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jdeng

Towards the end of Confrontation

I have difficulty understanding Valjean�s last lines in the song, with my questions in [�].

Valjean (to Fantine):
And this I swear to you tonight
Your child will live within my care
And I will raise her to the light [to raise Cosette to be a CHEERFUL or RIGHTEOUS lady?]

Valjean & Javert:
I swear to you [still swear to Fantine?], I will be there [to raise your child]
Or

I swear to you [swear to Javert now?], I will be there [to return himself to Javert, i.e., to keep his earlier pledge to Javert?]

I would be most grateful if you guys could cast some light on these.
marlalp

Re: Towards the end of Confrontation

"And I will raise her to the light"
He is saying he will raise her under God, to be righteous, virtuous, pious.

"I swear to you/I will be there"

To Fantine, and he should always be looking at Fantine when he says this. He is promising her he will be there for her child. I think he already forgot about his pledge to Javert, because Javert didn't agree to his terms.
Vichysois

^Adding to the above: Valjean's swearing to be "there" for Cosette while Javert is quite literally swearing to be "there" wherever Valjean "may hide away."
jdeng

Many thanks, Marlalp and Vichysois, appreciate your answers with explanations.
jdeng

Just when I thought that I could understand every single line of the song, I am puzzled by this sentence:

Javert:
I was born inside a jail
I was born with scum like you
I am from the gutter too!

Does he mean

1, he was born with sin?
or
2, he was born with baddies (prisoners) around him?

Many thanks again!
wtfchuck

jdeng wrote:
Just when I thought that I could understand every single line of the song, I am puzzled by this sentence:

Javert:
I was born inside a jail
I was born with scum like you
I am from the gutter too!

Does he mean

1, he was born with sin?
or
2, he was born with baddies (prisoners) around him?

Many thanks again!


The 2nd one. He means that he was born amongst "scummy" people like Jean Valjean.
jdeng

Thanks a lot, wftchuck!

Your "head", together with your explanation, has created a vivid scene to help me understand what Javert means by that line.
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