what is the purpose of the thenardiers in les miserables

What is the purpose of the Thenardiers

in Les Miserables? They serve, alongside Javert, as one of the two arch-nemeses of the story's protagonist, Jean Valjean. While Javert represents the justice system that would punish Valjean, the Thenardiers represent the lawless subculture of society that would blackmail him.

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Who is Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables?

Feb 19, 2020 · What is the purpose of the Thenardiers in Les Miserables? They serve, alongside Javert, as one of the two arch-nemeses of the story's protagonist, Jean Valjean. While Javert represents the justice system that would punish Valjean, the Thenardiers represent the lawless subculture of society that would blackmail him. Click to see full answer.

How does Marius recognize Thénardier in Les Miserables?

Nov 15, 2021 · November 15, 2021 Nora FAQ. Victor Hugo portrays the breakdown of family through the characters in his novel, Les Miserables, the Thenardiers. The Thenardier family, in the beginning of the novel, ran an inn to earn money so they could be sure their children were well off.

What do the thernadiers symbolize in Les Miserables?

How did Thénardier escape from prison in Les Miserables?

What does Cosette symbolize?

However, in a novel of symbolism and metaphor, Cosette may also be seen as a symbol of hope in the world of Les Misérables, representing the rise of the oppressed and abused from darkness to a bright future.

Who is the innkeeper in Les Misérables?

Monsieur ThénardierMonsieur ThénardierBorn1773FamilyÉponine (daughter) Azelma (daughter) Gavroche (son) Two unnamed younger sonsRelationshipsMadame Thénardier (wife)JobInnkeeper (formerly) Slave traders7 more rows

What agreement is made between Fantine and the Thenardiers?

What agreement is made between Fantine and the Thenardiers? Madame Thenardier agrees to take Cosette for 7 francs a month and six months paid in advance.

What type of character is Thenardier?

Thenardier is greedy, selfish, uncaring, and generally evil. He changes little if at all over the course of the novel, as his only goal remains attaining a fortune by any means possible (except by hard work). Thenardier is more of a stock villain than Javert, who is a more complex antagonist.

Who is Thénardier in Les Miserables?

Thénardier is a criminal and a brute, a man with intellectual pretensions but whose greed and quick temper mean he will never be redeemed. Thénardier passes himself off as a hero of Waterloo and opens an inn with his wife, but they rack up debts at an alarming rate.

Who is Cosette's biological father?

Jean ValjeanCosette / FatherJean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables. The story depicts the character's 19-year-long struggle to lead a normal life after serving a prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his sister's children during a time of economic depression and various attempts to escape from prison. Wikipedia

How do the Thénardiers treat Cosette?

The Thénardiers treat Cosette very badly, dressing her in rags, selling her clothes for 60 francs in the streets of Paris, forcing her to work, and beating her often. Fantine is eventually reduced to working as a prostitute in order to earn enough money to meet the Thenardiers' demands, as M.

Why does Fantine get fired?

Fantine finds a new job sewing shirts for soldiers, but it does not pay as much as the factory did. To meet repeated demands for money from the Thénardiers, she sells her hair, then her front teeth, and is finally forced to become a prostitute.

Why does Fantine sell her hair?

In the acclaimed musical and novel Les Miserables, an unmarried woman named Fantine struggles to support her daughter in 19th century France. Fantine resorts to selling her possessions, her hair, her teeth, and eventually herself in order to send more and more money to the family caring for Cosette.Apr 18, 2017

Who saved Marius?

ValjeanRealizing that Valjean is an honest man who saved Marius' life, Marius and Cosette rush to reconcile with Valjean. They arrive at Valjean's and apologize; Valjean forgives them.

How does Jean meet Thénardier?

How does Jean meet Thenardier? JVJ meets Thenardier in the sewers after he carries Marius away from the barricade. He wants to get out and Thenardier has a key.

Is Gavroche Eponine's brother?

Gavroche and Éponine are siblings. This is explicitly stated in the novel but is only hinted at in the musical, when Gavroche expresses grief at her death. Éponine's younger sister Azelma and their two youngest brothers are omitted from the musical.

