rrrgh and now I’m having feelings about the way naming plays out in the musical Because Javert and Valjean introduce themselves a lot (Valjean gets whole songs about it!) and for both of them a lot of it comes in the form of establishing who they are wrt the social system; (Valjean OBVIOUSLY, and Javert is always announcing himself as notice of Order arriving on the scene–until the very end) The Thenardiers introduce themselves by various names as needed Eponine and Gavroche introduce themselves and talk about themselves in third person some (”trust Gavroche” “’Ponine she knows her way around”) and it’s how they claim their own importance despite their apparent lack of power and status Cosette and Marius introduce themselves properly, in the regular course of people getting to know each other (and Cosette has her one, diary-entry style moment of referring to herself)
But Fantine mentions Cosette so much
and Enjolras names so many of his friends, and talks about Lamarque, and the people
(even Fantine’s whole big solo is about the effect other people have, she doesn’t claim an identity; and even in the movie, when Enjolras has a specific prompt to identify himself, it’s FRENCH REVOLUTION , which is right but)
but neither of them ever mention themselves
that’s not what they’re about , they’re about the people they love and the fight for the future, that’s what they’re trying to establish and what they need people to know about
Good job, musical, you got that one totally right, bravo and congratulations and I am very upset now
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