Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Les Miserables, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Redemption
Mercy vs. Judgment
Justice and Injustice
History, Revolution, and Progress
Mystery and Knowledge in Paris
Summary
Analysis
The narrator begins by stating that his book will remain of use as long as society continues to degrade its inhabitants through poverty, hunger, ignorance, and shame.
Though Les Misérables is a novel, the narrator immediately notes its relevance to social issues and asks the reader to keep them in mind.
Themes
