The Romantic era began with the desire to create something new and enjoyable and to leave classicism in the past. Parker explains that “Romanticism is the art of presenting people with literary works which… are capable of giving them the greatest possible pleasure; classicism, on the contrary, to present them with what gave their grandparents the greatest possible pleasure” (Parker 307). Parker thus summarizes the state of mind that fueled the Romantics, characterized by the need to create from their own imagination, not that of their ancestors. Romanticism is characterized in myriad ways and ranges from the foundations of art, to literature, to music, to philosophy, to anything that requires creation. The ideals of Romanticism, in addition to creating something new, include individualism, imagination, beauty, love, nature, the supernatural, the sublime, organicism, the Byronic hero and many others depending of the creator. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay However, Parker precisely identifies the dominant and most recurring traits in Romanticism: "The essential elements of the Romantic spirit are curiosity and the love of beauty" (Parker 308). Imagination and beauty, very often in nature, are found as key points for Romantic authors, with Victor Hugo a great herald of these ideals. Influenced by his own experiences during the French Revolution, his eventual exile and the loss of loved ones, Hugo created Les Miserables as a manifestation of all that is romantic, in an attempt to educate and inspire emotion. He writes, as is known, in the preface to his novel: "As long as there exists, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation which, in the midst of civilization, artificially creates a hell on earth, and complicates a destiny with human fatality divine; until the three problems of the century are resolved: the degradation of man through the exploitation of his work, the ruin of women through hunger and the atrophy of childhood through the physical and spiritual night, in some regions; social asphyxiation will be possible…as long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, there should be a need for books like this” (Hugo 21). Hugo recognized his duty as a poet, to educate and legislate through his (often considered divine) ability to write. Hugo tackles many topics in his novel, focusing on some core values ​​of Romanticism: nature, individualism and imagination, through the use of character development and conflict. In Romanticism, nature is perhaps the most recurring theme and is found manifested in Les Miserables. Emphasizing the importance of nature, Hugo also highlights the importance of the inspiration we find through nature. Inspiration takes the form of several ideals in the novel, such as love, beauty, and the sublime. Nature is all-consuming, and Nash compares its complexity to that of the novel, "the novel, like nature, is a great paradigm for metaphoricity: the more you look, the more analogies you find" (Nash 480). In short, nature is much more than just scenery, and Les Miserables reflects that depth. Particular scenes of nature's impact on characters occur throughout the novel, beginning with Bishop Bienvenu, representative of the goodness that humanity can possess through his charity and trusting nature. The bishop is described by Quale as “Hugo's hero as well as a saint; and we cannot deny him beauty such as those worn by the enskied and the saints. This is the romantics' tribute to a minister of God; and sweet is the tribute” (Quayle 17). This description shows the value of aman attuned to the grace of God and able to receive inspiration through it, which is a common romantic theme. The bishop finds this inspiration in nature, as he takes walks in his garden every evening before going to bed. His experience is described: "Was not this narrow enclosure, with the sky as a backdrop, sufficient to enable him to worship God in his most beautiful works as well as in his most sublime works? Indeed, that is not all, and what more could one wish for ?A small garden to walk in and an immensity to reflect on. At his feet something to cultivate and gather; above his head something to study and meditate on: some flowers on the earth and all the stars in the sky" (Hugo 6). These lines reflect the immensity of inspiration and comfort found in nature, and the Bishop's feelings of closeness, or organicism, with the rest of the universe. This allows him to feel a closeness to others and is reflected in his caring and forgiving nature. This personality influences Jean Valjean to become more saintly, and he in turn finds his solace in nature at various points in the novel. An example is when he and Cosette live in a convent to escape the policeman. Javert is taught by the sisters and Valjean works as a gardener in silence like this cloister, in fragrance like these flowers, in peace like this garden…” (Hugo 189) As seen in these lines and in the example of the Bishop, the garden becomes a motif recurring representing the divinity of nature, and Cosette and. Marius finds his own kind of inspiration through it. They find love through nature, and Marius describes his experience thus: "Never had the sky been more star-studded and more enchanting, the trees more trembling, the smell of the grass more penetrating; never had the birds fallen asleep among the leaves with a sweeter noise; never had all the harmonies of universal serenity responded more fully to the inner music of love; never