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Les Miserables and Feminism

32 replies

AlwaysWild · 28/12/2011 20:43

Was just listening to Les Miserables (as you do), having not done so for many years, certainly prior to having much feminist awareness.

Was struck by the featuring of prostitution as a means of exploiting one of the main female characters. It shows her being worn down, selling everything she has (her jewelry, her hair), referring to her lack of choice because of her desire to help her child, reaching a point of desperation. Then being cajoled and persuaded until she gives in.

Then she sings:

Come on, Captain
You can wear your shoes
Don't it make a change
To have a girl who can't refuse
Easy money
Lying on a bed
Just as well they never see
The hate that's in your head
Don't they know they're making love
To one already dead!

There's a clip here up to 3.40.

I did a bit of googling and found this quote from Victor Hugo (who wrote the book)

"We say that slavery has vanished from European civilization, but this is not true. Slavery still exists, but now it applies only to women and its name is prostitution."

VICTOR HUGO, Les Misérables

Really surprised. Anyone want to discuss Les Mis from a feminist perspective?

OP posts:
Original poster
AlwaysWild · 31/12/2011 18:59

Who is jonas? Best not be jonas Armstrong wot I like.

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Shakey1500 · 31/12/2011 18:19

Off topic Elphaba oh goodness yes, isn't Jonas absolutely the weakest link (also I think it's the 25th anniversary?). But the rest a triumph, especially the end with the original cast returning

ElphabaisWicked · 31/12/2011 17:16

The 20th anniversary DVD is good if you ignore whatsis name Jonas.

Original poster
AlwaysWild · 31/12/2011 08:45

You see this is why I feel the need to watch again with this hat on. Female characters that show a diversity of behaviour from women rather than just the one dimensional standard tropes sounds good to me.

Maybe I should go all educated and read the book.

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Shakey1500 · 30/12/2011 22:14

On the other hand Les Mis also has Madame Thenadier, strong female charachter, on a par with her husband in deviousness. Not afraid to speak her mind.The less said about child exploitation from the pair of them the better Grin

Then Eponine, working alongside the men despite protestations, dies for the cause etc.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 29/12/2011 00:42

Wow, I need to watch it again - we did some of the songs from it at primary school but (funnily enough!) not that one.

I like the Hugo quotation very much.

ElphabaisWicked · 28/12/2011 20:50

Have you seen it live. Depending on the actress playing Fantine she really gives a sense of this is what I am reduced to becasue of men (starting wth the one who seduced her, got her pregnant then deserted her, leading on to the foreman who got her sacked because she wouldn;t sleep with him then the Captain gets her arrested because she hits him as he is a gentleman who can't possibly do any wrong whereas she is a woman and a prostitute.

It is ironic considering his views and treatment that Javert turns out to be the son of a prostitute.

I know nothing about feminism but I love Les Mis.