But what was tragic about the girl was that she had not been born ugly. She might even have been a pretty child, and the grace proper to her age was still at odds with the repulsive premature aging induced by loose living and poverty. A trace of beauty still lingered in the sixteen-year-old face, like pale sunlight fading beneath the massed clouds of a winter's dawn.
The girl in the story had the misfortune of experiencing premature aging due to a life filled with hardship and poor choices. Although she was not born ugly, her circumstances transformed her youthful grace into something less appealing, reflecting the toll of her difficult existence.
At just sixteen, the remnants of her beauty shone through, reminiscent of soft sunlight struggling to break through dark clouds. This contrast highlights the tragic reality of her situation, as her potential for beauty is overshadowed by the challenges she faces, illustrating a poignant commentary on the effects of social issues in Victor Hugo's work, "Les Miserables."
