lesmisscraper

[lesmisscraper]

spreading more rarepair propaganda. marius' mom x fantine. called "empty arms" because they both had their children taken from them/were taken from their children young. listen. dead Yuri come to me . . .

[lesmisscraper]

Two do not make a Pair. Volume 3, Book 2, Chapter 8.

Clips from <Il cuore di Cosette>.

[lesmisscraper]

imagine ur Marius and ur life was just saved by ur future father in law who so tenderly cared for you and even referred to you as “son” but the moment u became fully conscious he’s decided he barely even knows you and can’t even look you in the eye even though all you ever wanted was a father

BUY @medium-observation ‘S VIDEO WHEN THIS COMES OUT YALL

[lesmisscraper]

LES MIS LETTERS IN ADAPTATION - Two Do Not Make a Pair, LM 3.2.8 (Les Miserables 1925)

There was also in this house, between this elderly spinster and this old man, a child, a little boy, who was always trembling and mute in the presence of M. Gillenormand. M. Gillenormand never addressed this child except in a severe voice, and sometimes, with uplifted cane: “Here, sir! rascal, scoundrel, come here!—Answer me, you scamp! Just let me see you, you good-for-nothing!” etc., etc. He idolized him. This was his grandson. We shall meet with this child again later on.

[lesmisscraper]

Empty chairs and empty tables.

The reason why there are two different photos is because the second one was uploaded before I adjusted the color, but I thought it was too ugly so I adjusted it again but I can't delete it.

[lesmisscraper]

She just like me fr

[lesmisscraper]

Marius is finally here! But the poor little thing is immediately presented as an abused and frightened child, “always trembling and mute in the presence of M. Gillenorman”. Not much different from little Cosette, who also shivers and becomes mute when the very name of her abusers is mentioned (well, of course, Marius doesn’t have to work hard and is well provided for). For his grandfather, yelling and cursing (his famous “straightforwardness”) is a way of showing that he “idolizes” his grandchild. As much as he is a man of the eighteenth century, he could do better in learning basics of pedagogy: both Locke and Rousseau insisted that you should never threaten children!

Surprisingly, this chapter is much more coherent and less impressionistic than the previous ones. However, it focuses on a rather frustrating topic. There was a chance to learn more about Marius’ mother, the younger daughter of M. Gillenormand, but Hugo describes her in very general terms, albite positively: she is portrayed as a romantic soul who appreciates all things sublime, was happily married before her death, and stood in contrast to her older sister. And then we get a whole bunch of offensive crap about “Mademoiselle Gillenormand, the elder” (welcome to another of Hugo’s character without a first name; I have a feeling that he decided not to bother giving half of his characters proper names and left them with only a surname).

The most offensive aspect is Hugo's excessive focus on her repressed sexuality, portraying it as abnormal and deserving of ridicule. Interestingly, the same author created an entire gallery of celibate male characters whose value only grew as a result, but the narrative changes when it comes to women. It reduces her to a foolish goose, a prudish and ridiculous old maid  who “multiplied clasps and pins where no one would have dreamed of looking” and at the same time takes pleasure in her grandnephew embracing her. (Sorry, I have just finished teaching a course on the history of sexuality and cannot help but notice all these details about the Gillenormands’ sexuality.)

To be fair, towards the end of the chapter, Hugo provides a slightly less misogynistic remark about Mlle. Gillenormand, mentioning that in her older age, she “had gained rather than lost” and “years wear away the angles, and the softening which comes with time had come to her.”

[lesmisscraper]

Another comment on the 2001 Hungarian Les Mis:

Grantaire's actor (I don't know his name) looks very much like Hugo's sketch of the character.

There aren't enough pageboy-haired, mustached Grantaires in the world, but at least there has been one.

[lesmisscraper]

Hugo’s treatment of Mlle Gillenormand is so frustrating, especially since he has so many other characters who aren’t in romantic and/or sexual relationships (starting with Jean Valjean!) that he approaches with sympathy. Mlle Gillenormand is reduced to a “prude,” with the comments about this seeming to be attempts at humor that fall flat because they’re mean-spirited. I especially hated the implication that this “prudery” made her “melancholy” because her life never “began” without a relationship. And it could easily have been so much better! Her father treats her exceptionally poorly (he treats her like a child), so that would be a great explanation for her “melancholy.” The way he isolates his household would inhibit her ability to form relationships of any kind, depriving her of support relating to her circumstances (being an unmarried woman and having wished to marry, but never getting the chance; this is in addition to her father’s harshness). 

Mlle Gillenormand’s depiction is part of a larger issue with Hugo’s representations of women. Although her sister is portrayed positively, it seems that she’s “good” because of her “ideal” romance, thus defining both her and her sister through their relationships with men. Hugo also parallels Mlle Gillenormand with Baptistine:

“ She kept house for her father. M. Gillenormand had his daughter near him, as we have seen that Monseigneur Bienvenu had his sister with him. These households comprised of an old man and an old spinster are not rare, and always have the touching aspect of two weaknesses leaning on each other for support.”

While this seems like a nice image, Baptistine wasn’t allowed independence from her brother in the narrative, with her concerns, along with Magloire’s (her brother’s safety while traveling, their safety if the doors are never locked, etc), dismissed by both Myriel and Hugo. And Myriel was kind to everyone, including his sister, so this kind of life with M Gillenormand must be so much worse. 

The child at the end of the chapter gives us a brief glimpse of what a more sensitive portrayal of Mlle Gillenormand could touch on. Like Cosette before, he’s “always trembling and mute,” his grandfather’s abuse making him fearful and withdrawn. Mlle Gillenormand would have shared this experience, having lived with him all her life. Although the signs of abuse are recognizable from Cosette, the dynamics are distinct because of the “idolization” in it. Cosette feared the Thénardiers, but she didn’t look up to them, either; she knew that the way they treated her was wrong, but was resigned to it because she saw no alternative. In return, the Thénardiers either ignored or despised her. Gillenormand “idolizes” his grandchild, which suggests some fondness, but not familial love that would recognize that his grandchild is a person. 

[lesmisscraper]

Round 2, Matchup 88: IV.vi.2 vs IV.xi

[lesmisscraper]

Round 2, Matchup 87: IV.vi.1 vs V.iii.11

[lesmisscraper]

Round 2, Matchup 86: IV.v.4 vs V.i.2

[lesmisscraper]

Round 2, Matchup 85: IV.v vs IV.xiv.6

[lesmisscraper]

Round 2, Matchup 84: IV.i.5 vs V.ix

[lesmisscraper]

[lesmisscraper]

Marius and Cosette fans, you guys have a good. They not only survive the novel, but they even have MULTIPLE NAMES!

And none of them are even called Jean!!

[lesmisscraper]

Cosette 😭 Cosette 😭😭😭😭😭😭. MY shaylalaa 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 oh. And Marius ig