#m gillenormand

[dolphin1812]

As I love Cosette, I would be touched to see “the two old men” spoiling her as much as they can if it weren’t so foreboding. First, Hugo frames marriage as a “replacement,” with Marius becoming more important to Cosette than Valjean. That makes it seem as if Cosette and Valjean’s relationship is just as hierarchy-based as Marius’ and Gillenormand’s and now revolves around the same hierarchy, which differs drastically from the moments of reciprocal affection between them or from Cosette’s authority over Valjean. She and her father are both being made subservient to Marius-as-head-of-the-household here, and it’s uncomfortable. Valjean, like Gillenormand, also seems to think Cosette can be won over by the material, and while it’s nice that they’re helping her get married, it feels like they’re ignoring her other needs and interests.

I do think it’s hilarious that Marius and Cosette are completely oblivious to this, though. Gillenormand gave a full speech on why he wants a fancy wedding, and they missed it.

[jelepermets]

Hugo broke my heart with today's chapter. That the proud Baron Pontmercy - a man willing to flaunt the Restoration's government to his own peril - gave up his child and his happiness so that Marius might be well cared for is just heartbreaking.

I've harped before on how Les Mis shows so many forms of love (and other people have too it's a common theme) but I love how Hugo show's us that even the deepest love does not always bring happiness. And not in the way that Valjean risked prison in a desperate bid for his family to survive. Baron Pontmercy submitted himself to a very different kind of unhappiness. And in this case he knew that the success of his endeavor would bring him unhappiness.

And then also, the mention of unforseen casualties. "But [Baron Pontmercy] submitted to them, thinking that he was doing right and sacrificing himself alone." He resigned himself to his own unhappiness without realizing the depths of Marius' that would come from this decision. But can we blame a father for wanting the best for his son? Can we say that the decision was wrong? I truly don't know. And it's heartwrenching.

Lastly the contrast between Pontmercy's great exploits (which feel so grand as to be comical) and the quiet anguish of his furtive glimpses of his son:

"Every two or three months the colonel would escape, come furtively to Paris like a fugitive from justice breaking his ban, and go to Saint-Sulpice [...] There, tremling lest the aunt might turn around, concealed behind a pillar, motionless, not daring to breathe, he saw his child." "This man gazing upon his child, and the scar on his cheek, and the tears in his eyes. This man, clearly manly, but who wept like a woman." "And the father would answer with very tender letters, which the grandfather shoved into his pocket without reading."

[gavroche-le-moineau]

“A scamp who, instead of amusing himself and enjoying life, went off to fight and get himself shot down like a brute! And for whom? Why? For the Republic! Instead of going to dance at the Chaumière, as it is the duty of young folks to do!”

M. Gillenormand really said "Marius should have been at the club"

[lesmisscraper]

The Two Old Men(+One Young Man) Do Everything, Each One After His Own Fashion, to Render Cosette Happy, Volume 5, Book 5, Chapter 6.

Clips from <Il cuore di Cosette>.

[obi-wann-cannoli]

Happy Fathers Day to Colonel Pontmercy (and to Jean Valjean while we’re at it)

[pureanonofficial]

LES MIS LETTERS IN ADAPTATION -Ninety Years and Thirty-Two Teeth, LM 3.2.1 (Les Miserables 1925)

In the Rue Boucherat, Rue de Normandie and the Rue de Saintonge there still exist a few ancient inhabitants who have preserved the memory of a worthy man named M. Gillenormand, and who mention him with complaisance. This good man was old when they were young. This silhouette has not yet entirely disappeared—for those who regard with melancholy that vague swarm of shadows which is called the past—from the labyrinth of streets in the vicinity of the Temple to which, under Louis XIV., the names of all the provinces of France were appended exactly as in our day, the streets of the new Tivoli quarter have received the names of all the capitals of Europe; a progression, by the way, in which progress is visible.

[landfilloftrash]

Everytime I see M. Gillenormand in this anime my first fucking thought is “Pokémon Manfred von Karma” like this would be him if he existed first as a Pokémon antagonist type beat

You are von Karma. but French.

