meta: the ladies

[Rachel]

Man Marius and Cosette's wedding night must've been awkward. Would either of them even know what to... do? Maybe that's why Hugo didn't describe it; too embarrassing.

I remember reading a fanfic about it, where Marius kind of knew what to do-ish and Cosette just had no idea so when Marius took his pants off she was just sort of like, "what is that?!" Somehow that seems accurate to me.

[meow139]

Man Marius and Cosette's wedding night must've been awkward. Would either of them even know what to... do? Maybe that's why Hugo didn't describe it; too embarrassing.

I remember reading a fanfic about it, where Marius kind of knew what to do-ish and Cosette just had no idea so when Marius took his pants off she was just sort of like, "what is that?!" Somehow that seems accurate to me.

Oh god... now I just got about fifty plot-bunnies and I don't know what to do with them all help.

Also, thank you MmeBahorel! Fixed that!

[CeridwenLynne]

Cosette is really hard for me to write because I don't want to make her out to be a typical airhead the way some fan fictions do. I think she is sheltered and somewhat naive but definitely not stupid. I try to write her as a sweet girl who is a romantic at heart and has not let her unhappy childhood really affect her. She is kind, forgiving, and loves to read and write poetry.

[Aurelia Combeferre]

The interesting challenge I have with writing about Cosette: the fact that despite her being prim and proper, she's got a streak of an adventuress. I don't know what canon situations would bring it out, but I think she's got the capacity to be even braver than Marius.

[between4walls]

I think Cosette is braver in the face of the unknown (even as a child when Valjean shows up, she prefers the unknown adventure to the horrible life she knows) and Marius has courage in the face of the known (near-certain death on the barricade, deliberately chosen poverty and lack of family). That's why Cosette is the adventurer of the pair. And probably why Marius's stalkery ways don't bug her too much.

Fantine meta- I've had His Dark Materials and Eve on the brain lately and was looking at Fantine as a sort of felix culpa figure (appropriate in a book with such a strong sense of providence). Like Thenardier's evil actually results in a happy ending, Fantine's fall creates the situation in which Valjean's learning to love and completing his redemption are possible. If you peg her "fall" as the fall into poverty and prostitution, then in a sense Valjean is ironically redeemed by the consequences of his own sin (in firing her); if you peg it as trusting Tholomyes, then Cosette's existence (given the role she will play) is the good consequence. Which makes Fantine even more of a Madonna figure- her child is a savior!

[Acaila]

Fantine meta- I've had His Dark Materials and Eve on the brain lately and was looking at Fantine as a sort of felix culpa figure (appropriate in a book with such a strong sense of providence). Like Thenardier's evil actually results in a happy ending, Fantine's fall creates the situation in which Valjean's learning to love and completing his redemption are possible. If you peg her "fall" as the fall into poverty and prostitution, then in a sense Valjean is ironically redeemed by the consequences of his own sin (in firing her); if you peg it as trusting Tholomyes, then Cosette's existence (given the role she will play) is the good consequence. Which makes Fantine even more of a Madonna figure- her child is a savior!

Plus you've got all the Christmas, poor child at the inn symbolism with Cosette to back that up!

[between4walls]

I didn't even notice that! And the Joseph figure, of course.