Communication ethics is a complex concept that focuses on how a person interacts or transmits a message while considering several factors such as morals, respect or empathy. In Les Miserable, there is a presence and lack of communication ethics depending upon the character. This lack or presence of communication ethics is strongly dependent upon the person's status. There are several examples when characters of a higher status treat and speak to people of a lower status with a lack of respect and civility. In Les Miserable, status is one of the governing factors in how characters interact.
In the beginning of the movie, Jean Valjean is a prisoner of France because he had to steal bread in order to feed his family. He has been serving for many years when he is released on parole. Before he is allowed to leave, Officer Javert summons him. Javert makes Jean Valjean lift up the flag that is incredibly heavy for one man to lift ,especially when the person is incredibly weak. Javert knows that this task is unreasonably and somewhat cruel, but he uses his higher status to execute the command before Jean Valjean is released. Javert is lacking any sort of empathy or compassion for Jean Valjean because Javert sees Jean Valjean as a person of low to no status and therefore, he doesn't feel the need to treat such a person with compassion or empathy. Even when after Jean Valjean carries the flag and is ready to be released, Javert speaks to Jean Valjean lacking any sort of civility. Jean Valjean tries to tell Javert why he was in prison, but Javert has no empathy for why he committed the crime, he only sees Jean Valjean as a criminal and communicates with him as such.
Later on in the movie, Jean Valjean has escaped his parole and is living in a town where he is a now a mayor and a man of great respect. In a strange turn of event, Javert is called to the town to help with issues going on and Jean Valjean and Javert are forced to meet again. It has been several years and Javert does not recognize Jean Valjean. Instead of seeing Jean Valjean as the criminal he was previously, Javert sees a man of high status and treats him as such. This change in interaction shows how Javert governs his interaction based upon a person's status. Even though Jean Valjean knows who Javert is, he still continues to use empathy and his morals, regardless of their status, to help guide his interaction even at the risk of being discovered. In Les Miserable, Jean Valjean and Javert are two opposite characters in the way they use communication ethics. For Jean Valjean, he treats everyone with the respect and empathy they deserve while Javert decides his interaction upon a person's social status.
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