The antagonist of Victor Hugo'
s novel "Les Miserables". He is an obsessive, merciless
police inspector who doggedly chases the novel'
s protagonist for many years. Javert committs suicide by throwing himself into a river when he cannot reconcile his strict belief in the law with his
new found sense of mercy.
As a noun, Javert refers to a person of similar characteristics: ruthless, obsessive, perfectionist. It
may also refer to a television trope (or cliche), describing a character that fills a similar role of the actual Javert from Hugo'
s novel.
Javert
may also be used as a verb, referring to the act of relentlessly chasing someone or something.