- Fantine's economic situation gets increasingly
desperate as the novel progresses. She continues to cut costs until
she cannot support herself or her child anymore. She stops washing
her clothes, and mends her corsets and stockings until they are threadbare.
Soon, Fantine finds herself without a mattress or suitable clothes
to wear.
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- Fantine is also constantly hassled by creditors.
Not only is she unable to support her day to day life, but also has
a substantial amount of debt hanging over her head.
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- Fantine has no prospects of obtaining the money
she needs to pay the creditors and also buy her bare essentials. She
works nearly around the clock as a seamstress, only to learn that
her pay has been docked.. To make matters worse, Thenardier requires
her to give him 100 francs right away. If she fails to do this, it
will endanger Cosette's well-being.
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- Fantine resorts first to selling her hair and
teeth before selling her body. Eventually, she is forced to become
a prositute out of sheer economic desperation.
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