I have been quite taken with the subject of "Les Miserables," of late. So, this is what will form most of the basis for my 29 Faces Challenge. I won't do 29 faces from "Les Mis," but I intend to cover each major character at least once. I'll toss a few others in for kicks!
Well, first things first: When Jean Valjean was paroled after nineteen years of slave labor for stealing bread (and some escape attempts) he was told by one of the guards to remember him, as he would be remembering Valjean. A paroled prisoner had to present papers before applying for work, for lodging, almost anything involving the law-abiding citizenry. The papers declared each parolee to be dangerous. Nobody wanted to give a "dangerous criminal" anything, any kind of chance. Valjean found his way to a bench outside an abbey, to sleep upon, when the bishop discovered him and invited him inside. He was fed, and given a bed to sleep on, gently called, "brother." Yet in the night, Valjean stole the bishop's silver dinner service, and ran off. Caught, he was brought back to the abbey by the gendarmes, who were surprised to hear the bishop say the silver was a gift to Valjean. "But in your hurry, you forgot to take the best!" and put two large, elegant silver candlesticks into Jean's sack with the rest. When the police left, the bishop told Jean Valjean to go forth and become an honest man, using the silver for good deeds. "I have saved your soul for God."
Rocked to the core, having never experienced such kindness and trust from a stranger, Valjean vows to cast aside the man he was, and become a new, better person. He shreds his papers, assumes a new identity, and violates his parole, slipping into the population of France.
More tomorrow!
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