The first edition copy of Les Miserables appears in multiple scenes. What do you think the author is saying about the way stories transcend generations? What is the significance of the book itself?

The first edition copy of Les Miserables appears in multiple scenes; the first time we see it is in Cuba in 1866 and the last time we see the book is in present-day Miami. What do you think the author is saying about the way stories transcend generations? What is the significance of the book itself?

Parents pass down important or favorite stories from books (and otherwise) to their children. Classics are books that still have finished saying what they need to say. Perhaps in this family, the actual story of Jean Valjean is important to them and has a message for each generation. Certainly their familiarity of it goes back to Antonio and Maria Isabel. The irony of the title is also significant within this story - The Miserable People.

In the story of Les Miserables, Jean Valjean breaks the law and steals bread because of starvation. In this book people are desperate to flee, and so they break the immigration laws. It took me until the end of the book for the significance to occur to me.

The author is giving us another link in the chain that connects these women. The book threads throughout the novel, its significance changing with each generation. For Maria Isabel it was a not only a connection to her husband, but represented Victor Hugo’s powerful words to the women of Cuba, “We are the force.” It seems to have meant little to Carmen. Ana chooses to believe Jeanette’s scribbled words were a cry across time. The book continues to offer hope to another generation.

The book and the lives of the women were parallel. Looking for a better life - fleeing the unjust. Les Miserable is a classic - you only become a classic if you can relate over time.