#fantine

[jelly-sandwichy]

another les mis art dump WOOO

[ueinra]

She began to make coarse shirts for soldiers of the garrison, and earned twelve sous a day. Her daughter cost her ten. It was at this point that she began to pay the Thénardiers irregularly. However, the old woman who lighted her candle for her when she returned at night, taught her the art of living in misery. Back of living on little, there is the living on nothing. These are the two chambers; the first is dark, the second is black.

— Les Misérables, I.V.IX Illustrated by Carlo Chiostri (Italian Edition, 1930)

[diankra]

I dreamed a dream in time gone by, when hope was high and life worth living

Fantine from Les Mis

[cometomecosette]

It's too bad that the musical of Les Mis downplays the parallels between Fantine and Enjolras and between Javert and Éponine. They're so unexpected and easy to miss the first time you read the novel, because the characters occupy such different worlds, but once you realize them, they're so striking!

And in the novel, both of these pairs of characters do seem to "trade" deaths.

Most obviously, Javert expects to die at the barricade, while Éponine contemplates drowning herself in the Seine, but the reverse happens.

More subtly, Fantine's last months seem to be leading toward Valjean reuniting her with Cosette. Even if we think her death is inevitable, we have reason to hope that at least she'll die happy, having seen her daughter, knowing she'll be cared for, and knowing her own sacrifices weren't in vain. But instead she dies in despair, thinking all is lost for herself, Valjean, and Cosette. Later, Enjolras is set up to die bravely but in total defeat and despair. But then Grantaire comes to his side, so he dies with a smile, knowing that at least one person, who once seemed to embody all the cynicism and apathy of Paris, was transformed by his ideals, which undoubtedly gives him hope that those ideals will live on after him and lead to change.

[on-holidays-by-mistake]

Illustrations to Les Misérables by David Sierra Listón (source)

[secretmellowblog]

Another issue I have with Les Mis adaptations is how the horror of prostitution is always made the Central Focus of Fantine’s story, instead of the horror of poverty. Idk when you’re used to the musical it’s almost a bit surprising when you read the brick and find out that most of Fantine’s chapters are about ......the mundane horror of living paycheck to paycheck, and giving up everything that makes you happy in order to make ends meet.

Even when book!Fantine does become a prostitute, the horror of it is more like “because of her job the police are Not on her side, she is stigmatized/considered inherently illegal, and so she has no legal way to defend herself when she’s attacked.”

Most of Fantine’s chapters center on her slowly descending deeper into poverty over the course of years, learning to live on less and less and less, and gradually being forced to give up control over every little thing that gives her any joy. She’s initially living an austere but somewhat stable life— and then she unexpectedly loses her job at Valjean’s factory. She’s forced to return all her rented furniture piece by piece because she can’t afford it, she can’t keep a rosebush in her window because she doesn’t have the time to water it; in order to pay rent she has to sew all day and into the night, using the candlelight from a neighbor’s garret. The only thing that brings her joy is brushing her hair; and then she's forced to sell her hair, and then forced to sell her teeth.....

The tragedy of Fantine's plotline in the book isn't that she became a sex worker, it's that poverty ripped away her autonomy in the same way it ripped away Valjean's. And I think that tragedy really deserves more focus in adaptations, because it's such an important part of the book.

[mimmixerenard]

Chose promise, chose due ; here's my design for our lovely Fantine <3

"Six months! six months of prison! Six months in which to earn seven sous a day! But what will become of Cosette?"

(Also, yes, I only have bright af highlighters colours available to me at the moment—)

[wanderinghedgehog]

Been thinking about Fantine and her portrayals. As a character, she has so much depth and emotion. She is an undoubtably good character, but she’s not good in the way Valjean is. Fantine isn’t a reserved saint. She lashes out when she’s been wronged and she does things out of desperation that make people look down on her. But she’s good and the audience wants to see her happy. While Valjean refuses to express the anger he feels towards the society that wronged him, Fantine proves it is possible to express this anger and not lose a bit of audience sympathy. I have yet to find one person who doesn’t cheer her on when she retaliates against Bamatabois. Of course, there are in universe consequences for her anger, however unfair they may be. But my point is that the audience isn’t encouraged to condemn her as well.

On a different note, I also find her placement near the beginning of the story very interesting. In many ways, she is the initial call to action, one that emerges before the barricade but gives it an emotional leg to stand on when it does appear. The resistance coming from Fantine gives only more reason to ensure that it continues.

[unicorngunter]

Happy 10th anniversary to the sammich on parole movie

[marybeatriceofmodena]

I think Fantine should be allowed to commit armed robbery. As a treat

[ueinra]

Les Misérables | Retold & Illustrated By Marcia Williams (2014)

I think one shame is enough.

poor woman… SNIP SNIP A WIG FOR THE RICH!!!!!

Such a mood.

THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING EVERRR!! and pls appreciate Cosette's drawings on the back <3

I laughed out loud when I noticed a picture of Cosette on the wall of Marius's room, but what made me laugh more were the hearts near his butt.

Oh, u won't.

[whorejolras]

[thevirtuousfcntine]

While rare, some actresses have played both roles of Fantine and Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. While it’s more common for past Cosette’s to play Christine (which almost every Christine in the West End had played Cosette at some point it seems), I think playing both Fantine and Christine is a HUGE accomplishment! there’s definitely more that i can post later because it’s amazing to showcase

Carmen Cusack

Celinde Schoenmaker

Olivia Brereton

Katie Hall

Lisa Vroman

[spacenerdmuc]

One thing I love about the Munich production of LesMis: Javert is part of the finale 🥺 This makes such a conciliatory picture!

[cometomecosette]

A rare photo of Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean and Patti LuPone as Fantine, 1985