Cosette Defense from Le Café
Over the past several years of attending the forum "Le Café" at www.LesMis.com, I have had to defend various characters: namely Cosette. The target of ridicule and oversimplification, she is enemy #1 of jilted lovers.

This is not to say that if you like Éponine, you hate Cosette. Or, if you hate Cosette, you're evil. Many people do not like Cosette: she's rather bland. Yet, not liking her because she "gets" Marius is a tad simplistic, is it not? Well, these posts, try to set the record on Cosette straight.

Here are a few selected posts of mine from Le Café.

P.S. Keep in mind when I was younger (13-16), I was a tad more hot-headed. Some of these posts are just hilarious, and show more than just my age. Now-a-days, I barely raise my voice for anything. Also, these are only my posts, so they're rather fragmented. Don't expect anything nobel prize worthy in here...


To those that think Cosette is a ditz because she talked about clothes and herself, here's a bit of history... In the 20th century people who have nothing to talk about clothes and themselves are self-centered. BUT back in the time of Cosette, they were normal.

Women were not educated, if they knew how to read and write that was far beyond what most women knew how to. But if a women talked about anything OTHER than clothes and herself she was laughed at or considered dumb. That was a man's job to talk about politics and economy. Marius looked at Cosette through the eye's of the times back then. A lot of us are looking at her through the eye's of the 20th century. And we get a ditz who didn't know what she was talking about, but she did. That was what she knew, if she talked to Marius about politics, he would have thought she was strange.

Yes, it was totaly unfair that Cosette could only talk about that but you can't change history. It would have made no sense to historians if Cosette talked about politics. Hugo would have been considered a looney.

Some people also hate Cosette because she just lays around and "gets the guy" what is with that?? That only shows you are jealous of her. And that's just selfish Marius loved her..GROW UP. Cosette wasn't expecting to fall in love. She was happy before she met him. Just because she got the guy is no reason to hate someone. That is selfish, disrespectful, and immature.

When people say Eponine is more deserving of Marius of Cosette, it makes me cringe. Does that make rich people more deserving of admiration? Just because you feel sorry for Eponine does not make her deserving of Marius.

Cosette is a sweet, gentle, and loving girl. People say she would have never jumped in front of the gun for Marius. I can't disagree more. Cosette would have died for him, but she didn't know he was at the barricade. She was crushed when she found out he was injured. I love Cosette, for her simple charm, and her innocents. She loved anything. She was a beautiful person. I'm sure if all of you Cosette haters opened your eyes and really looked into her soul you would see a girl with all the personality and charm in the world. If I were Marius, I would have fallen for her too.

Hola
I detest the idea of a Marius/Eponine relationship. Good friends...Terrible lovers. Eponine and Marius would have ended up like the Thenards. Then Marius would have died at the barricades cause Eponine wouldn't have saved him.

I just have an idea in my head that you cannot make someone love you. And Eponine had a hard time getting to belive that. After all she wanted Marius to die, to me...that's NOT love. I guess...well she loved him, just not a relationship sort of Love. More like a love between two friends.

Don't yell at me, Eponine is one of my fave characters, in the musical. But in the book I just think she's a little too"jealous", or Marius and Cosette.

I do prefer Cosette over Eponine...when it comes to who should be with Marius. one of the things to realize is that you should get over the fact that she was miserable. Exclude the fact that Eponine/Cosette were totaly different. Just look at their personalities. Marius was annoyed by Eponine's out goingness and open-ness. While he was "turned on" by Cosette's shyness and how she was almost like a bird.

My 31 sous,
Gavroche T.

Hola

I don't mind her in the musical. and I am growing to not being to able to understand how someone can hate her, along with Marius.

In the novel. She is a deeper character. The more I think about it the more I'm reviewing my thoughts about her. She was truely sweet and charming. And Marius had every right to fall for her. I don't find her wishy washy, sheltered. But I'm sure if I met her I would become friends, she was smart. Valjean taught her to read. I'm assuming she read a lot, so I think she had lots of brains.

My love triangle for Marius, Cosette, and Eponine is hard to filter out. But I can't understand why pity for Eponine, makes her more "deserving" then Cosette. I keep seeing that, no matter what people say.

Do *not* get offended, I said this at my site, and I'll say it here. I am an Eponine fan, but I must defend both Marius and Cosette. Lots of Eponine fans hate Cosette, simply because she got Marius. And the basis of they're opinion of Cosette and Marius' relationship is of *pity* for Eponine. What about pity for Cosette?? I'd go mad if durring my childhood I was a servant. And then later on in life, my father is to afraid to let me out of the house, on my own! Her life was full of knowing nothing!! And then you couldn't tell anyone about your new found love...it was only you, by yourself, on your own. Frankly I couldn't do that with out pulling out all my hair and going mad.

Now that I've offended people, I'll go...*steps out quickly*
My 12 sous,
Gavroche T.

Hola

YER DEAD LEE!!! (Just kidding *g*, now don't kill me because I was only kidding...*steps back*)

Eh, opposites attract. But I really don't see how Eponine and Marius would work out. *shudder* But I can't hate Cosette, cause then I'd hate myself. I am like Cosette in too many ways. But I was discussing it with Hans last night and I had a revalation that I was like Cosette.

Yes, I don't see why Marius and Cosette fell for each other. But then again, I don't see why Marius and Eponine would fall for each other... to me Cosette and Eponine, are alike. They are 2 of a kind. And Marius, fell for Cosette. Don't hate her for it. Valjean learned that he couldn't help it.

