The gift after the theft
Myriel tells the authorities that the stolen silver was given to Valjean and adds the candlesticks. The act changes what the encounter can become.
Character · A CLOSER LOOK
Bishop Myriel
ABOUT THIS CHARACTER
The bishop whose response to Jean Valjean’s theft becomes a turning point in the novel.
A CLOSER LOOK
The story behind it.
The bishop whose response to Jean Valjean’s theft becomes a turning point in the novel.
A presence beyond his scenes
The bishop occupies a limited portion of Les Misérables, yet the consequences of his action continue through Valjean’s life. The character’s reach exceeds his time on the page.
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Sources & credits
Introductions are grounded in the sources below. Collection notes and reading prompts provide an editorial starting point; personal opinions are identified in the collection’s content.
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PersonVictor Hugo
A character created by Victor Hugo.
START WITHLes Misérables
LiteraturePhilosophy
BookLes Misérables
Bishop Myriel is a fictional character in Les Misérables, central to its early account of mercy.
EXPLORE THIS WORKVictor Hugo
LiteraturePhilosophy
CharacterAlyosha Karamazov
An intentional comparison of compassion enacted through relationships in two novels.
EXPLORE THIS WORKFyodor Dostoevsky
LiteratureCharacterCompassion
BookThe Idiot
A route between two literary explorations of goodness and the difficulty of responding with mercy.
EXPLORE THIS WORKFyodor Dostoevsky
LiteratureReflection
ScriptureThe Sermon on the Mount
A curated comparison between teachings about mercy and Hugo’s dramatization of an act of mercy.
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FaithEthics