Many things had happened in the nation of France before this certain significant story began. Early in its history, a loaf of bread had been stolen to preserve the life of an afflicted niece, and its theft had brought on a torrential wind of cause and effect that swept through hundreds of lives and forever established a gray area between what we perceive as good and evil. The aforementioned thief of goods and breaker of window panes spent nineteen years in prison; five years for the crime itself, the rest for four attempts at escape. As a convict, he was known as only prisoner number 24,601. When released from the galleys in 1815, he retained that brand upon his chest, and thus failed to shed it.

This dreary life was changed upon the visitation of a kindly bishop who took him in and offered him food, shelter, and the comfort of a bed to sleep upon. Though perhaps minutely touched by these kind gifts, the ex-convict took it upon himself to steal from a basket precious silver plates, knives, and accessories of mealtimes. He was again apprehended not far form the bishop's abode, where he made his case that the items had been further gifts of the kind Monsieur. To his own incredible shock, the bishop collaborated upon this tale, and presented him with two silver candlesticks in addition. The condition of this silver was this: In exchange, the man must become honest and upright in his citizenship, and must strive to become a better person. The bishop had bought his soul for God.

And thus, prisoner number 24,601 became the man named by birth and rebirth Jean Valjean.

This man would reappear as Monsieur Madeleine, otherwise referred to as M'sieur Mayor. Not only was he mayor of a small town, but he was the employer of factory workers, whom he hired without question and had only one request thereof: "Be an honest man!" "Be an honest woman!" One worker in particular began to stand out amongst the rest: This woman's name was Fantine, and Valjean's employment of her was another spark to the growing trail of oil.

Fantine had a daughter, Cosette, whose care she had entrusted to a man and a woman by the name of Thenadier. They were innkeepers, and had a girl-child of their own named Eponine. She sent a sum of money to these sitters each month. They were separated by miles. The absence of her husband gave her no other preferable choice. Her less-than-socially-acceptable situation was found out through a letter stolen by a factory girl, whose disposition towards Fantine was far less than favorable. The accusations of her honor began a fight broken up by Monsieur Madeleine, and further decided by the foreman, whose advances toward what he thought to be a "virtuous virgin" now left him red-faced and ashamed. Her fate was sealed. She was sent on her way to find work elsewhere.

That elsewhere was the docks, frequented by both sailors and "working girls" of the time. Fantine was desperate; she stooped as low to sell her hair for ten francs in order to pay for Cosette's up-bringing. Eventually, unable to think of what would happen to her child if she stayed unemployed, she offered herself to a pimp who allowed her to join his league of prostitutes. Her first customer, however, was a dirty, stinking rat named Bamatabois. His money refused, he attempted to force Fantine, but the strong-willed woman clawed his face and made her escape. Unfortunately, it was a flight into the arms of Javert, the town's feared and abhorred chief of police. As Bamatabois had a better reputation than a whore on the street, he was able to convince Javert to buy his story that Fantine had attacked him, displaying her mark for him to cast his cold eyes upon. Javert's arrest of Fantine was interrupted by the convenient appearance of Monsieur Madeleine, who listened attentively to Fantine's description of the previous events. He was stunned and sickened to hear that this woman had fallen to depravity because of his allowance of the foreman to fire her from his factory. The guilt and his promise made his decision for him. He released her over the protests of a scowling, fuming Javert.

It would seem now that Jean Valjean had made quite a life for himself. He had taken up a new name and occupation; instead of thief, he was now a dignified mayor, whose town prospered like never before. He had even done the justice of releasing an innocent woman from his over-zealous police services. His boat was rocked almost to the point of capsizing when Javert reported a startling apprehension: He had found an old jailbird who broke his parole years ago, and had since changed his name, but had been caught in some menial crime and recognized as the criminal from the galleys where Javert had once worked. This man's name was Jean Valjean.

For some time, Valjean and his conscience debated over his course of action. Could he really allow himself to stand idly by when a man of no guilt was being accused of his former crimes? Could he ignore that goodness that the bishop had instilled in him so long ago? Was this being an honest man? Feverish with the overwhelming need to do that which was right, Valjean visited the courthouse, interrupting the trial of the man with a phenomenal announcement:
"Who am I? I'm Jean Valjean!"

Eyes burning with conviction and perhaps flames of inner redemption, he turned himself to Javert, whose own wide eyes and slack jaw attested to the fact that he was as agog as everyone else in the courtroom.

"And so you see, Javert, it's true," here he gestured to the innocent man, "this man holds no more guilt than you! Who am I?"

