There are numerous examples of
communication ethics between the social classes within the film. You clearly see a divide between the rich and
poor. The slaves are so low within the
societal divides that they aren’t supposed to meet the gaze of authority. They sing about this exact thing in the
beginning of the movie. Criminals are to
carry papers the rest of their lives after they are paroled so that they take
their place among the lowest of society.
With these papers they communicate that they are untrustworthy and have
committed a crime before. On the other
end, anyone with stature is treated with respect right away, without question
just because of the position they hold in society.
Besides the societal communication
ethics I think that there are also communication ethics in gender that need to
be considered within this film due to the way that the characters interact,
talk and treat each other. This example could potentially be looked at as a
social class issue because Fontine is a prostitute during the scene but it
struck me as a gender issue. Fontine is trying to protect herself from being
assaulted. During this attack she consequently ends up scratching the man
attaching her. When Javert shows up the man lies and says that Fontine attacked
him for no reason. The moment that this is communicated Javert is set to arrest
her. He sides with the man and doesn't even ask for Fontine's side of what
happened. Women are definitely seen as objects in this movie and unequal to
men. However, earlier in the film, the
women also demonstrate communication ethics within gender with their
communication with and of Fontine. Their disdain for her is clear and
communication scorning her and belittling her for being an unwed mother, which leads
to the loss of her job at the factory.
This eventually leads to her having to sell her hair and teeth, and then
prostitution.
I am interested to see how all these
things play out in the rest of the movie.
I think it is fascinating that you bring up the fact that slaves had to carry papers to prove their status in society. I found it enlightening, as I had not given much thought to the effectiveness of communication in the written form of documents. I think your idea can be tied to today’s plight of the immigrant community in the United States. What the media and certain politicians like to refer as “illegals,” are really people trying to make better lives for themselves. They are not really illegals, they are undocumented. They are classified according to their lack the proper documentation, making them unequal to the rest of the country. Les Miserables was set in France 200 years ago, we live in a different country and in a different era, but the ethics and challenges against a targeted group of people are still very strongly present in society.
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