#I was not joking when I said I was captain of the Cosette defense squad my pal

[reystars]

Victor Hugo wrote Cosette as having no character traits other than blind obedience to the men in her life, because he considered that the "ideal woman". What an amazing character amirite?

lmao okay if you wanna fight we can fight

I’m pretty explicitly talking about the musical in my post, so if you REALLY wanna be a dick you should probably take this up with someone who’s actually read the brick, which I haven’t. But let’s talk about musical!Cosette, shall we?

Cosette has plenty of character traits that aren’t “blind obedience”. She’s kind, thoughtful, and optimistic. She grew up in an extremely abusive household, and when Valjean takes her away and treats her with kindness and respect, she shows him that same kindness and respect in return.

Take a look at In My Life…

There’s so little I knowThat I’m longing to knowOf the man that you wereIn a time long agoThere’s so little you sayOf the life you have knownWhy you keep to yourselfWhy we’re always aloneSo dark, so dark and deepThe secrets that you keep!

She’s acknowledging that there’s secrets he’s keeping from her and that she wants to understand why they’re always alone, what’s happened in his past. A line later she apologizes because she doesn’t want him to think she’s ungrateful for everything he’s given her, not because she’s ‘blindly obedient’. In fact, she reminds him that she’s not a child lost in a wood anymore, that she’s capable of understanding things.

But Papa, dear Papa,In your eyes I am still like the childWho is lost in a wood

And even when Valjean brushes her question off again, she presses on

In my lifeI’m no longer a child and I yearnFor the truth that you knowOf the years… years ago!

It’s not her fault that Valjean refuses to enlighten her on his past. He’s trying to protect her but she’s ready and willing to know and understand things. She’s not naive and stupid, she doesn’t just sit at her window and sing to the birds without caring about her own life and dreams and ambitions. She’s obviously lonely and wants more than just Valjean is offering her. (Here’s where I insert a reminder that women are not invalid for wanting to fall in love! This is a clear desire that Cosette has and that does not make her any less valid as a woman.)

Of course, then Marius shows up, they fall in love, and then the attack on Rue Plumet happens. Eponine screams, saving Cosette and scattering the men. When Valjean runs out, Cosette straight up lies to him to protect Eponine and Marius.

VALJEANMy God, Cosette!I heard a cry in the darkI heard the shout of angry voices in the street.COSETTEThat was my cry you heard, Papa,I was afraid of what they’d do.They ran away when they heard my cry.

Of course, Valjean is afraid that it’s Javert that’s found him, and he says they need to leave immediately. Cosette is obviously devastated but you have to remember that he is her guardian and she doesn’t really have a choice. She doesn’t just trail after him like a brainless bimbo, completely compliant and happy to do whatever Valjean tells her to. She still longs for Marius. “How can I live when we are parted?”

Then of course, we have all the action at the barricades. Can I also remind you that Valjean’s entire motivation in going to the barricades and rescuing Marius lays in his love for Cosette? He would do literally anything for her and her happiness. He goes through battle and drags Marius’ unconscious body through the Paris sewers without really knowing if he’ll even survive or not. He does that all for Cosette. 

And after Marius is distraught after Empty Chairs, Cosette comforts him. She reminds him that even though his friends have died he still has something to live for, and Marius is so grateful to her. Valjean watches them together and sings…

She was never mine to keep.She is youthful, she is free.Love is the garden of the youngLet it be… let it be…

Valjean, as we’ve already established, loves Cosette more than anything. But he isn’t possessive of her, he doesn’t restrain her or order her around, she doesn’t have an opportunity for “blind obedience” because Valjean gives her that freedom, the freedom to be with Marius. At this point Valjean doesn’t know that Javert is dead and is expecting him to show up at his doorstep, so he knows he has to leave. He’s okay with this decision because he knows that Cosette is happy.

Fast forward through the wedding (Marius’ revelation: COSETTE’S DAD SAVED MY LIFE) and when they rush to Jean Valjean he’s dying. 

COSETTEYou will live, Papa, you’re going to liveIt’s too soon, too soon to say goodbye!VALJEANYes, Cosette, forbid me now to dieI’ll obey,I will try.

This is my favorite exchange from them. Cosette is almost demanding that he live, especially now that she finally knows the truth about him and his past. There’s just SO much they never get to talk about. And the laughter in Valjean when he says, “Yes, I’ll obey, I’ll try to stay alive.” (Who’s obeying who now, huh?)

Just to list off the character traits we’ve seen from Cosette so far, y’know, for reference.

Curiosity (She wants to know and understand Valjean’s past)

Intelligence (She’s clearly been educated and can hold her own in a conversation with Valjean)

Charity (in the staging for the show Cosette and Valjean walk through the town helping the homeless, which is when she bumps into Marius)

Love (This is pretty much her biggest character trait, her huge heart. I’d say lying to protect Eponine and Marius falls under this, as well as her comfort for Marius after all his friends died)

Playfulness (You see this in her interactions with both Marius and Valjean)

Determination (Her resolve for Valjean to live is massive)

Respect (She respects Valjean, not out of duty, but out of love)

Understanding (She listens to Marius and empathizes with him and his loss)

Patience (This is another big character trait of hers, she has patience when Valjean withholds the truth from her, she has patience with Marius when he’s going through his hard time)

Bravery (It takes bravery to be so open to love and affection after the kind of abuse and trauma she suffered as a child).

Cosette is not a one dimensional character. I think she’s often played that way because people take feminine and soft traits and think you can’t do anything with them to make a character interesting but there’s nothing inherently boring or one dimensional about a woman who’s strongest character trait is to unequivocally and unconditionally love everyone around her despite the fact that as a child she was shown no love, no safety, no tenderness, no kindness. She rose above it and let her heart be open and free.

But if you want to keep reducing her to “blind obedience” that’s fine. It just completely weakens the entire point of the musical.