:: comparisons, contrasts, and copic markers ::

merry christmas!
this is completely unrelated.
I've been thinking about crime & punishment and les miserables and the characters and how they are similar and how they are not. some stuff that occurred to me:

javert and porfiry
they're both policemen; they both hold duty above all else, and that duty takes them to hunting down criminals -- criminals for whom you happen to have sympathy and perhaps even some affection (I shall refrain from mentioning rodya here. oh whoops. haha).
   however, javert's sense of duty blinds him to the spirit of the law, and he forgets mercy in justice, leading him to despair when he is shown mercy by the man he swore to punish ("this. I. swear by. THE STAAAARS" - norm lewis. the best). porfiry instead shows mercy, not turning in the confirmed murderer, and in doing so shows justice: rodya, tortured by the knowledge of his guilt (punishment #1), turns himself in (punishment #2) -- although rodya does find redemption and peace through these punishments (with a little help from sonia. d'aww).

speaking of whom.

fantine and sonia
two redeemed prostitutes.
   both are portrayed as victims of society (no comment), but -- in the world of the book -- are pure in heart; despite their outcast status, they desire the right thing.
   both end up being the 'guiding light' for men who feel trapped by their own dark pasts ("you were my guiding light..." - ramin. the best). fantine gives valjean her daughter and therefore new purpose; sonia gives rodya her service, her life, herself, and therefore new hope.

jean valjean and rodion romanovich raskolnikov
criminals, condemned by the law and by society (once they're discovered. which is not right away). one hides his crime and is, honestly, tortured by his conscience (though he would disagree); the other hides his crime by becoming a philanthropist... but both redeem themselves fully by turning themselves in: the first, to save his soul (and sonia, in a way), the second, to save an innocent man (the second time he's arrested). the first -- rodya, if you haven't gotten that yet -- is persuaded in part by the policeman's mercy; the second's mercy persuades a policeman to depart. from this life. ha ha. so that didn't really work.
   one ends up dead and in heaven. the other ends up alive but going to heaven. and essentially they all live happily ever after.

speaking of which.

dounia and razumihin
they are perfect together, don't you think? she's beautiful and awesome (see part 6, chapter 5). he's only like the most wonderful guy ever and the best best friend possible (see entire book).
   oh, this kind of got off track, didn't it.
we could contrast their relationship with enjolras's and eponine's.
   which is nonexistent. THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

well, I hope you all had a very merry christmas. I did. I got some copic markers for christmas and I'm in love with them.
   just thought I'd share that :D
...and have a happy new year, too. remember, this is the last week of christmas music before everybody starts complaining about the cold and listening to the beach boys.