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Fantine
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Biographical information
Gender

Female

Eye Color

Blue (novel)
Brown (2012 film)

Hair color

Blonde (novel)
Brunette (2012 film)

Born

1797

Died

December 1823 (aged 28)

Cause of Death

Tuberculosis

Family

Cosette (daughter)

Relationships

Félix Tholomyès (lover)

Job

Factory worker (formerly)
Prostitute

Behind the scenes
Portrayer

see list

Fantine is the tritagonist in the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. She is a grisette (a young working-class French woman) who is the mother of Cosette.

Novel

Fantine is abandoned by her lover, Félix Tholomyès, when she is twenty. Subsequently, she unable is to take care of her daughter, Cosette. In 1818, when Cosette is "nearly three", Fantine leaves her in the care of the Thénardiers, who are innkeepers in a village called Montfermeil. Unfortunately, Madame Thénardier spoils her own daughters, Éponine and Azelma, while abuseing and overworking Cosette. Meanwhile the Thénardiers continue to send Fantine letters claiming that Cosette is being well-treated, but that she is always ill and requires money to be treated. Fantine falls for their tricks and continues to send money, which the Thénardiers use for their own interest and to further indulge their own children.

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Fantine is fired from the factory

Fantine finds work at Monsieur Madeleine's factory, and, being illiterate aside from being able to write her own name, has other people write her letters to the Thénardiers. In 1822, a female supervisor who discovers that she has an illigetimate child fires her, as having children yet being unmarried was highly scandalous at the time.

To meet repeated demands for money from the Thénardiers, she sells her hair, then her two front teeth, and is finally forced to become a prostitute.

Over time, she becomes fatally ill with tuberculosis. Valjean learns of her situation when Inspector Javert arrests her for attacking a man who called her insulting names and threw snow down her back, and sends her to a hospital. She spends several weeks in the hospital, delerious and thinking of her daughter. Valjean promises to look after Cosette in her place. Later, when Javert confronts Valjean in her hospital room, because her illness has made her so weak, she dies of shock after Javert reveals that Valjean is really a prisoner and has not brought Cosette to her (after the doctor encouraged that incorrect belief that Valjean's recent absence was because he was bringing her daughter to her).

Trivia

  • Polish form of her name is "Fantyna"
  • So Far, Laurie Beechman and Minako Honda (who was originally going to play Fantine in 2005) are the only musical portrayers of Fantine to pass away.
  • Her "Ghost" is present for the Finale

Musical

Songs Act I

Act II

External Links

Gallery

Musical

2012 Movie

1998 Movie

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