The Battle Between Cosette and Eponine; My Opinion

Okay, I've heard so much about the battle between Cosette and Eponine. How Eponine is so much better than Cosette, how everyone hates Cosette and loves Eponine, and yada yada yada. To be truthful, I'm kinda fed up with it. I love Cosette and Eponine both equally. Let's take a look at Cosette's story:





We first hear about Cosette in The Brick (which I have read the full unabridged version) when her mother, Fantine drops her off at the Thenardiers house. She is put to work, getting water from the well, sweeping floors, and basically living the life of Cinderella, while Eponine and Azelma are basically living the dream life of the Stepsisters........ for now. Later in the book, Cosette is rescued by Jean Valjean, and goes to live and learn at a convent school, and grows to be a beautiful young woman. Just like Cinderella. Now, let's stay at a stand-still here.











Okay, fast forward to Eponine.

Eponine Thenardiers had a great childhood, that's about it; Now fast forward to several years later. The Thenardiers have went out of business and are now living in poverty. Eponine is also poor, living in a tiny apartment, or on the streets, anywhere where she has something over her head. She wears rags, goes without food, and helps her father with his band of thieves. But as we remember what the Brick says "Her life was cold and dark and yet she was unafraid". How true.



Now we get to both.
Marius Pontmercy meets Cosette and a year later when he sees her again, falls in love with her. I don't believe in love at first sight, but that's just me. Eponine then meets Marius to see if she can get some money. Basically from that point she falls in love with him, while Marius is blind to it, and is in love with Cosette. That sums it up completely. But I'll give Eponine some points; Even though she didn't want to do this, she did show Marius where Cosette lived. That proved how much she loved him. Even though she probably knew Marius could never be hers. And let's give some more points, she did stop the robbery at Cosette and Valjean's house. But now let's go forward to some downers. When Cosette and Valjean fled, she took the note and hid it from Marius. And the only reason she went to the barricade was to die with Marius. She wanted to DIE with him. It was basically for herself, even if she did save Marius' life. Yes it's heroic, sad, sweet, whatever you want to call it, (I call it all of those) but all for the wrong reasons. Another thing I can't stand, is how Eponine has her own song, and Cosette doesn't. I, personally, don't count "Castle On A Cloud", because young Cosette sings it, not grown Cosette. Come on, even Javert and the Thenardiers have their own songs, for goodness sake!



All in all, as much as I love Eponine, please, people, let's stop shoving Cosette under a rug and raising Eponine up like a golden goddess. They are both equal to me, even if Cosette's life seems more fairly-talish than Eponine. I love Cosette and Eponine. But people, before we speak, please let's know our facts and think about both their whole stories. You can love Cosette even if you absolutely love the song "On My Own" over "Castle On A Cloud", and you can certainly love both! I know I do; I love both songs, and characters! I would love to play either if I got the chance.


I love them both! What do you think, who do you like better, and if you could play either which would it be? Ties and opinions are accepted!