Dear Everyone,
There is a scene in “Gabriel’s Inferno” in which a male and a female character enter into a discussion about forgiveness and penance. I don’t agree with the view of penance that is presented by the woman and neither does she (it differs from the one presented in the link above). But since the man she is speaking with is distraught, she reasons with him as best she can, taking a much starker, harsher view of penance.
She also mentions forgiveness and she does so by referencing Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables. This work is arguably one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century and if you haven’t read it yet, you should. There are several different stories intertwined in the narrative but my favourite is the story of Jean Valjean, the convict. He steals a loaf of bread to feed the hungry children of his widowed sister. He is arrested for the theft and sentenced to five years in the galleys.
After his release from prison, he steals again. This time, he steals the rich trappings of a Bishop’s house. But when he is arrested and forced to face his victim, something surprising happens. The Bishop declares that the stolen items are gifts and he adds to the items, giving more than Jean had stolen initially. After the gendarmes have departed, leaving Jean alone with the Bishop, the Bishop bids him go in peace. And he declares that he has bought the convict’s soul for God and that he must now go forth and do good.
You’ll have to read the story to see what happens next. (And you can do so for free through Kindle or Nook).
This exchange is, perhaps, one of the most powerful ones in the novel. It’s a mirror image of Jean’s previous experience over the theft of the bread, but with an unexpected outcome. Once again, the law would provide justice and certainly the Bishop was well within the rights that the law provides him to demand that justice be served. But he doesn’t do that. He offers mercy, instead. He gives back the items Jean stole from him and in so doing, forgives him and challenges him to go forth in peace and to be a good man.
Anyone who has ever pondered the subject of forgiveness knows that some wrongs are incredibly difficult to forgive. We’ve all been in situations in which we would rather have justice than offer mercy to the person(s) who wronged us. Some people cling to justice or revenge and spend their entire lives striving for it. I’m not suggesting that we substitute forgiveness for justice or that justice should be jettisoned altogether. I’m simply pointing out that forgiveness and justice can go together not just for the good of the wrongdoer, but also for the victim. Forgiveness and mercy are gifts that only the victim can bestow on the wrongdoer, but they are gifts that bless both the giver and the recipient.
William Shakespeare provides one of the best speeches on mercy through the words of Portia in Act IV, Scene I of The Merchant of Venice,
The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there.
There are a number of important lines here. Notice how Shakespeare points out that mercy is “twice blest” and “mighty.” One might wonder if part of the blessing mentioned is the liberation and freedom that comes with forgiving someone, rather than holding tightly to the injury one has from being wronged.
Shakespeare also points out “That, in the course of justice, none of us should see salvation.” The speech as a a whole highlights the painful truth of our own shortcomings as human beings – our need for grace, forgiveness and mercy. Portia’s challenge is for us to remember our needs when we deal with others and to allow mercy to “season” justice. Yes, this is easier to say than to do. But the beauty that is the mercy of the Bishop far outstrips the ugliness of the justice that sends a man to prison for stealing a loaf of bread.
I welcome your comments below.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
PS. Thank you for voting for me on the Goodreads Best Break out Author Novels list. “Gabriel’s Inferno” is in first place. (There is still time to vote for your favourites, if you choose).
I am honoured to have had all three of my novels appear on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. {
I love how much research and intelligence you put in every post, SR. Thank you.( I just finished with my exams, so now I’m free to fully catch up!)
I’ve never read Les Misérables( I know, it’s almost a capital offense) but I’ll definitely get to that. The story of Jean Valjean that you mentioned here is really moving and it shows how mercy and forgiveness are always something that sooner or later we’ll all have to deal with. The Bishop is actually an exemplary figure and, in this instance, he reminds me of the figure of the father in the parable of the prodigal son that you talked about last Tuesday. Both men forgive and not only that, they also give the wrongdoer more than he could hope for.