Valjean ripped open his shirt, exposing the telltale number upon his chest.

"2-4-6-0-1!"

He fled the courtroom, where he was summoned to the bed of an overworked, ill, and dying Fantine. In her state of affliction, she saw children playing before her, and reached out for Cosette's apparition. Valjean came to her side, holding the livid and clammy hand of this fine woman reduced to rags and illness because of him.

"Oh, Fantine, our time is running out. But Fantine, I swear this on my life--"

"Look, M'sieur, where all the children play!"

"Be at peace -- be at peace evermore..."

"My Cosette," Fantine began, voice rattling with the song of death.

"Shall live in my protection," Valjean assured.

"Take her now," she pleaded with some urgency.

"Your child will want for nothing," he said softly, gripping the hand shimmering with cold sweat. Fantine looked upon his face; he could not tell what she must be thinking or seeing at that moment, but suddenly her pain seemed not so much.

"Good M'sieur, you come from God in Heaven!"

"And none shall ever harm Cosette as long as I am living!"

"Take my hand... the night grows ever colder..."

"Then I will keep you warm," Valjean said, draping over her a blanket. He did not mention that he had all this time been holding her hand.

"Take my child -- I give her to your keeping."

"Take shelter from the storm."

"For God's sake, please stay till I am sleeping. And tell Cosette I love her and I'll see her when I wake!" This was Fantine's last request, and her last utterance in this world. She died with a smile. Javert arrived. Valjean, without hesitation, threatened Javert's life and swore to Fantine's shell that he would care for Cosette as his own, just as Javert swore to Valjean that he would be there to arrest him when the time came. On his way out, Valjean rendered Javert unconscious and escaped into the night.

Meanwhile, Cosette had lived a poor and painful life of despair. She was the Thenadier's slave and object of ridicule. Madame Thenadier, on one particular evening, sent her out on her own into the wood to fetch water for the diners in the inn. It was there that Valjean found her, trembling and cold in the shadows, and brought her back to the tavern. He settled a debt with the Thenadier's for Cosette's removal and took her away with him. They were not heard from again until 1832.

On the streets of Paris at this time, a crowd had gathered in riot to beg for mercy and for money as rich passerby's made their way through the square. Unheard, a small urchin boy stepped forward to announce his role and importance. This boy was Gavroche. We will see him again.

Amongst the din of arguing and begging poor, students of the academy came forth onto the street, a look of anger, pity, and bemusement crossing their faces. They established themselves onto the bridge to overlook the chaotic scene.

"Where are the leaders of the land? Where are the swells who run this show?" demanded Enjolras. He was well-dressed, with neat, fine blonde hair that grew to his cheekbones. His commanding appearance was shadowed for a moment by another student, one of darker features that made him considerably handsome.

"Only one man, and that's Lamarque, speaks for these people here below." Speaking the general's name upset a cry of mercy from those assembled.

"Lamarque is ill and fading fast," Marius continued. "Won't last the week, or so they say!"

"With all the anger in the land, how long before the judgment day? Before we cut the fat ones down to size?" He looked around, an expression of determination flooding his features. "Before the barricades arise?"

This, too, holds great importance. It is what our story will be about in time.

Meanwhile, Thenadier and his gang sauntered into the square, gathering for a meeting. Eponine, older and strikingly beautiful, noticed the equally handsome Marius and separated herself from her parents to be with him. Their conversation turned flirtatious; it was at that point that a rich man and his daughter arrived. The Thenadier's and their gang immediately turned their focus upon the old man, pulling him away from his daughter, who bumped into Marius just as Eponine left the scene. Awestruck by each other's beauty, they gazed longingly for a moment before Marius recalled his manners.

"I didn't see you there -- forgive me," he stammered.

An attempted robbery on the old man triggered Monsieur Thenadier's memory.

"Men like me don't forget! You're the bastard who borrowed Cosette!"

"What is this?!" the old man demanded. "Are you mad?" Thenadier ripped open his shirt, exposing the brand: 24601. "No, M'sieur, you don't know what you do!"

"You know me, you know me!" Thenadier bellowed. "I'm a con, just like you!"

Eponine burst through then:

"It's the police! Disappear! Run for it! It's Javert!"

Valjean and Cosette, the daughter he had come with, disappeared in the confusion and pandemonium. Javert, near to arresting Thenadier and his gang, was struck by the revelation that the old man ran because he was a convict. Thenadier enlightened him as to the identity of the convict, and Javert in turn pledged to bring him to justice, chasing Thenadier off the streets for the time being.

