A few questions

[Shya]

Les Mis is the story of a man who is almost "perfect" in virtue, of a man who is (to quote the book) "a beneficent malefactor, a compassionate convict, kind, helpful, clement, returning good for evil, returning pardon for hatred, loving pity rather than vengeance, preferring to destroy himself than to destroy his worst enemy, saving the one who had struck him, kneeling on the heights of virtue, nearer angels than men." My first question is this: Can such a man really exist in real life? Jean Valjean seems real enough in the book, but in real life, will anyone be able to conquer human nature as he did? For in the beginning of the book, something happened when he stole Gervais' coin... I think that maybe that's when something inside him overcame human nature. Because from what I have observed, human nature is self-centeredness and desire, with a bit of love mixed in, and it looks like the love part of his nature destroyed the other two. He is so selfish that I doubt that it could be real.

My second question is this: I was reading Javert's thoughts that lead him to suicide, and he asks himself some questions. He says that it made sense for Valjean to kill him, but he wasn't killed, and it wasn't because of duty, but something else. What I am thinking is that if it was any other man, he would've killed Javert. For safety and revenge, says the book. Maybe Valjean just could not bring himself to kill a man? That's understandable, but then why did Valjean give Javert his address? What virtue is this that makes Valjean turn himself in?

[kiki1982]

Interesting you mention, this Shya. There goes around a Faust-interpretation of the book. Faust was a story very popular in those days and it was about someone who sold his soul to the devil and in the end refused to recognise him, so he went to heaven anyway. (more on wikipedia). Of course Jean Valjean didn't sell his soul to the devil, but rather the Bishop Myriel bought it. (it should be in the book somewhere where the bishop tells him that he now bought his soul, and Jean Valjean doesn't believe him, until of course he cannot steel the coin of Gervais).
The two questions you ask would be able to be answered if we interpret it this way. Take a look at my thread 'Opposite Faust, something to think about?', if you're interested.
Of course some people don't agree with that, but it's all how you want to see it yourself, provided that it is plausible. But like you say, some indeed agree on that, Jean Valjean's goodness was above all human nature and came from a higher region than humanity.