[pizza-hats-of-the-world-1882]

Hugo sexy bracket round 1

Match 5: Gilliatt [ltdlm] v. M. Gillenormand [les mis]

[jolys-cane]

let's settle this once and for all

perhaps reblog and tell me who you voted for :]

[dolphin1812]

“she is charming, she is discreet, it is not true about the lancer”

Does this imply that there was a rumor about Cosette and Théodule, because that’s hilarious

Gillenormand’s speech is also a bit funny in some ways (calling Marius “Mr. Lawyer”), but it’s disturbing, too. As per usual, his framing is very misogynistic, both by our standards and Marius’ (he’s had his own “Cosettes” being one of the lines that would have offended Marius in another context). His position has changed, but his views haven’t, as he emphasizes his affairs in his youth and that marriage is a “trouble” to be taken. Cosette’s love for Marius is presented as a sign of her virtue, too, and not as an indication that she and Marius care for each other equally. It is fair for Gillenormand to be concerned about who Marius is marrying - Marius is the one he knows, so it makes sense that he’d comment on what Cosette is like - but he acts as if Marius is the one making a choice in their relationship and Cosette is merely being a loyal woman. 

That being said, Gillenormand’s frantic and long-winded speech almost calls to mind the speech patterns of the misérables. @pilferingapples has pointed out that Gillenormand sees Marius as stepping into the role of “head of the household” and thus replacing him in the household hierarchy without changing the structure itself, and that shows here. He’s very far from being an actual misérable, but he’s employing this style of speech to downplay his own authority, as if he has to appease Marius. It’s disturbing in how it leaves the hierarchy itself unchanged, and it’s odd to see Gillenormand so subservient. I think Hugo’s aiming for humor with how Gillenormand has to flee the room to vent about his hatred of the French Revolution for fear of upsetting Marius (especially since we know he’s just thinking of Cosette), but it can only be so funny when that moment highlights how essential fear remains to their relationship. Gillenormand just fears Marius more than he fears him now. 

[jelepermets]

As the day dawns of the last Les Mis Letters chapter, I think it's time to bring this bad boy back

[gavroche-le-moineau]

I see "old guy making long and rambling speech during which everyone is extremely uncomfortable about what he might say next" has been a thing at weddings since at least 1833.

[lesmisscraper]

The Effects of Dreams Mingled with Happiness(And the status of the Marius' mind), Volume 5, Book 5, Chapter 7.

Clips from <Il cuore di Cosette>.

[pilferingapples]

LM 4.8.7

Y'all know i hate Gillenormand right? right

so him having his "worst person you know just made a good point" moment here really burns XD

but he's right! he's totally right! Cosette and Marius getting married in their current known-to-them circumstances is a terrible idea

and as much as Marius--and some readers--might be shocked by the idea that Marius should make Cosette his mistress .... that's how he's been treating her. Only seeing her at night, alone, behind her dad's back, no chaperone...that's not how a man of Marius or Gillenormand's class courts a potential wife. Never mind if they've been "chaste" ; if anyone else found out about how they've been carrying on, Cosette's rep would still be as ruined as if they'd been having freaky sex parties all night. Gillenormand may have 18C libertine morals in conflict with Marius and his 19C Respectability , but in this case it just means Gillernormand is sympathetic and not shocked or treating Cosette like a shameful scandal, just going "sure!! have your mistresses! :D "

Seriously, look at this conversation:

Marius did not reply. M. Gillenormand continued:-- "Then I understand the girl is rich?" "As rich as I am." "What! No dowry?" "No." "Expectations?" "I think not." "Utterly naked! What's the father?" "I don't know."

That is not describing a marriage-ready relationship!

 ...the first time I saw her was at the Luxembourg, she came there; in the beginning, I did not pay much heed to her, and then, I don't know how it came about, I fell in love with her. Oh! how unhappy that made me! Now, at last, I see her every day, at her own home, her father does not know it,

this is an affair. As Gillenormand points out:

 As for the little one, she receives you without her father's knowledge. That's in the established order of things. I have had adventures of that same sort myself. More than one. Do you know what is done then? One does not take the matter ferociously; one does not precipitate himself into the tragic; one does not make one's mind to marriage and M. le Maire with his scarf. One simply behaves like a fellow of spirit. 

(italics mine) There is a way relationships like this are treated by Society and it's not as an engagement.

Honestly...I loathe Gillernormand, but it's occurring to me that on this point, Marius is probably lucky his grandpa is Old School; a parent of Marius' own social morality might never forgive Cosette for this Indiscretion. But for Gillenormand, "pretty girls are pretty girls"; his philosophy, ultimately, has room for a woman of Questionable Virtue marrying up.

Marius , meanwhile, can't even understand that he's actually put Cosette's reputation into question. Marius, you booby.