This chapter of Les Mis is once again kind of bleak. Jean recognizes he committed an unnecessary crime, they likely wouldn't have died of starvation and could have received the bread if he had simply asked. However, Jean also recognizes that the punishment he received was much too harsh. Five years for stealing and then fourteen more for escape attempts. Imagine that, nineteen years for the crime of stealing bread. For the crime of wanting to survive without suffering starvation. Society had failed Jean and because of this, he hated it. Prison hardened Jean, turned him into a pained stone man. Les Mis calls him a beast, created by hatred and sadness. He was still a strong man though and as his passport declared, he was a "very dangerous man". All those horrible years had made Jean want to hurt living beings. Usually, this would be a dangerous situation for those around him, in this case, the Bishop, but I believe because the Bishop is one of the few people to have shown Jean kindness he will be spared.
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