Les Misérables Female Characters & Their Pop Culture Counterparts (IMO)
Eponine
As we have described, Eponine is the classic unrequited love story that has been such a focus impressed upon our impressionable hearts for eons, from classic novels such as this one down through the ages with Hollywood media. Love is not real if there is not the suffering, the heartbreak and longing over something unattainable, yet perhaps a way to avoid true connection and intimacy by disappearing into our own dysfunctions ending in the death of our souls needing to be reborn.
Rachel Green
Rachel Green, a beloved character from the hit
90's TV show, Friends, is my choice for a
pop culture equivalent of an Eponine. Reflected in
how adored she was, her hairstyle replicated, her clothing, and the obsessive following of her storyline which was a boost to the ratings. Fans loved to watch her love life evolve and explode, because it resonated with their own dysfunctional outlook on
love and relations. In the beginning of the series, she
escaped on her wedding day, running from the mate who
did not truly fit her desire for who she wanted to be intimate with
as well as who she truly wanted to be. We watched as she
pined after Ross, while not knowing that he felt the same,
their overly romanticized storyline of coupling left her
struggling with doubts, insecurities, unhappiness within the confines of
the relationship once secured. She broke it off, not due to his lack, but
her own degree of seeking outward for validation. Until she found within
approval and self worth, she would never find happiness and security in love without,
which as we know from the series finale, she did eventually.
Fantine
Recall the story of Fantine, her downfall after falling for a man who could not fulfill, who left her in despair with a young child to care for, in a time when a single woman with child was looked down upon. Through her heartbreak was unending love and devotion for her child and she did what she could in life and in her death for Cosette. This was not before her dark night of the soul, broken, penniless, in utter agony of soul, she cried out with longing for the hope she once believed in, finally allowing herself the peace of dying to self. As the light of dawn approached, a new Fantine emerged.Britney Spears
Love her or hate her, Britney was the pop star,
bubble gum icon of the late nineties and early 2000s.
However, in 2007, the image all came crashing down for us, but more so for her as she
began losing control publicly and, even more,
privately. We cannot truly understand the
depth of the nightmare Britney was experiencing
or the true reasons why she acted the way she did,
but we can examine these actions in light of
the dark night of the soul of Fantine. As Fantine's
journey into the darkness of heartbreak was stimulated
by her loss of hope and idealism, so to Britney's loss of
the idealism of youthful desires of life coupled with the
relenting media obsessions reflected that of the depth of
the Fantine storyline. Through her suffering, the strength
of Britney, her willingness and perseverance to endure, to
overcome, and the joy she has found within the journey has become
increasingly apparent. She stands now a different woman than the girl
we met, because of her falling into her dark night of the soul, she is more
deeply loved and appreciated.
Cosette
As described previously, Cosette is the character least followed of the three yet the character with the most secure sense of self worth. The reasons, as previously explained, was that Cosette, despite her early life struggles, never felt without a sense ofunconditional love at any phase of her life. Even in the dire times of her early childhood, she still felt a deep connection and trust from her mother. Upon meeting Jean Valjean, she found a real example of a dedicated father who unconditionally loved and supported her as if she was his own daughter. This afforded her the best of relationship with a mother, despite Fantine's struggles, and a father which allowed her to have a deep abiding security within which allowed her to be comfortable with herself, never lonely, and to be able to express herself within and without. Although we may desire to obsess over the stories of Fantine and especially Eponine, these will only perpetuate our dysfunctions. It is Cosette we must eventually become in our journeys toward healing and wholeness.
Punky Brewster
Children of the 80's generation
recall forever in our hearts the true
meaning of "Punky Power". For me,
Punky Brewster, played expertly by
the beloved Soliel Moon Frye, represents the pop culture reality of Cosette. Abandoned at a very tender age by her mother yet Punky was not afraid and through her natural born ingenuity she survived possibly reflecting that deep down
she felt the unconditional love of her mother.
This brought her stability, willingness
to open her heart and trust to others, and in fact she did when
she was discovered by Henry, who adopted her. Thus, like
Cosette, she was raised by a very open, tender-hearted older man
who treated her with unconditional love and support, which
allowed to explore and express her true self without judgment.
I must express my limitations in listing these pop culture references, in one instance I am showing my age as the majority of these are from the eighties or nineties. Secondly, all of these women reflect a white, cis-gender heterosexual narrative which is a reflection of my personal history. I do not want to dissuade or deny the reality of others' history and viewpoint, so please if you have a different worldview, such as POC, LGBTQA+, gender fluid or non-binary, share your thoughts below in conjunction with the topic of relating pop culture references to that of the Les Misérables characters.
