Eponine
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Eponine is a character from the musical (and book) Les Misérables ("Les Mis"), which takes place during the 19th century in France at a time of rebellion. Eponine is one of the most popular characters. She sings the song "On My Own" and sings in "A Little Fall of Rain", "One Day More", "In My Life," and "A Heart Full of Love". The two most famous actresses who have played Eponine are Frances Ruffelle and Lea Salonga.
Eponine in the Book
Eponine is introduced as the eldest daughter of M. and Mme. Thenardier, who run an inn in the town of Montfermeil. A woman named Fantine who has an illegitimate daughter, Cosette, arrives and upon seeing Eponine and her younger sister Azelma, asks the Thenardiers if Cosette can live with them while she goes to look for work. The Thenardiers agree on the condition that Fantine sends them money to pay for the child. However, the Thenardiers abuse Cosette and use her for slave labor while treating Eponine and Azelma like princesses. Jean Valjean eventually arrives and whisks Cosette away.
Eponine is not seen again for nine years, when she is introduced as Eponine Jondrette. She and her family have lost their inn and now live under the name “Jondrette” in an apartment next to that of Marius Pontmercy. They live in utter squalor, a fact Marius observes through a crack in the wall. When Eponine comes over to Marius' and begs him for money, she tries to impress him, and to prove she is literate she writes “the police are here” on a piece of paper. Not realizing that Eponine has fallen in love with him, and pitying her, Marius gives her five francs.
Eponine leaves and some time later Marius observes her in her apartment claiming that she has gotten a philanthropist from the local church to come to their home and give them money to help pay the rent. In an effort to make his family look poorer, M. Jondrette orders Azelma to punch out the window, which she does, cutting her hand open. It turns out that the “philanthropist” is in reality Jean Valjean, and Cosette is with him, whom Marius has fallen in love with. He promises to return later with money for them, but as soon as he leaves, Jondrette and his wife begin to plot to rob and murder Valjean. They recognize him from when he took Cosette away, and want their revenge. To help in this they enlist the aid of the Patron-Minette street gang.
Determined to prevent this crime against his beloved and her father, Marius informs Javert of the planned crime, and Javert gives him two pistols with the order to fire one when the crime is going to happen. Marius returns to his house and watches. Eponine is sent outside the building to watch for the police, but they sneak in the back door and get ready to spring their trap once Marius fires his pistol. Valjean enters the Jondrettes' home, they capture him and reveal that they are the Thenardiers. Marius, recognizing the name as that of the man who saved his father at Waterloo, is torn. He does not want to let Valjean die, but he does not want to betray his father’s savior. Seeing the scrap of paper Eponine left behind, he tosses it frantically into the room via the crack in the wall. Thenardier reads the note “the police are here” and thinks that Eponine threw it inside. They try to escape, but nonetheless Javert enters and arrests Thenardier and his gang.
While in jail, Thenardier tells Eponine to find out where Jean Valjean lives, and she does so. Eponine, knowing that Marius is trying to find “that girl” (Cosette), tells Marius that she knows where Cosette lives, hoping to impress him and make him happy. When she reminds him that he promised to give her something in return for finding Cosette, he offers her his last five franc coin. Eponine sadly lets the coin fall to the ground, saying she does not want his money; Marius is so obsessed with Cosette that he does not realize Eponine is in love with him. Marius visits Cosette several times, and each time Eponine goes with him and waits outside the garden. On one occasion, after Thenardier and his gang are out of jail, they plan to break into Jean Valjean’s house. However, Eponine, out of love for Marius, threatens to scream and alert the police if they try to carry out their plans. They retire, and Eponine has saved both the house from being robbed and Marius and Cosette from being discovered.
Nonetheless, Valjean has seen Thenardier and, thinking it was Javert and the police, decides to leave with Cosette for England very soon. One night, the night of the insurrection in Paris, Marius discovers that Cosette is no longer at her house. However, Eponine, disguised as a boy, yells to Marius that the insurrection is starting and that his friends are waiting for him at the barricade at the Rue de la Chanvrerie. Marius goes to the barricade armed with the two pistols Javert gave him months ago, and uses them both during the fighting. While he is unarmed and searching for a weapon, a French soldier makes it inside the barricade and aims at Marius. Eponine puts her hand, and her body, in front of the musket, and the musket ball enters her, saving Marius’ life. Marius does not think much of it, and it is not until later that he recognizes her, when she is laying at his feet. He cradles her and she begs him to comfort her. She reveals that Gavroche is her brother, and also says that she cannot lie to him, and gives him a letter that Cosette gave to her a day earlier for Marius. Her original intention was to have them both die at the barricade together, since she was in love with him, but when she saw the musket pointed at him, her love for him was so great that she sacrificed herself for him. She asks that he kiss her on the forehead when she dies, and then with her dying breath, Eponine confesses her love for him, saying, “And then, do you know, Monsieur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you.” Eponine dies, and Marius kisses her on the forehead as he had promised.