Moments afterward Javert himself left, Eponine wandered back into the street, her uneducated mind managing to be pensive and thoughtful. Cosette was there, after all those years? She met Marius, who had gone looking for Cosette, and stepped in his way to make conversation with him. Yet all Marius could think about was the beautiful girl he had seen; he did not see Eponine's beauty, nor her growing devotion. Knowing Eponine's reputation, he begged her to find this woman, and after some reluctance, she agreed to. She did not tell him her reasons.

The students from the street met afterwards in the ABC Cafe, where Enjolras led them in revolutionary plans to liberate all of France from the cruelty and poverty that so reigned. Their names were Combeferre, Feuilly, Courfeyrac, Joly, Grantaire, and Jean Prouvaire. Marius had not yet arrived. Already they had begun handing out flyers to the townspeople speaking of their cause, and already Enjolras's ambition was spreading to each student. It was as infectious as it was headstrong. When Marius finally did arrive, he received playful verbal assault as to his obsession with the girl in the street. Shrugging off these words, he joined Enjolras in his quest for freedom.

Gavroche arrived. He had a message. General Lamarque was dead.

Now that there was no one to lead the people, Enjolras was certain he could fill that role. He encouraged all the students to come out into the street once more, where they made their plea to the people with declarations of power and riches for everyone. Every man would be a king. With the support of the people, he led them under the red flag of revolution to the heart of the city.

In her garden at Rue Plumet, Cosette contemplated the stranger she had met amongst the poor. Valjean assured her that she would one day understand why he held so many secrets within, and left her to her thoughts just as Marius and Eponine arrived outside the gate. Marius left her waiting for him while he climbed over the fence to find Cosette. Once he had found her, he gave her his name with much trembling, and she gave him hers. Outside, Eponine struggled with the realization that she had never held claim to Marius. They moved out of her sight, and she ducked behind some foliage as Montparnasse, one of her father's gang members, fiddled with the lock on the gate.

Monsieur Thenadier had tracked Valjean to his home in Rue Plumet, and had brought along his gang for an attack. Brujon, anxious for his pay, found Eponine hiding as he searched for a quicker way in. Thenadier did not recognize her at first, but the matter was cleared up as Babet reminded him that he was looking at his own daughter. He attempted to send her home, but she broke free of Brujon and pushed aside the men.

"I know this house, I tell you! There's nothing here for you! Just the old man and the girl! They live ordinary lives!"

Thenadier pushed his daughter into Brujon.

"Don't interfere! You've got some gall! Take care, young miss, you've got a lot to say!"

"She's going soft!" Brujon teased, tossing her into Claquesous.

"Happens to all!" growled the fiend, throwing her to Montparnasse.

"Go home, 'Ponine, go home! You're in the way!"

"I'm going to scream! I'm going to warn them here!" she hissed.

"One little scream, and you'll regret it for a year!" challenged Monsieur Thenadier. The gang circled round, brutality shining with bestial intent in their eyes, and began to close in upon the girl. Thinking only of Marius and condemning herself to abandonment by her father, she took in a deep breath.

"Well, I told you I'd do it, told you I'd do it..."

She screamed.

"Make for the sewers! Go underground! Leave her to me! Don't wait around!" Thenadier turned to Eponine, grabbing her by the hair. "You win my girl, but you'll rue this night! I'll make you scream -- you'll scream, all right!" He could not shake the pride in her eyes, and left her to fend for herself. She began to flee, but Marius and Cosette came to the gate, where he hurriedly introduced the two before Eponine ran for cover. Marius followed just as Valjean came to his daughter's side. Cosette lied, saying that the cry he heard was her own, and that she had seen shadows moving about the walls. Assuming that it was Javert catching up to him, Valjean and Cosette prepare to leave for Calais, and then across the sea afterward.

In the morning, Marius bids farewell to Cosette, both vowing to love each other forever and wait for one another until they are together again. Valjean rejoices that they have made it to another day, while Eponine laments that she has truly lost whatever affection Marius may have had for her. Cosette leaves, and Enjolras approaches Marius with the students, convincing him to join their cause. The people back up this movement while Javert watches from the shadows, trading in his police garments for the disguise of a rebel. He gives his own vow to quell the people's voices, paying no attention to the Thenadier's as they prepare for the riches they may plunder as soldiers fall. Marius, with conviction, joins the revolutionaries and begins the building of the barricade.

And this is only the history of our tale. It is now that the real story begins.