave Jean Valjean the goatskin to keep warm. The reason it stood out to me was because it shows that she is following her brother's lead and being hospitable to Jean Valjean.

 

 The thing that stood out most to me in this chapter was Jean Valjeans gratitude and disbelief at the Bishop letting him stay. He was so shocked that he repeated all the reasons why he shouldn't be allowed to stay. Luckily that didn't change the good Bishop's mind at all. The Bishop really does just want to help people and make them feel welcome. I also feel really bad for Jean Valjean as his experience sounded horrible, especially considering all he did was steal a loaf of bread.

One thing we noticed is the reminder that the Bishop and Mademoiselle Baptistine used to be well off when it was pointed out that Mademoiselle Baptistine was wearing  a silk robe. I also found it kind of funny how Madame Magloire was trying so hard to get the Bishop  to put a lock on the door and not let just anyone into the house and then the Bishop immediately lets someone into the house. The last thing I noticed/liked is how Mademoiselle Baptistine fully respects the Bishops wishes and won't presss hi about putting the lock on the  door.

 One connection I have noticed is how some people just assume things without getting all the facts. This happened in the book when the Bishop asked for some money and people were judging him and saying he was greedy, even though he gives almost all his money away. I think this happens a lot now a days, where people just jump to conclusions based on one thing they heard and they don't have the full picture. Another connection I noticed is kind of similar to the first one, and it is how some people are very judgmental. This is showcased in the book when the former prisoner is shunned by everyone and everyone treats him like he is super dangerous and kicks him to the streets. Unfortunately, people can still be super judgmental to others weather it's on their past or something a trivial as their skin color. The last connection I've noticed between Les Mis and the present day is how while some peoplee donate for the good of people, others donate to make themselves look better. F

 I didn't get any new comments which is okay as it's less work for me. I will say  that I did like commenting on other peoples post as I got to see the different perspectives of my classmates and what they thought of Les Mis.  I don't get to hear their perspectives a lot and it was nice to look at things from a different angle, or find someone who noticed the same thing I did.

     So far in Les Mis we have been focusing on the Bishop and his life. He started out as this person who  had it all and then lost it all, including his wife. Then he went away to Italy and became the Bishop. From there on his main goal is to  help people and not worry so much about the material things. We can see this in how he takes care of his house, as it is old and without many new and fancy things.     Throughout the first book we see how good ad selfless the Bishop is. He is constantly giving charity to those who need it in multiple ways. One way is by giving almost all of his money to the poor and hungry. Another is by welcoming everyone into his home in which he doesn't even have a lock on the door so anyone can come in at any time. Another important moment where he helped someone is when he spent the day with the man who was to be executed. He spent the entire day comforting the man up until his last moments, even though it wasn't even his job to do so.     The Bish