Tell us about a book, artwork, or lab experiment that changed the way you see the world. What was it about the work that affected you? How did your world become different?
The limit is 500 words, but I currently have 515. Any advice on how to whittle it down, or improve it in general?
Here is the draft:
There are certain works that extend beyond their time, written far enough in the past to seem of another world, yet that remain relevant to modern times; Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo, retains this relevance. In the preface, Hugo wrote: "So long as there shall exist... a social condemnation, which in the face of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth... so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless." Since I read Les Misérables, I have realized that the best of us are often hidden behind layers of upbringing and circumstance. I feel more aware of the world, more able to see the plights of its people; it is like looking through a new lens. What you knew was there before you can now see with clarity.
Les Misérables is translated variously as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims. The book's reason and emotion for me is in these wretched ones, students, prostitutes, convicts and factory workers, and their stories of redemption, revolution, purity and corruption. They are considered riffraff or vagabonds by the upright majority, but are capable of more morality and humanity than those who dismiss them.
Jean Valjean is central to this idea, in his journey from convict to honest mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. When he reveals his true identity to save another former convict from false accusations, the people denounce him and see only the trappings of his past circumstances. Too easily we condemn those who have wronged, and leave them to rot. I can now see that those at the floor of our society, or beneath it, can be wrongly placed in those hells on earth by societal blindness.
It has always seemed that those who have enough power over people to throw them to that floor, are by the nature of that power terribly corruptible. Les Misérables has shown me that there are exceptions. The book begins with the Bishop Myriel, based on an actual bishop of Digne. They are both admiral figures who defy the corruption bishops possessed during the time period.
After his ordination, Bishop Myriel moved out of his episcopal palace and converted it into a hospital, keeping only a tenth of his income - but his final act was his greatest kindness. He took Valjean in for a night and discovered that his precious silver was stolen - not knowing that during the night Valjean had also come within inches of cleaving the bishop's skull. Valjean is brought before the bishop by gendarmes, and the bishop tells them that he gave the silver to Valjean. The shock to Valjean's system was visceral to me as I read, with an indescribable power. This act of forgiveness changed Jean Valjean forever, and led him on toward redemption.
There are points in our lives that are cruxes for the rest, as that was for Valjean, which can be altered by only a few words. Les Miserables has shown the dangers and redemption possible in these formative moments, and has both cautioned and spurred me on to face these with fervor.
There are certain works that extend beyond their time, written far enough in the past to seem of another world, yet that remain relevant to modern times; Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo, retains this relevance.
I think that you have missed the prompt. The point is to show how the book has changed your perception of the world and for the majority of the essay, you have just had a plot summary.
Try using personal experiences that relate to this book.
I feel more aware of the world, better able to see the plights of its people; it is like looking through a new lens. What I knew was there before I can now see with clarity ----what does this sentence mean? what you knew was there before, you can now see... Maybe you can come up with a better sentence for this spot.
At the end, add an extra idea for the reader to take away from the reading. Give a meaningful "bonus" idea that comes from considering the implications of the way we can be so easily influenced or corrupted by circumstance. Develop that conclusion. :-)
