What is this history of Fantine? It is society purchasing a slave.
From whom? From misery.
From hunger, cold, isolation, destitution. A dolorous bargain. A soul for a morsel of bread. Misery offers; society accepts.
The sacred law of Jesus Christ governs our civilization, but it does not, as yet, permeate it; it is said that slavery has disappeared from European civilization. This is a mistake. It still exists; but it weighs only upon the woman, and it is called prostitution.
It weighs upon the woman, that is to say, upon grace, weakness, beauty, maternity. This is not one of the least of man's disgraces.
At the point in this melancholy drama which we have now reached, nothing is left to Fantine of that which she had formerly been.
She has become marble in becoming mire. Whoever touches her feels cold. She passes; she endures you; she ignores you; she is the severe and dishonored figure. Life and the social order have said their last word for her. All has happened to her that will happen to her. She has felt everything, borne everything, experienced everything, suffered everything, lost everything, mourned everything. She is resigned, with that resignation which resembles indifference, as death resembles sleep. She no longer avoids anything. Let all the clouds fall upon her, and all the ocean sweep over her! What matters it to her? She is a sponge that is soaked.
At least, she believes it to be so; but it is an error to imagine that fate can be exhausted, and that one has reached the bottom of anything whatever.
Alas! What are all these fates, driven on pell-mell? Whither are they going? Why are they thus?
He who knows that sees the whole of the shadow.
He is alone. His name is God.
芳汀的故事说明什么呢？说明社会收买了一个奴隶。
向谁收买？向贫苦收买。
向饥寒、孤独、遗弃、贫困收买。令人痛心的买卖。一个人的灵魂交换一块面包。贫苦卖出，社会买进。
耶稣基督的神圣法则统治着我们的文明，但是没有渗透到文明里去。一般人认为在欧洲的文明里已没有奴隶制度。这是一种误解。奴隶制度始终存在，不过只压迫妇女罢了，那便是娼妓制度。
它压迫妇女，就是说压迫柔情，压迫弱质，压迫美貌，压迫母性。这在男子方面绝不是什么微不足道的耻辱。
当这惨剧发展到了现阶段，芳汀已完全不是从前那个人了。她在变成污泥的同时，变成了木石。接触到她的人都感觉得到一股冷气。她以身事人，任你摆布，不问你是什么人，她满脸屈辱和怨愤。生活和社会秩序对她已经下了结论。她已经受到她要受到的一切。她已经感受了一切，容忍了一切，体会了一切，放弃了一切，失去了一切，痛哭过一切。她忍让，她那种忍让之类似冷漠，正如死亡之类似睡眠。她不再逃避什么，也不再怕什么。即使满天的雨水都落在她头上，整个海洋都倾泻在她身上，对她也没有什么关系！她已是一块浸满了水的海绵。
至少她是那么想的，但是如果自以为已经受尽命中的折磨，自以为已经走到什么东西的尽头，那可就想错了。
唉！那种凌乱杂沓、横遭蹂躏的生灵算什么呢？他们的归宿在哪里？为什么会那样？
能够回答这些问题的，他就会看透人间的黑暗。
他是惟一的。他叫做上帝。