Eponine is a sad, tragic character who is wise beyond her years. She has a great knowledge of the human mind, and knows how to manipulate situations and people to get what she wants, although she never does anything with malice. Despite her immersion in the criminal underworld because of her father, Eponine is not tainted by it, and remains courageous and loving with high spirits, and proves the goodness of her heart when she makes the ultimate sacrifice for Marius.
Eponine in the Musical
Eponine appears briefly in the first part of Les Mis. She is the daughter of Monsieur and Madame Thénardier. The Thénardiers are innkeepers who are taking care of a little girl Cosette. Cosette's mother Fantine pays the Thenardiers to keep her. Fantine dies and leaves Cosette to the keeping of Jean Valjean. In the first half of the musical, Cosette is adopted by Jean Valjean. The musical then skips about ten years. The Thénardiers are bankrupt and on the streets of Paris. Monsieur Thenardier heads a gang of street robbers. On the streets of Paris also at this time are students, Marius and Enjolras to name a few. Cosette is also in Paris, but she was raised with Valjean who became very rich after being the Mayor of Montreuil-Sur-Mer. Eponine is desperately in love with the student Marius. Unfortunately for her, Marius and Cosette bump into each other on the street and fall in love. The students, though, led by Enjorlas, are planning to revolt against the French government. Thénardier, recognizing Valjean as the man who took Cosette away, tries to rob his house. Eponine is there, though, having shown Marius where Cosette lives. She screams and warns Marius, Cosette and Valjean of the danger. Cosette tells her father that she had screamed, because she saw three men trying to break in. Valjean, afraid that they might be Javert and his men decide to move to England. Marius is torn. He does not know if he should follow Cosette or fight with his fellow men at the barricade (where the students are revolting). Marius finally decides to help fight at the barricade. Eponine goes to the barricades, disguised as a boy, so she can see Marius. He ignores her brave act, though, and tells her to deliver a good-bye letter to Cosette. The letter tells Cosette about how he probably will not live. After delivering the letter, she sings her most famous song "On My Own" about how much she loves Marius, but he never notices her there, so she's destined just to love him only when she's "on her own." Still in her disguise, she sneaks over the barricade, hoping that she might die there with Marius. While she is sneaking over, though, she is shot. She dies in Marius's arms while they sing the duet "A Little Fall of Rain." She returns as a spirit at the very end of the musical, after Valjean dies and joins him and Fantine as they bless Marius and Cosette.Songs Eponine Sings and Descriptions
These are the songs Eponine sings in Les Mis.
- The first song in which Eponine sings is "The robbery" which is where her character is introduced.
- The second song in which Eponine sings is "Eponine's Errand" all that really happens here is you, as the audience discovers she was the little girl who was spoiled by Thenardier while little Cosette was acting like a servant girl. Also, Eponine is asked by Marius to find where Cosette lives.
- Eponine's third song is "In My Life." She has taken Marius to where Cosette lives, and is dreaming about Marius.
- The fourth song in which Eponine sings is "A Heart Full of Love". This song is essentially about Marius and Cosette. Both of them proclaim their love for each other. Eponine sings about how she loves Marius, but Marius does not love her.
- The fifth song in which Eponine sings is "Plumet Attack". Eponine's father, Thenardier, and his gang are planning an attack on Jean Valjean when Eponine intervenes, trying to stop them. When they will not stop, she screams, scaring them away.
- The sixth song that Eponine sings in is "One Day More". This song summarizes what will happen at the barricade. Marius is trying to decide if he will fight, the government officer is making plans to spy, and Cosette is sad that she will have to leave Marius. Eponine sings about her grievances and about how Marius, although her friend, does not notice her.
- The seventh song Eponine sings is "Upon These Stones (Building the Barricade), in which she goes to the barricade dressed as a boy. Marius recognizes her and tells her to escape. She will not leave, so Marius gives her a letter. He says to give it to Cosette, and Eponine once again laments her unrequited love for Marius. She goes to Cosette's house and meets Jean Valjean, to whom she gives Marius' letter.
- The eighth song Eponine sings is "On My Own", her solo. In this song Eponine talks about how she loves Marius and wishes he loved her. She talks about how she loves him, but only "on her own." This is one of the most famous songs in the musical.
- The ninth song in which Eponine sings is as she dies. "A Little Fall of Rain" describes how Eponine dies in Marius's arms as he comforts her. She is so happy that he is with her, and that he is holding her in his arms she proclaims "Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius, I dont feel any pain" and that as long as he is with her, she is perfect... And then she dies.
- The tenth song in which Eponine sings is the finale. This song is about Jean Valjean's death, and Eponine and Fantine lead him into heaven to be with them and all those who died at the barricade.
References
- "Story Web." 26 March 2005 [Les Miserables].
- (23 January 2006). ["Les Miserables."]
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