had Marius been more fascinated, more happy, more ecstatic" (Hugo 189); These lines show how the beauty of nature and how nature and love become one, a common romantic theme often referred to as organicism. Nature allows for inspiration through many devices, ranging from comfort to pure love, and reflects the romantic theme of nature as the greatest teacher. Individualism becomes a broad topic in Les Miserables with the focus encompassing the individual's struggle against a larger force, be it morality or political conflicts. Through this exploration, Grossman describes the product as: “Many of the ethical and political nuances of his work also serve the distinctly aesthetic purpose of defining his mature concept of romance and the romantic novel” (Grossman 9). These political critiques manifest themselves most powerfully in Jean Valjean's struggle with Javert and attention to injustice between classes, such as the Thénardiers and Fantine. It is the struggle of the individual against that of higher powers. Cooke describes the struggle as: “Victor Hugo taught his readers the new truth of the humanity of all men, even the lowest. He opened the eyes of his countrymen to the suffering, pain, and humanity of the poor around them and to the injustice they suffered at the hands of law and society” (Cooke 133). This humanity is manifested above all in the development of Jean Valjean's character. Receiving excessive punishment and unfair treatment out of a desire to help others, Valjean is very much a reflection of a common romantic character: the Byronic hero. Focusing on individualism, the Byronic hero suffers with dignity against all opposition. Valjean's extraordinary strength is also notable, the supernatural being another common component of romance. Schwartz describes its characteristics as“Romanticism praised the genius of the extraordinary man” (Shwartz). Hugo represents the common man, which is extraordinary in the eyes of the romantic. Quayle links this supernatural strength to Valjean's heroism, describing him as: "He is a grim hero, but a hero still, with a strength equal to that of ten, for his love is as the love of a legion" (Quayle 15). heroism is seen in the good use of his strength, as he uses it to save lives, as the sailor in danger, and to escape Javert to protect Cossette at various points in the novel. Javert, who represents the rigidity of the law, ultimately succumbs to the powerful forces of Valjean's individualism, manifested in his grace and goodness despite opposition. Duncan describes him this way: “Perceiving Jean Valjean as a noble-minded person, he is no longer able to maintain his view of himself as pure. The rigid compromise training had repressed his self-loathing and sense of internal pollution. Now, when these feelings emerge, Javert commits suicide” (Duncan 115). The individual, as well as the poor and lower classes, wins thanks to Valjean, who represents the common man – which the romantics constantly support. Schwartz describes Hugo's characterization as: "His most memorable characters in Les Misérables were not those of the rich or high-ranking people, but rather those of the poor, common man" (Schwartz). However, Valjean, our hero, also finds death, as is normal for everyone, but it is his grace and dignity that distinguish him as a romantic and Byronic hero even after death. “Always love each other tenderly. There is almost nothing else in the world but this: to love one another…I die happy…” (Hugo 519). These lines express Valjean's divine realization of love in enduring horrible suffering and dying without fear. Grossman describes it as, “Death looms as the price of extraordinary merit” (Grossman 7). According to organicism, all things are connected, as are the themes of romanticism, here we see nature conquering everything, even the individual. Furthermore for the themes of nature and individualism, imagination is a key component of the Romantic, which Hugo embodies in his work. The imagination is broad and there is no single definition in the eyes of Romanticism. Perkins describes it more generally as “'imagination' denotes a functioning of the mind that is total, synthetic, immediate and dynamic. In this sense, the theory of imagination was a reaction not only against empirical analysis but also against traditional psychological faculty…” (Perkins 19). Imagination, like most modes of Romanticism, sought to move away from the traditionalist style and make it new. Hugo shows this through the novelty of his writing style and intentions, reflected in his character's choices and actions. It is also represented in the spiritual aspects of the novel, where religion is explored as an individual endeavor, as opposed to oppressive institutional religion. Schwartz describes Hugo's romantic style thus: "Hugo presented himself as the poet born of the ideological currents that shaped Romanticism, according to which the poet is an extremely individual creator, whose creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and to traditional procedures. ...The artist is the only one capable of directing society, because only he embraces both God and Man" (Schwartz). Les Miserables illustrates Hugo's imagination with his revolutionary ideas visible in both the plot and stylistic elements. Marius, for example, embodies the romantic ideals of the imagination through his love letters to Cossette: the power of words! Schwartz describes his conquest, as "Marius Pontemercy woos the young Cosette from.