Objectives

• Analyse how Hugo uses the Bishop Myriel's gift of the candlesticks in Ch.5 as a structural and symbolic frame for the whole novel.
• Explain how Hugo's narrative voice constructs Fantine and Cosette as victims of systemic injustice in Ch.1 and Ch.2, using specific language choices.
• Analyse how Hugo presents Inspector Javert's suicide in Ch.5 as the collision between rigid law and lived mercy.
• Evaluate how Hugo uses contrasting settings — the Gillenormand household and the Rue Plumet garden (Ch.3–4) — to explore class, love, and identity.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds quotation, analyses language and structure, and connects to Hugo's social context.
• Compare how two characters (Fantine and Éponine, or Valjean and Javert) are used to develop the theme of justice or mercy across the novel.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: The Silver and the Candlesticks: How Hugo builds a moral universe in Ch.5

   60 min · ch. 5

   Do now

   Read the two sentences from Ch. 5 on the board: 'He had stolen a loaf of bread' and 'He received a five-year sentence.' Without looking at your book, take four minutes to write down three questions you would like Hugo to answer regarding justice.

   Teacher input

   Model a close-reading paragraph on the passage in Ch. 5 where Bishop Myriel tells the gendarmes that the silver was a gift and presses the candlesticks into Valjean's hands. Let's delve into Hugo's verb choices: 'claimed', 'added', and 'pressed'. Each verb carries its own weight; 'claimed' suggests an assertion of truth in the face of accusation, while 'added' implies a generous extension of grace. The act of 'pressing' the candlesticks into Valjean's hands conveys urgency and significance, as if the Bishop is transferring not just objects but a profound moral responsibility. The light imagery associated with the candlesticks symbolizes hope and redemption, highlighting their role as more than mere plot devices. They serve as moral emblems, representing the transformative power of kindness, and they function as structural brackets since they reappear at Valjean's death, signifying the full circle of his journey. Additionally, Hugo's intrusive narrator voice, stating, 'This man was about to become a new person,' guides the reader toward a moral interpretation, prompting us to reflect on the implications of Valjean's transformation and the impact of the Bishop's gift.

   Independent task

   Students will write an analytical paragraph using the PEEL structure, with a minimum of 120 words, in response to the question: "How does Hugo use the silver and candlestick episode in Chapter 5 to build his moral argument regarding mercy and redemption?" They need to include at least two quotations from the passage, analyze at least one language choice, and reference Hugo's social context, specifically the penal system in post-Napoleonic France. Paragraphs should be submitted at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   On a sticky note, jot down one word that Hugo uses in the candlestick passage and one reason why that word is significant to his argument about mercy. Then, stick it to the door as you head out.

2. Lesson 2: Victims of the System: Fantine and Cosette in Ch.1 and Ch.2

   60 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   On the board: 'Fantine faced abandonment; Cosette endured mistreatment.' Do these statements accurately reflect Chapters 1 and 2? Write two sentences agreeing or disagreeing, incorporating one detail from each chapter. You have five minutes — hold off on raising your hands for now.

   Teacher input

   Model analysis of the passage in Chapter 1 where Fantine sells her hair and gives money to the Thénardiers, focusing on Hugo's use of the list ('her hair, her teeth, her dignity') as a structural device that illustrates the loss of identity. Demonstrate to students how the narrator's direct address to the reader ('Do you understand what misery is?') implicates the bourgeois reader. Relate this to Chapter 2's depiction of Cosette carrying a heavy bucket through the dark forest, where the simile of a bird with a broken wing symbolizes her entrapment.

   Independent task

   Students receive a comparison frame with two columns titled 'Fantine (Ch.1)' and 'Cosette (Ch.2)'. Their task is to pinpoint three moments of suffering that parallel each other in both chapters, provide one quote for each moment, and compose a linking sentence that explains what Hugo implies about society's treatment of its most vulnerable women and children. This comparative grid will be submitted and serves as a planning guide for the final task.

   Exit ticket

   Hugo's narrative voice adds emotional depth to the story that a neutral narrator would lack; for example, the phrase "heart-wrenching" illustrates the intense feelings experienced by the characters.

3. Lesson 3: When the Law Breaks: Javert's Suicide and Valjean's Mercy in Ch.5

   60 min · ch. 5

   Do now

   On the board: Inspector Javert has just seen Valjean carry the injured Marius through the sewers and then allow him to escape. Before we dive into his reaction, take a moment to predict in three sentences what Javert will do next and why he might take that action. Reflect on what you've learned about his character in Chapter 5.

   Teacher input

   Read aloud the passage in Chapter 5 that details Javert's final moments on the parapet above the Seine. Notice how Hugo employs free indirect discourse to delve into Javert's thoughts: "The law was this man. The man was the law. And now the law had shown mercy." Observe how these concise, straightforward sentences convey the destruction of Javert's worldview. Illustrate how to discuss narrative perspective — transitioning from an external view of Javert's posture to his internal breakdown — as evidence of Hugo's message that a strictly legalistic identity cannot endure when faced with true mercy.

   Independent task

   Students will write a 150-word analytical response to the question: "How does Hugo present Javert's suicide in Chapter 5 as a critique of rigid law?" They should examine the narrative perspective, discuss sentence structure, and link Javert's death to Valjean's earlier act of pardoning him at the barricade. Responses will be written in silence and collected afterward.

