Do you think the punishment given to the convict was justified? Why/ why not? Why is the convict eager to reach Paris?

The punishment given to the convict was not justified. It is too inhuman for someone who was caught stealing just to feed his sick wife.

The convict was eager to reach Paris to escape from the police. He thought that as Paris was a very big and densely populated city the Police would not be able to identify and arrest him in future.