#costte

This is a old drawing I did I think in 2021 SOoooooooo~

top 5 edits: @joeylwitter asked ⤳ top 5 literature female protagonists ・ [5/5] cosette (les miserables)

Mme. Thenardier contradicts her husband for the first time, which is kind of a Big Deal, and Thenardier just answers “As a matter of fact, you’re right.” They’re still a team, and she’s devoted to him, but not slavishly.

So Thenardier rushes out to chase down The Mysterious Man and demand more money, because “This man is obviously a millionaire, and me, I’m a fool.” but he keeps losing track of them and needing to ask directions.

In an ordinary situation Thenardier had all that is necessary to make - we do not say to be - what passes for an honest tradesman,  agood citizen. At the same time, under certain circumstances, under the operation of certain circumstances exciting his baser nature, he had in him all that was necessary to be a villain.

I know Hugo’s initial introduction of the Thenardiers as members of a bastard class is Problems for all kinds of reason, but he’s very good at writing about contradictions, and I like understanding what’s going on in this guy’s mind! I find it interesting that he can only “make” a good citizen, but he can “be” a villain. I guess what we’re supposed to take away from this is that if these two parts of his nature come into conflict he always leans villainous.

He finally catches up with Valjean and demands Cosette back because “I can only give up the child to a person who brings me a written order, signed by the mother, stating that I should deliver the child to him” and by a staggering coincidence that’s exactly what he gets XD