   Exit ticket

   Hugo uses Javert's suicide to argue that despair can lead to tragic choices, as the text illustrates his internal conflict and inability to reconcile his beliefs.

4. Lesson 4: Two Worlds, One Man: Class, Identity and Love in Ch.3 and Ch.4

   60 min · ch. 3, 4

   Do now

   On the board are two quotations: one describing Monsieur Gillenormand's royalist drawing room (Ch.3) and one describing the garden in the Rue Plumet where Marius meets Cosette (Ch.4). Without looking them up, write two adjectives for each setting and one sentence on what the contrast reveals about Marius's situation.

   ---

   Changes made:

   • Slightly rephrased for natural flow while keeping the meaning intact.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the passage in Ch. 3 where Marius finds his father Colonel Pontmercy's letter after the funeral. Focus on how Hugo uses the motif of the hidden letter to highlight the suppression of working-class and Bonapartist history by the royalist bourgeoisie. Then, transition to the garden scene in Ch. 4, where Cosette and Marius have their first meaningful conversation. Illustrate how Hugo's rich, sensory language—like 'the jasmine, the darkness, the trembling voice'—contrasts with the cold interiors of Gillenormand's house, allowing the setting to serve the ideological themes of the novel.

   Independent task

   Students will create a structured comparison consisting of two paragraphs, one for each setting, addressing the question: "How does Hugo use the contrast between Gillenormand's house in Chapter 3 and the Rue Plumet garden in Chapter 4 to explore the relationship between class, memory, and love?" Each paragraph should include an embedded quotation, a comment on language, and a connection to the theme of identity. This assignment is to be submitted at the end.

   Exit ticket

   One technique Hugo employs in the garden scene (Ch. 4) that he doesn't use in the Gillenormand scenes (Ch. 3) is the use of vivid imagery to evoke nature's beauty, which highlights the contrast between the characters' inner turmoil and the serenity of the garden, emphasizing the theme of hope amidst despair.

5. Lesson 5: The Candlesticks Return: Tracking Redemption Across the Whole Novel

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

   Do now

   Open to the last pages of Ch. 5 — Valjean's deathbed scene. The bishop's candlesticks shine beside him. Rather than writing a full essay, jot down every instance in Ch. 1–5 where light, candles, or brightness are mentioned. You have five minutes. Afterward, share your list with the person next to you.

   Teacher input

   Model how to craft a whole-text argument using the candlestick motif as a guiding thread. Begin with the opening of Ch.5 (Myriel's gift) and conclude with the end of Ch.5 (Valjean's death). Create a topic sentence that asserts a claim regarding Hugo's use of a recurring symbol throughout the novel's structure, then back it up with evidence from these two distinct moments. Illustrate how to steer clear of plot summary by placing the analytical verb ('Hugo positions', 'the motif enacts', 'the repetition signals') at the start of each sentence.

   Independent task

   Students create a comprehensive analytical essay plan that includes an introduction claim, three topic sentences—each backed by two pieces of evidence drawn from Chapters 1 to 5—and a concluding evaluative sentence for the question: "How does Hugo use the theme of redemption to challenge his readers' assumptions about justice and mercy in Les Misérables?" Each piece of evidence is annotated with the technique or contextual point it supports. These plans will be gathered and serve as the foundation for the summative essay.

   Exit ticket

   Write a single sentence that captures the main argument of your essay — this should be the concluding claim of your introduction. It should mention Hugo, a technique, and a theme.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: student can name a specific word from the candlestick passage and articulate why it matters — checks whether close reading of language has landed rather than plot retelling.
• Lesson 2 comparison grid: teacher scans for whether students are identifying structural parallels between Fantine and Cosette rather than listing unrelated events — checks comparative thinking.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: student's completed sentence must name narrative perspective or sentence structure — checks whether the lesson's modelled technique (free indirect discourse) has been understood.
• Lesson 4 independent paragraphs: teacher checks that setting description is being read as ideological rather than decorative — looks for the word 'suggests' or 'implies' rather than 'shows that Hugo describes'.
• Lesson 5 essay plan: teacher checks that each topic sentence makes a claim about Hugo's method, not about what happens — flags any topic sentence beginning with a character name rather than 'Hugo'.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (character, setting, plot).
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated from what is really meant (e.g. satire, irony, understatement).
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that interprets a literary text and requires defence with evidence.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases, including extended metaphor and symbolism, in a literary text.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and narrative perspective, including the intrusive omniscient narrator, in shaping meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Analyse how complex characters develop over the course of a text and interact with other characters to advance plot or develop theme.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how an author's structural choices, including the use of a recurring motif across chapters, contribute to the work's meaning.
• Contextual Connections (CC-1) — Connect the literary work to its historical, cultural, and social context to deepen interpretation.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; sustain a critical stance and use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations of Les Misérables.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by Hugo to create meanings and effects, including his use of narrative voice, symbolism, and structural repetition of the candlestick motif.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between Les Misérables and its contexts, including the post-Napoleonic penal system, the June 1832 Rebellion, and Hugo's political exile.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, including comparison of how Fantine and Cosette are constructed as victims of systemic injustice.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression — applied to sustained essay writing on Les Misérables.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts — specifically Hugo's use of free indirect discourse in the Javert suicide passage and setting as ideological commentary in Ch.3–4.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are produced and received — including the reception of Les Misérables by working-class readers and the Catholic Church in 1862.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations — students evaluate whether Hugo's narrator strengthens or undermines the moral argument of the novel.