C'est la vie!!! That's life. I've been through unrequited love. And it did s.uck. I hated it. But, guess what, when they guy felt sorry for me and decided to go out with me instead, it ended up in a terrible relationship. So, I say, don't mess with love, it'll do what it wants to do.

My 15 sous,
Gavroche T.

Hola

Marius and Cosette's lives were the same. So that could be a reason for them falling for each other.

Both of them had bad childhoods, and both of them were basicaly alone. Cosette had Valjean and the maid. Marius had Courfeyrac and argh, forgot his name...But face it, Marius and Cosette were a lot a like, more so then Eponine and Marius.

Plus, I like the story that way. Cosette wasn't loved as a child, I guess I'm happy that she was the one Marius fell for. I just think it's sweet.

My 6 sous,
Gavroche T.

Hola
I did say they were a lot alike. But I didn't mean that their personalities were the same. I meant that they were equals and that they had similar problems in life. Remember everything I say is abstract, bear with me.

And am I the ONLY one that thinks Cosette would have jumped infront of a gun???? I think she would do it! Really I do! She was a brave girl, it didn't show. But the things that happend in her life, I'm sure she would have done it. Marius was the 2nd best thing that happend to her. He was someone she could talk to and relate to. And I'm sure she would have jumped infront of the gun. I do not think she would have been chewing gum twirling her hair, and going "Oh well, someone's trying to shoot the man I love...I'll just sit here and be a wuss." I honestly think she would have saved his life. She loved him!! if she didn't she would have stood there...ARGH!!! I'm getting all "high blood-pressured" about nothing.... *runs away quickly as if not to get mobbed*

My 19 sous,
Gavroche T.

Hola

Um....have you read the book? Cosette knew how to read. Valjean taught her. I'm not even gonna start ranting about Cosette. To tired, and I'm already defensive...

Why does everyone think she's some sort of lazy girl that does nothing but pick her nose and drool? Geez...just because she got the guy doesn't make her soom drooling lazy uneducated ditz. Valjean would not have let her stoop that low. What the heck was she suppose to do????

Here...IN THE BOOK...she wasn't even going after a guy in the first place. She was just sitting on the bench! And Marius comes walking by, their eye's meet, and Voila! They're in love. You can work as hard as you want to get a guy, but that does NOT make you more deserving. Love does what it wants, not what YOU want.

She was not lazy. If she was lazy she wouldn't bother with Marius, Valjean, or herself for that matter. Eponine tried to get Marius, yes, but that does not make Cosette lazy. What did Cosette need to do? Marius already loved her, and she already loved him. If she was lazy or self centered, she wouldn't have come to the park, or spent the time with Marius.

Okay...I've really started to get defensive over the 2 most disliked characters...GRRRRR.....

My 5 sous,
Gavroche T.

Hola

I agree with Mlle. Fantine...True love is what Marius and Cosette had. And Hugo did say that Cosette would have died if Marius would have. Now I've had no luck with love. BUT, if complete strangers will go out on a limp to save one another....that gives reason to belive that unless you hate someone you will go out on that limb and save them.

If Cosette wouldn't put her hand in front of that musket she didn't love him, one bit. That is my idea anyway.

Epy would have leaped for joy if she saw Cosette die, but only for possibly one second...When she saw Marius' heart ripped and torn to shreds, she would have seen the love he had for Cosette, and the love Cosette had for him. Marius would have died at the barricades. And I don't think Epy would have wanted Marius' heart to be ripped and torn to shreds. Sometimes I think, she put her life in the line so that Marius could be happy with Cosette. Because, he would always remember her and love her for what she did. So I don't think her dying was JUST to save Marius' life, even though that was her intent. Her heart just wanted him to be happy and to love her. And that's what she got.

WOW!! Tangent flying out of NO WHERE....*lol* oops. (:

My 6 sous,
Gavroche T.

Hola

I can't see Cosette doing that, screaming for Marius to look out. If I were in her place I'd be infront of the musket in a flash. Even if I didn't love Marius like Eppy and Cosette. Just to save another human beings life.

Cosette would have not just stood there. She would have done exactly what Epy would have done.

I just don't get how Eponine could jump infront of the gun but how Cosette couldn't. I mean come on, take a flashback to Cosette's childhood. She went through just as much as Eponine. Eponine wasn't more brave then Cosette. They both loved Marius, they would have done the same thing for him. Cosette loved him, she would have died for him! I just find it impossible to belive that Cosette wouldn't have done everything in her power to save him.

She would have went to the barricades. Because if he was gonna die, so was she.

I'm gonna write a fanfic about this...Cosette dies for Marius, jumping the gun. But it'll all be a dream of Marius' after Marius/Cosette get married. I'm better with dreams. *s*

Hola

I am like Cosette it's very sad. I'm always happy, and always seem to have everything I want. As for the male department...well, we'll wait and see. I have been stuck in Eppy's situation many of times. I don't think I'm pretty, never will, and I don't talk about clothes.

But may I ask....what else was she suppose to talk about? And she didn't have many social skills either...She didn't know about politics or anything like that....she just knew how to read and write. She didn't have all the neat stuff we had today to talk about. It's sad but women back then weren't expected to know anything, and if they did talk about politics or anything else they were laughed at and considered stupid. DON'T KILL ME (it's history, don't blame me)!!!
*runs away quickly*

My 8 sous,
Gavroche T.