Questions / Discusion Ideas

• Les Misérables is one of the most widely read novels of all time, and the show has been received with immense success around the world. How do you explain its great appeal to so many different kinds of audiences over more than 130 years?
• List the universal themes in Les Misérables.
• What makes a theme "universal"?
• Name some universal themes in one of the following works (or pick one more familiar to you):
  • Hamlet
  • The Red Badge of Courage
  • Great Expectations
  • Julius Caesar
  • The Scarlet Letter
  • Of Mice and Men
  • Macbeth
  • A Tale of Two Cities
• Why have these works stood the test of time, while other works have been forgotten?
• What themes do they share with Les Misérables?
• Assignments/Research And Writing Projects
• Relate the themes of Les Misérables to events occuring in your community, America, or the world today. After reading or seeing Les Misérables, describe how it has changed the way you think about these events.