What was the motivation of the Thenardier?

Their motivation was money. They would do anything to get their hands on money. Every day Thenardier would steal, or trick someone out of money. They were very greedy people, and to me it seemed as if they lived to get money. They showed that there was not one obstacle that could stop them from taking what wasn't theirs.

What are the Thenardiers?

The Thenardiers, are very greedy and abusive people. They would do anything to trick people out of money. The Thenardiers even took on a second name. They were also known as the Jondrettes. They were a very poor family, but before turning poor they were living a life as the owners of an Inn. The Thenardiers were the family who were, "taking care," ...

What changed about the Thenardiers?

Throughout the book, the Thenardiers, didn't really change. The only thing that changed about them was their name. At first they were the Thenardiers, trying to scam Fantine out of money. Then they were the Jondrettes, trying to scam Jean Valjean and Marius out of money. The Thenardiers were always sneaky people who just wanted to trick people into getting money. And if they couldn't do that, then they would just steal. The Thenardiers did not change, for that they are a static character.

Why didn't the Thenardiers throw Cosette out?

Even when they knew that Fantine couldn't pay for her daughter, because she was poor. The Thenardiers still threatened to throw Cosette out, if Fantine didn't pay them. They even change their name, so that they can trick Marius into paying their bills. The Thenardiers were very greedy, and selfish.

Did Marius give money to Jean Valjean?

This is when Jean Valjean and Marius began to gave them money . Marius actually thought that they were a poor family. Marius actuall paid their bill, couple times. Thenardier was accociated with the Patron Minette which was a group which loved to steal, they saw that as the easy way to get money.

Who is Eponine in Thenardier?

Eponine. An inn-keeper at Montfermeil who takes Cosette in and then attempts to swindle Fantine by demanding larger and larger sums of money for Cosette’s care. Thenardier is greedy, selfish, uncaring, and generally evil.

Why does Marius tell Marius to hide in his chamber?

He tells him to hide in his chamber so that the Jondrette s think he’s gone out: he’ll keep watch, and when matters have reached a crisis, he... (full context) ...they realize that he’s following a man with a gray cap—in fact, Marius is following Jondrette. He sees him emerge from a shop holding a huge chisel.

What is the Jondrette Lair?

The Jondrette lair was, if the reader recalls what we have said of the Gorbeau building, admirably chosen to serve as the theatre of a violent and somber deed, and as the envelope for a crime. It was the most retired chamber in the most isolated house on the most deserted boulevard in Paris. If the system of ambush and traps had not already ...

What does Jondrette tell his wife about the mouse trap?

Jondrette has just returned, and he tells his wife that the mouse-trap is set. He orders... (full context) ...by the reflection from the burning charcoal stove in the fireplace. The chisel bought by Jondrette that day is heating in the charcoal, and by the door is a heap of... (full context)

Who asks if everything is ready?

Jondrette asks if everything’s ready, and they say it is. Leblanc has turned pale, and is... (full context) Meanwhile, Thenardier is pacing in frenzied triumph, crowing that it was the old man who came to... (full context) Marius shudders at Thenardier ’s avowal, and at the reproach against his father.

Was Marius' father's savior a ruffian?

His father’s savior was a ruffian! That man, to whose service Marius was burning to devote himself, was a monster! The liberator of Colonel Pontmercy was on the point of committing a crime whose scope Marius did not, as yet, clearly comprehend, but which resembled an assassination! And against whom, great God!

Who plays Monsieur Thenardier?

In the 2018 miniseries, Monsieur Thenardier was portrayed by Adeel Akhtar, who also portrayed Mr. Smee in Pan and Madame Thenardier was portrayed by Olivia Colman, who also portrayed Godmother in Fleabag and voiced PAL in The Mitchells vs. the Machines .

What is the song Thenardier sings about?

During the song, Thenardier sings about all the stuff he puts into his food and drinks, such as the "Kidney of a horse" and the "Liver of a cat".

