@article{ART003282641},
author={SOJUNG KIM},
title={The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables},
journal={Journal of Modern English Drama},
issn={1226-3397},
year={2025},
volume={38},
number={3},
pages={7-49}
TY - JOUR
AU - SOJUNG KIM
TI - The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables
JO - Journal of Modern English Drama
PY - 2025
VL - 38
IS - 3
PB - 한국현대영미드라마학회
SP - 7
EP - 49
SN - 1226-3397
AB - This study analyzes the leitmotif structure of the musical Les Misérables and examines the mode of musical mediation embodied in the relationship between Jean Valjean and Cosette. While previous research has largely focused either on the adaptation process from Victor Hugo’s novel or on Valjean’s narrative structure, this research interprets the symbolic significance of the widely recognized “Little Cosette” poster image through the musical language of the work. To this end, a parallel analysis is conducted of both the stage musical and its film adaptation. Given the characteristics of the sung-through musical form, this study traces the recurrence and transformation of leitmotifs associated with Jean Valjean, Fantine, Éponine, Cosette, and Marius, drawing on specific timestamps from the film. Valjean’s identity evolves―shifting from prisoner to mayor, father, and ultimately to a saint-like figure―primarily through the two central leitmotifs of “Look Down” and “Who am I.” Within this process, Cosette serves as the medium through which love and devotion are realized, embodying Valjean’s enactment of the grace he once received from Bishop Myriel. This musical transference linking Fantine and Éponine, Marius, and Javert forms an ethical chain of love, devotion, and forgiveness. It constructs a musical drama where the motif of salvation, which began with the Bishop, expands through Valjean’s encounter with Cosette to encompass the broader society. Cosette, therefore, is not merely a passive figure in need of protection but the central axis of the salvific narrative that enables Valjean to fulfill his role as a practitioner of divine love. By tracing the distribution and variation of character-based leitmotifs, the study demonstrates how music structurally organizes interpersonal relationships and transformations of identity. Furthermore, by linking the external semiotics of performance (the poster image) with the internal musical structure, this research proposes an integrative analytical approach applicable to musical theatre studies.
KW - Les Misérables;Leitmotif;Paratext;Musical language;Jean Valjean;Cosette
DO -
UR -
ER -
SOJUNG KIM. (2025). The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables. Journal of Modern English Drama, 38(3), 7-49.
SOJUNG KIM. 2025, "The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables", Journal of Modern English Drama, vol.38, no.3 pp.7-49.
SOJUNG KIM "The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables" Journal of Modern English Drama 38.3 pp.7-49 (2025) : 7.
SOJUNG KIM. The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables. 2025; 38(3), 7-49.
SOJUNG KIM. "The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables" Journal of Modern English Drama 38, no.3 (2025) : 7-49.
SOJUNG KIM. The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables. Journal of Modern English Drama, 38(3), 7-49.
SOJUNG KIM. The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables. Journal of Modern English Drama. 2025; 38(3) 7-49.
SOJUNG KIM. The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables. 2025; 38(3), 7-49.
SOJUNG KIM. "The Leitmotif and Mediation of Jean Valjean-Cosette in the Musical Les Misérables" Journal of Modern English Drama 38, no.3 (2025) : 7-49.
