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Fantine in Les miserable

Introduction

Basing on the characteristic of some of renowned animals such as wolfs, sheep and

sheepdog, novelist, fiction authors and formal writing scholars have tried to name the characters

of individuals. Animals like wolfs are violent, greedy and are always trailing for something evil

that could hurt other people. People with such characters stories have largely been referred as

wolfs. This because they demonstrate parallel characters to the animal. Sheep are animals

associated with humbleness, innocent and preservativeness and even the Christian religion refers

God follows as sheep. This because they are or need to be humble, loving, innocent and

preservative, therefore, characters in stories with such characteristics have been referred as

sheep. Lastly, a Sheepdog is a kind of dog with contrasting characteristics, it can be violent but

the same time caring and loving. Consequently, characters in literature with such characteristics

have been named the sheepdogs.

The “Les Miserables”

Every story has wolf, sheep, sheepdog characters and the Les miserables one of the

thrilling novel in the 19th century vividly demonstrate all this characters in its story line. Les

miserables is a novel written by the French historic novelist Victor Hugo. The fiction books was

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first published in1862 and it is considered among the greatest novel of its time. les miserable as

it title suggest is talks about the misfortunes and struggles of several characters; Cossette,

Marius, Fantine and particularly the struggles and experience to redemptions of ex-convict jean

Valjean who is the main character in the story (Hugo, 21). This essay discuss how Fantine one

of the character in Les miserable is transcends through the story as a sheep to a sheepdog and

finally into a wolf

To have a vivid understanding of Fantine character one should first comprehend the

position that Fantine takes in the story line. Fantine is one of the main character in the story and

she is first introduced at the begging of book in volume 1: Fantine through a flashback when

Javert an inspector of police start suspecting Valjean alias Monsieur Madeleine after helping a

man named Fauchelevent from being pinned under cart (21). Fantine is introduced at first as

loving and caring, however as the plot continuous she is seen as sheep dog through decision to

become a prostitute and finally as wolf by demonstrating violence and harassing Bamatabois.

Fantine as sheep

Fantine displays various acts of charity that relate her as a sheep. This true virtues have

no limits but goes on and on to benefit many people. As portrayed from the book, Fantine is in

the forefront on making sure she treats the people she comes across with the right respect and

acts of mercy that they deserve. Fantine acts of taking care of her child Cosette whom she never

saw displays her sheep the characteristics (135). Despite the fact that she felt bad for not

providing her daughter with everything that she deserved, she worked extra hard and denied

herself all the riches and benefits from her hard work for the sake of her child. This is also

evident when she paid the upkeep money for her daughter to stay with a better family (146).

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Fantine sent all the money demanded by the family taking care of her daughter without

complaining. This left her weak, broke and in poverty. She lacked nothing for herself. However,

she cared less because she believed she was giving her child the best she could afford.

Additionally, when Bamatabois harasses Fantine in the street, she reacts at first by striking him.

Fantine gets arrested and begs to be released so that she can continue providing for her daughter.

However, Javert sentences her to prison despite the many pleadings (152). Later on, Fantine

shows the sheep characteristics when she asks for forgiveness from the man she stroke by

explaining to her she didn’t intentionally hit him.

Furthermore, Fantine forgives the inn keepers who exploited off each penny claiming that

her daughter Cosette is ill. Fantine wants her daughter and the family she lives with to stay

happily (161). That’s why she beats all the odds and look for other alternatives of getting cash

just to save the situation although she understands she is being misused.

Fantine as sheepdog

As much as her introduction into the story and much of the subsequent plot demonstrate

Fantine with a sheep character, Fantine transcend to a sheep dog character through decision she

makes in life. After being fired from the monsieur Madeleine Factory, Fantine decides to be a

prostitute (169). This can be arguable be described as survival and desperation act since she

needs to feed her daughter and the family living with her daughter. Becoming a prostitute tilt her

character, prostitution is not the only job that give women money to feed their family, becoming

a prostitute shows some moral deterioration, curiosity of the world and fearlessness which make

her a sheep dog. Evidently she also become a sheep dog since she loses the innocent and

preservative behavior attributed to sheep character. Being a prostitute exposes her to violent

behaviors and carefree life which leads her to adverse consequence and even death.

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Fantine as wolf

Fantine eventually becomes a wolf in the story. She not only demonstrate violence but

she also the source of the main character Valjean adversaries. When Bamatabois a dandy

harasses Fantine in the street she reacts with violence and strike him; an action that made the

inspector of police Javert to arrest her (183). Violence and aggressiveness is a reference to wolfs

and by Fantine demonstration such characters she transcend into a wolf. Additionally, it vivid

that action although indirectly, severely affects the Valjean. Javert feels bad when Valjean alias

Monsieur Madeleine and the major of the town orders for the release of Fantine. He not only

reveal Valjean true identity to the French authority but also make Valjean admit that he the true

Valjean on the wake that they is another person imprisoned in the name of Jean Valjean (189).

Although, Fantine feels sorrowful and even dies on its revelation, she is still the cause of Jean

Valjean adversaries through her wolf characters.

Conclusion

In conclusion Fantine character transcend from sheep, sheepdog to wolf. She is

introduced at first as loving and caring for his boyfriend, daughter and the family living with her

daughter. However as the plot goes she turns into a sheep dog through the decision to become a

prostitute after being fired from the Monsieur Madeleine factory and finally into a wolf character

by demonstrating violence and making Jean Valjean suffer the consequence of realizing her from

jail.

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Work cited

Hugo victor. “Les miserable”. ABE Books, first edition. (1985)

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