He said, moreover, "Teach those who are ignorant as many things as possible; society is culpable, in that it does not afford instruction gratis; it is responsible for the night which it produces. This soul is full of shadow; sin is therein committed. The guilty one is not the person who has committed the sin, but the person who has created the shadow."
In Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables," the author emphasizes the importance of education for the less fortunate, arguing that society has a duty to provide knowledge freely to all. He believes that when individuals lack education, it leads to ignorance and moral failings, resulting in a cycle of darkness. The responsibility for this situation lies not with the individuals who commit sins born from ignorance, but with the society that fails to enlighten them.
Hugo suggests that a blame-free environment should be fostered, where the focus is on uplifting the uninformed instead of condemning them. He views the systemic lack of free education as a significant moral failing of society, creating an atmosphere filled with shadows, representing ignorance and sin. Thus, the accountability rests on the collective shoulders of those who could provide the necessary instruction but choose not to do so.