Yes, being able to forgive is not always an easy task. Particularly, when the wrongdoer hasn’t given much thought about his actions and has yet to apologize. Is it right to stick to our injury? Well, it is certainly human to want that person to be given a taste of his own medicine, but I don’t think is right of us to want that. By wanting that , we desire an other person’s harm and in our turn we become the wrongdoers. It’s like a circle with no end and no beginning and ,by not getting over our wounds, we just contribute to its infiniteness. I think that, sometimes, the line between justice and vengeance is very easily misread. Justice is needed in this world, we can’t do without it. If there wasn’t any justice we just couldn’t get on with our lives ,since complete anarchy would ensue. But sometimes we let vengeance intervene in the process and that brings only harm, it only feeds on evil. In this regard , “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne comes to mind, , especially the figure of Chillingworth. ( I particularly love this work of literature, probably because a wide range of themes are taken into consideration, but, truly, I have yet to fully understand the reason I’m so attached to it. Lol ) . In the story Chillingworth spends seven years of his life wanting to destroy the psyche of Dimmesdale, the man that had an affair with Chillingworth’s wife, Hester. Chillingworth only seeks revenge, not justice. He knows that Dimmesdale is Hester’s lover( the other people of Boston don’t) but, nevertheless, he doesn’t want justice to be served by the community, he only looks for personal revenge. He wants to undo Dimmesdale little by little and make him die of guilt and self-loathing. He doesn’t want the salvation of others but only their destruction. Sure enough throughout the novel he’s associated with the figure of the leech.
So, I think that justice shouldn’t harm t the wrongdoer, instead it should only be aimed at making him understand his faults and come back to the light. And I believe that forgiveness may actually be the first step in order to achieve that . Personally, I find great solace when someone forgives my shortcomings. It makes me want the other person to find that solace, too.
I loved the passage from “The Merchant of Venice”( well, I’m very fond of Shakespeare,so…) . Portia’s speech is truly powerful. I always find that this particular work by Shakespeare is a bit underestimated, so I’m really glad you mentioned it. It’s really worth the read.
Thank you again SR for this post. Enjoy your week!
Elena_twiarcady
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“Forgiveness and mercy are gifts that only the victim can bestow on the wrongdoer, but they are gifts that bless both the giver and the recipient.”
This is a beautiful truth, one that is quite touching, when one thinks about it. Les Mis has always remained one of my favorites, and it was really nice to see it mentioned on your blog. Thank you for your time and dedication in creating these entries. You’re allowing your readers to draw parallels between not only your story, but things that we can relate to within the context of our own lives.
Becca
This is a lovely and moving post, SR. I especially liked your points about the liberation afforded by forgiveness. It frees not only the wrongdoer, but the victim. The ability to genuinely forgive keeps us from succumbing to the toxicity of anger and vengeance. It’s really the only way to heal.
Right before I saw this post, I read a news story in which a man who survived a shooting in Texas is fighting the death penalty imposed on the gunman. Other people died in the incident. The man convicted of the crime picked up a gun 10 days after the September 2001 terrorist attacks and targeted people he thought were Muslim. The survivor is a Muslim who said his faith informed his personal belief that the shooter had repented and should be forgiven. I can’t think of a much more remarkable example of the power of courage and forgiveness.
Thank you for your eloquent discussion of the subject. The Shakespeare quote enhances it beautifully. There can always be justice, but without mercy and forgiveness, we can’t have healing.
Well, firstly I want to say how I am still struggling with forgiveness. I am usually one who forgives no matter what. It has been a challenge lately and I wonder why. I really enjoyed Shakespear’s speech on Mercy. Ehehe our top dog at work is really last name Shakespear. Maybe I will talk to him. Yeah right.
I think in Julia’s case though I agree with SR I don’t really buy what she is selling, (at least Ithink that is what you are talking about sir?) Regardless if we agree, I don’t think an eye for an eye works. Especially if the offense is so bad that someone was killed. Killing someone else won’t bring that life back.
Of course in Julia’s case I think she did flip it in a good way by saying what she did to Gabriel. I am not sure Gabriel can even swallow what she says but he accepts it because he loves her and she is his salvation. She is the possibility of a new life filled with love.
Some people really don’t believe they can be redeemed. I’d be one of those, so I am terrified constantly that I will do something truly unforgivable. The thing is we all make mistakes, we were born to make mistakes and learn from them. Nothing in the world should be unforgiven if the offender is asking with humble heart to be redeemed.
Maybe in my case since the offender desires to not acknowledge what they have done to me, then I shouldn’t worry too much about forgiving someone who doesn’t want it.
Thank you again for a lovely, insightful posting.
Hello Everyone,
Thanks for your comments.
You’ve brought up some interesting points and also the challenges of forgiveness. It certainly isn’t easy. But taking the time to think about our own need for forgiveness, alongside those who see forgiveness from us, is a powerful exercise.
All the best,
SR