Historical Time

Sandeep Singh

Activity # 1

In the book Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, the lead character Jean Val Jean went to prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. At the historical time of the story, even minor transgressions resulted in severe prison sentences. Val Jean escaped from prison and avoided recapture. He disguised his identity, changed his name, and became Mayor and chief benefactor of a small town by inventing a new product. In an obsessive quest to recapture Val Jean, inspector Javert was constantly on the lookout for the escaped convict. Eventually, Javert arrived in the same town and saw a man whom he believed was Val Jean. The innocent man, a victim of mistaken identity, would be sent back to prison as the escaped convict, probably for the rest of his life. Val jean was a very good and moral man and did not want an innocent man to go jail for his crime. At the same time, if Val Jean saved the innocent man by divulging his true identity, and went back to prison, the factory would close and hundreds of workers would lose their jobs. Some would probably even starve. Putting aside your own self interest ( not wanting to go jail ), or abandon the workers of the town? On what basis would you make your choice?

I this situation I have to think wisely and quick because I don't want to wait till the last second and make it worst. I this situation I don't want to go jail because if I did that I would loose my factory and Town will starve and be out of job. This will make everything a big mess. Right now I don't want to hurt anyone I want to do everything safe in this situation. Not putting myself in jail and not letting the innocent man get my punishment I will send innocent man to some other state or other country if I have to by using my power as Mayor of the town and let the officer fool around in the town and having a small town its easy to communicate with others and you pretty much know everyone so I will get there help and tell them to not say anything to the officer and force the officer to go back where he came from by using smart idea and using people from my town. I think this what I would do because you're not hurting anyone and saving your town from hunger and keep it safe and if this idea didn't work I probably use the other idea its kind of similar to the first idea I would use my power and other people to prove that innocent man is innocent by taking the officer and other people to the court or have some kind of meeting in the town. I think this idea will definitely work.

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