Les Miserables and Kierkegaard

           Kierkegaard has the ethical and the aesthetic stage of life. In Les Miserable there are people who are free and there are those who are not free at all. Those in the Aesthetic stage are the two parents of Eponine, M. and Mme. Thenardier. They are two characters that by whim steal money and whatever they can find. Their impulses make them disguise themselves and sneak into places they know they are not allowed in. These two character believe they are completely free because they don't care about the girls and they do not follow the laws, they just live their lives. Those in the Ethical stage include all the French that are fighting for their freedom. They stand up for what they believe in and they also won't stop until their ultimate freedom is achieved. Jean Valjean is also a character in the ethical stage because he runs away from the law and is searching for his freedom. He is a man that would do anything to protect Cosette even though he isn't technically free. Les Miserable  is a movie and a book that represents both the ethical stage and the aesthetic stage. It is clear in this book and movie who is free and doing things based on impulse and those who are fighting for what they believe in and their freedom.

M. and Mme. Thenardier

French Revolution-ers fighting for freedom