What does Marius demand to know?

Marius demands to know where Valjean is . Thenardier tells him to pay first, but Marius punches him in the face and demands an answer. Thenardier, scared of what Marius was going to do to him, tells him that Jean Valjean is at the convent. Marius throws money at him and leaves with Cosette. Thenardier and MME.

What does Valjean do after the battle?

After the battle is over, Valjean carries a wounded and unconscious Marius on his back and travels through the sewers to get away from Javert. In the sewers, Thenardier is seen looting all the dead corpses that have fallen, including Marius' ring. He then attempts to loot Valjean thinking that he is dead.

What does Valjean tell the Thenardiers when they get back?

When they get back, he tells the Thenardiers that he will take Cosette from them. The Thenardiers tell him they don't want her to leave, but obviously they are doing this so Valjean will pay them a large amount of money. He gives them 1500 francs for Cosette and they immediately agree.

How much did Valjean give Cosette?

He gives them 1500 francs for Cosette and they immediately agree. As soon as Valjean and Cosette leave the inn, the police Inspector Javert arrives at the Thenardiers door and demands to know where Cosette had gone. The Thenardiers, afraid of getting arrested, say that someone bought her from them and left.

What are the Thenardiers' con artists?

Like the book, The Thenardiers are con artists ready for money and they own and abuse Cosette. One night when Cosette is sweeping the floors of the Inn, she starts dreaming of a better life than the one she has now. MME. Thenardier comes in and orders her to go fetch some water from the well in the woods. MME. Thenardiers' daughter, Eponine, comes in and points to Cosette, who was still there. MME. Thenardier grows angry and yells at Cosette, forcing her to go out by herself. Once she is gone and Eponine is in bed, Thenardier opens up his Inn and it quickly fills up. This is where The Thenardiers are fully introduced during their first musical number Master Of The House. During the song, Thenardier sings about all the stuff he puts into his food and drinks, such as the "Kidney of a horse" and the "Liver of a cat". He even sings about the outrageous and unfair prices he charges to the occupants, such as costing them a large amount of money for looking in the mirror twice and for having mice in their room or having lice. He also describes himself as everybody's boon companion and chaperone and basically describing himself as a really nice guy. Of course MME. Thenardier doubts this as she insults him and reveals him to be the actual lousy good-for-nothing he is. Once the song is finished, Jean Valjean finds Cosette alone in the woods and offers to come with her back to the inn. When they get back, he tells the Thenardiers that he will take Cosette from them. The Thenardiers tell him they don't want her to leave, but obviously they are doing this so Valjean will pay them a large amount of money. He gives them 1500 francs for Cosette and they immediately agree. As soon as Valjean and Cosette leave the inn, the police Inspector Javert arrives at the Thenardiers door and demands to know where Cosette had gone. The Thenardiers, afraid of getting arrested, say that someone bought her from them and left. Javert goes off to find the person who took her, presuming it was Valjean. MME. Thenardier grabs Monsieur Thenardier and demands him to get them more money and get Cosette back. Thenardier quickly agrees.

What was Victor Hugo's purpose in writing Les Miserables?

Victor Hugo's purpose in writing Les Misérables is to expose and critique the social injustice that existed in nineteenth-century European society, with a focus on the sufferings of the poor. Although the book is set in France, Hugo said it applied to all of Europe. Download PDF.

Why is Les Miserables Romantic?

Les Misérables is a Romantic novel, meaning it is trying to place the poor in the spotlight rather than the margins as a way to raise sympathy for them.

What does Valjean feel before being redeemed?

Valjean, before being redeemed through love, feels understandably bitter and angry that the weight of the law falls so heavily on struggling people like himself while the rich, in his eyes, seem to get away with creating the cruel conditions which make it almost impossible for the lower classes to survive.

Why does Fantine become a prostitute?

Likewise, Fantine becomes a prostitute, a criminal occupation, because her lover has left her. This is the only way she knows to survive. Although she participates in a job considered dirty and sinful, her heart and soul are pure.