That Baztard Guy

so to start! i’m specifically focusing on his relationship with éponine, as in a lot of au’s this is where i see the abusive montparnasse trope popping up as he comes back as a crazy evil abusive ex (and not even just for her - for a lot of characters!) and honestly this bothers me a lot, realistically it doesn’t fit in with his character lol. but focusing on him and ep, the way their relationship can be depicted is entirely based on adaptation and translation as well as being up to the reader, for this post i’m following the brick quotes in my translation (hapgood) now i personally don’t read them to have a romantic relationship but it can be interpreted as you want it to be!

but in the brick it is, at least to me, very clear him and éponine do have a close relationship with each other and this is proven multiple times in the brick, the way they behave with each other is playful and friendly and definitely not abusive lol. for example during the failed attack on rue plumet, éponine catches his hand multiple times, is playful with him before calling him a “Good Fellow.”

When éponine is also then asking him not to join in with said attack, montparnasse says, “Take care, you’ll cut yourself,” and while his replies in this scene can be read as sarcastic that’s not how i’m personally interpreting them - to me this shows montparnasse does genuinely care for éponine and is asking her to leave before she gets caught or hurt with the patron minette if they are to proceed.

Now later on in the chapter, montparnasse “threatens” éponine with his knife after saying he’ll stay behind with her and honestly? i don’t read it as a real threat, of course he is a dangerous character and likely could’ve done anything to her but actually hurting a close friend of his? i don’t believe he would - and this belief is then proven to me at least when a few lines later the patron minette choose to leave and as they are, montparnasse is walking beside babet and muttering about how he could’ve hurt her, which just reads as him trying to act tough in front of the elder members of the gang - sort of like when someone loses an argument and walks away acting all brave about it lmao. in my own opinion, this whole section is quite clear on showing montparnasse does care for éponine! he’s worried for her initial safety and even as she’s refusing to leave as well, he’s the one who chooses to stay behind with her out of the rest of the PM who are MORE likely to be a danger towards éponine realistically as they are not as close to her

moving onto the patron minette from that, montparnasse is KNOWN for helping those he cares for, like when he literally helps the patron minette escape from prison? of course this can be argued that he was doing it out of his own benefit and needing the gang but realistically i don’t believe it was just that. he could’ve left the others to remain in prison and ran the gang near enough on his own but he chooses not to because the patron minette are quite literally the closest thing he has to a family - as he’s rescuing them montparnasse grumbles, “One doesn’t desert one’s friends in a scrape,” so it’s obvious he wouldn’t leave someone behind and IS incredibly loyal (even as this line is about thénardier while the others are saying to leave without him)

finally! onto him and gavroche, their friendship is incredibly playful with gavroche mainly just mocking montparnasse and the other trying to ignore it lmao. but when gavroche mentions where he lives, specifically inside the elephant, montparnasse is clearly worried and curious about it, asking gavroche multiple questions about it (although gavroche doesn’t answer these easily and they’re going around in circles) before montparnasse just asks, “Yes the elephant. Is it comfortable there?” deciding that was the simplest way to make sure gavroche was fine. this shows montparnasse’s explicit care towards others - even asking gavroche about the other two kids he had with him, and although it can be read as he doesn’t care to me it does feel as though he does? he’s making sure gavroche is fine in his own way!!!

and another little note - realistically to montparnasse’s character and victor hugo’s writing, it doesn’t make sense for him to be abusive to other characters. montparnasse’s goal in life all goes towards his own gain and specifically his looks - so what reason would montparnasse hurt a partner of his when this doesn’t align with this?

as well, it is literally proven montparnasse doesn’t hurt people unless he has to and WOULD gain from it - e.g. he goes to hurt valjean because he wants to steal from him, only for valjean to hand his ass right back to him 😭 montparnasse picks his fights well and doesn’t start anything over nothing, if he does it’s likely because he believes he can win and it’ll help him in some way - such as money or stealing a new coat.

anyways that’s all, i’m very passionate about montparnasse he’s the biggest loser ever and he isn’t abusive guys. to me all these points make it pretty clear he does care for these other characters especially in the brick, of course other adaptations may show him differently but looking at the SOURCE material (which, a lot of these fans who claim him to be abusive don’t do! i won’t shame people for being fans of specific adaptations but truly learn these characters please) he isn’t abusive - he’s cruel and an asshole but he isn’t abusive. he cares about the people he’s close with!!!!!!