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The following morning when she smiles at a co-worker, "it was a bloody smile," Hugo wrote. "A reddish saliva soiled the corners of her lips, and she had a black hole in her mouth. The two teeth had been extracted." Once again the selfless mother sends the money to the innkeepers only to receive yet another demand for more money -- this time 100 francs. They threaten to "turn little Cosette out of doors." Fantine sadly mutters to herself, "Let us sell what is left," and turns to prostitution in an effort to raise the money. Walking the streets of the village in the cold aggravates her illness and Fantine dies -- still in her mid-20s. Her body is callously thrown into an open public grave.

But just before she dies, the mayor (now a fugitive from the law) meets Fantine on her deathbed. He does so after discovering her plight and becoming aware that Fantine blamed her suffering on him. He "speaks in an audible whisper and kisses her hand," Hugo wrote. Shortly after her death, the mayor visits Cosette and witnesses how the innkeepers are abusing her. He buys Cosette's freedom by paying off the innkeepers. He raises the young girl as his daughter.

At the movie premiere in London, Hathaway talked about the hardships she endured in playing Fantine. She lost "loads of weight" and her hair. The star who has perfect teeth said, "I didn't have to pull out my teeth, but no one asked, so yes I would do anything." It was the sort of job, Hathaway said, "you feel you should give your paycheck back at the end of the week." And, of course, she got to sing that sadly beautiful song, "I Dreamed a Dream," a fitting end to a touching and tragic tale.

Page 3

Les Misérables and Anne Hathaway's teeth

Continued from Page 1

(Courtesy of: DrBicuspid.com)

I Dreamed a Dream

There was a time when men were kind

When their voices were soft

And their words inviting

There was a time when love was blind

And the world was a song

And the song was exciting

There was a time

Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by

When hope was high

And life worth living

I dreamed that love would never die

I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid

And dreams were made and used and wasted

There was no ransom to be paid

No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night

With their voices soft as thunder

As they tear your hope apart

As they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side

He filled my days with endless wonder

He took my childhood in his stride

But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me

That we will live the years together

But there are dreams that cannot be

And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be

So different from this hell I'm living

So different now from what it seemed

Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

Daniel Demers is a semiretired businessman whose hobby is researching and writing about 19th and 20th century historical events and personalities. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from George Washington University and a master's degree in business from Chapman University. You can review Dan's other published works at www.danieldemers.com.

(Courtesy of: DrBicuspid.com)

E-MAIL ME ddemers901@sonic.net