Character Relationship Map: Les Misérables

Characters

• Jean Valjean / Champmathieu (played by Harry Baur) — protagonist

  An ex-convict struggling to redeem himself after serving 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread and subsequent escape attempts. His attempts at a new life are continually disrupted by Inspector Javert.

• Fantine (played by Florelle) — supporting

  A woman forced into prostitution to pay the cruel innkeepers, the Thénardiers, for looking after her daughter Cosette.

• Cosette (played by Josseline Gaël) — supporting

  Fantine's daughter who grows up to adulthood and later falls in love with the young revolutionary Marius Pontmercy.

• Marius Pontmercy (played by Jean Servais) — supporting

  A young revolutionary who falls in love with the now-adult Cosette later in the film.

• Chenildieu (played by Albert Broquin) — minor
• Éponine (played by Orane Demazis) — supporting
• Inspector Javert (played by Charles Vanel) — supporting

  A cruel and ruthless police inspector who dedicates his entire life to relentlessly pursuing Jean Valjean for his past crime and escape attempts.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Cosette → Marius Pontmercy (spouse)
• Fantine → Cosette (Family Mother And Daughter) — Fantine is separated from Cosette, who is being raised at an inn, and tries to arrange for her daughter to be brought back to her.

  The plot identifies Cosette as Fantine's young daughter and says Fantine wants Cosette brought to her.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Éponine → Marius Pontmercy (related)
• Marius Pontmercy → Jean Valjean / Champmathieu (related)
• Jean Valjean / Champmathieu → Éponine (related)
• Fantine → Jean Valjean / Champmathieu (related)
• Inspector Javert → Marius Pontmercy (related)
• Jean Valjean / Champmathieu → Chenildieu (Social Former Prison Companion) — Their shared prison past becomes consequential when Chenildieu's identification helps turn the trial against Champmathieu.

  At the hearing, Chenildieu is recalled as a former prison companion and identifies Champmathieu as Jean Valjean.

Story Analysis

A former convict builds a respected life, then faces a moral crisis when another man is tried under his identity.

Plot Progression

1. Freedom Under Suspicion — After nineteen years of hard labor, Jean Valjean / Champmathieu is released but rejected by townspeople. Years later, he has built a respected public identity as Mr. Madeleine.
2. A Mayor's Hidden Conscience — Mr. Madeleine's invention brings prosperity, and he is praised for his generosity. He rejects the image of a saint and turns his attention to Cosette's situation after reading a letter about her care.
3. A Mother's Hardship — Cosette is treated as a servant at the inn and sent into the cold. Fantine is harassed in the street, while an attempt is made to arrange for Cosette to return to her mother.
4. The Wrong Man on Trial — Mr. Madeleine learns that an arrested man is being tried as Jean Valjean. The accused denies the identity, forcing Mr. Madeleine to confront the cost of protecting his new life.
5. Testimony at the Hearing — Champmathieu insists that he is an ordinary cartwright, but former prison companions are called to identify him. Chenildieu's identification turns the trial against him, and the account ends with the...