Les Misérables characters

Jean Valjean

Jean Valjean is the main protagonist of the novel. At the beginning of the story, he is convicted for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s family, who were starving. Originally, he was sentenced to five years in prison. However, as he tried to escape for several times, the sentence was...

Bishop Myriel

Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel, or Bishop Myriel, is a bishop of Digne. He is a kind and hospitable churchman, who gives shelter to Jean Valjean. In youth, he was a happy, carefree boy, but then he turned into an old patient priest. Even though he had suffered a lot in the past, he became...

Marius Pontmercy

The son of Georges Potmercy and Monsieur Gillenormand’s daughter. Marius is a lawyer and an intelligent young man who falls in love with Cosette. He grows up at Monsieur Gillenormand’s place not knowing anything about his real father because Gillenormand forbade their communication and...

Cosette

Cosette is Fantine’s daughter. Soon after her birth, her father abandons the family, and Fantine has to leave her with Thénardier family and work hard to earn money. The Thénardier family uses Cosette as a servant. At a very young age, being only five years old, she has to do...

Fantine

When the reader first finds out about Fantine, she is a beautiful young girl who likes spending time with her friends in Paris. She is innocent and carefree, and she falls in love with Tholomyès, who is much older than her. The problem is that Tholomyès does not really love her, and...

Thénardier (Jondrette)

Thénardier is a cruel and selfish man, who is an innkeeper together with his wife. They have five children, and also, Cosette lives with them, and they exploit her making her work hard about the house. Thénardier is an example of an unfair and immoral person, and it is visible in...

Eponine

Eponine Thénardier is the oldest daughter in the Thénardier family. In her childhood, she has everything and is spoiled by her parents. However, as she grows up, her adult life turns out to be completely different. She joins her father, who teaches her how to steal. At the same time...

Javert

Javert was born in prison, and his parents were a convict and a fortune-teller. As he grows up, he starts working as a correctional officer and then joins the police and becomes a police inspector. His only life goal and purpose is to trust the law and make others obey it. He shows passion only...

M. Gillenormand

Monsieur Gillenormand is Marius’ grandfather who prevents his father, Georges Pontmercy, from establishing any contacts with his son. He is a monarchist who supports the French king and rejects democracy. His visions are typical for an old bourgeois who does not accept any new political...

Magnon

Magnon is a former servant-mad of Monsieur Gillenormand. She claims to be a mother of his two illegitimate sons. Because of that, she receives monthly payments from Gillenormand to support the children. After some time, her sons die because of the epidemic, and she replaces them with the two...

Georges Pontmercy

Georges Pontmercy is Marius’ father. He served in Napoleon’s army and then married Monsieur Gillenormand’s daughter. Georges was seriously wounded at Waterloo but survived, and now he believes that M. Thénardier was the one who saved his life and whom he owes everything now...