Hugo––along with his wide canvas, large cast of characters, and 50-year time span––focuses intense interest on the individual soul. on an ex-convict who must choose, continually and in different contexts, between good and evil. Through close reading and comparisons/contrasts with other writers (Ayn Rand among them), we will study Hugo's distinctive treatment of the nature of heroism, the power of ideas, the bond of shared struggle, and the glory of moral innocence.