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Fantine was one of those creatures that some times sprout from the bottom of the population. Proceeding from the deepest social shadow, she had in her front the label of the unkown. She was born in Montreuil-sur-mer; no father and no mother was ever known to her, She lacked of a family name because she lacked of family. One day, when she was a little girl, someone called her Fantine and that was how she was ever known as; she received a name as she received the water over her skin when it rained. That is how this human creature appeared. When she was fifteen, she decided to go to Paris in search of fortune. She was beautiful and had a splendid hair and wonderful theeth. She remained pure as much time as she could, but one day she met a young and rich student named F�lix Tholomyes and she loved him. She gave herself to him and the result was a daughter, who she named Cosette. But F�lix abandoned her and she had to look for a way of survival for her and her daughter. But it was no easy with a little girl, and besides she didn't know how to read and write, she only knew to sign with her name. She decided to return to Montreuil-sur-mer, her birthplace, where maybe somone would remember her and would give her job. On her way to Paris she met a family in Montfermeil, the Th�rnardiers, who had two daughters, aproximately the same age than Cosette. She tought that the Th�rnardier woman, who seemed to be a tender mother, could take care of Cosette while she looked for a job in Montreuil. Fantine asked the Th�rnardiers to keep her daughter with them; they agreed but asking for a fee of fifty seven francs. Fantine agreed; she payed the fee and left the town alone and in tears.
Fantine found a job in Montreuil-sur-mer in the jet factory of Monseuir Magdelene, the town's mayor. She went to the amanuensis to write constant letters to the Th�rnardiers asking about Cosette; they answer asking for more and more money, arguing that Cosette, was sick, or that she need cloth, which was not true at all. And the poor mother lived in anguish. One day the luck abandoned her. One envious woman, worker at the same factory, found that Fantine had a non-father daughter. And Fantine was expelled from the factory wothput Magdelene's knowledge. She had many doubts, with the landowner, with the Th�nardiers, she had to eat. She sold everything: the little furniture she had, her splendid hair, her beautiful teeth, and finally herself. She became a prostitute and she became sick... she fall in prisson for an arguing with an influyent client... and Magdelene rescued her... but she was so ill... and she would never see Cosette again. |
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