Categories > Books > Les Miserables > The Inspector's Wife
The Inspector's Wife
0 reviewsSophia Anlie trapped within a marriage to Inspector Javert...can she find happiness? (Yes, I had this up before, but I needed to take it down to re-read it and see if I could make it more Les Mi...
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If one was to examine the marriage between Etienne Javert and Sophia Anlié, most would think it a joke.
Etienne Javert was one of those men who never had a moment’s fun. He was dark- black hair with a sideburn each side, cold grey eyes. He rarely laughed and was widely feared and respected by the lower classes from which he had once come from. Born to a father who was a thief and the mother a prostitute, Javert had escaped the doldrums of the bohemian race from which he originated from to join the police. And he did. He did well there. By the time he was forty years old, he was an Inspector in Paris. He had no vices until he met Monsieur Jacques Anlié, a wealthy member of the police force. Javert had never drunk or smoked and only once or twice he had had sex. Old Anlié had three daughters- Victoria, Valeria and Sophia. His favourite was little Sophia, whom he spoiled. Only after meeting Anlié was Javert properly introduced to the sinful pleasures Paris had to offer. Anyone who knew Javert would think Anlié was a corrupting influence. But Javert was careful not to overindulge unlike his portly companion. He did not care much for tobacco: he had the occasional pinch when pleased with himself or stressed. It was a way of holding onto humanity. He rarely drunk alcohol- he had never been intoxicated.
But sex was a different matter.
When he had married Sophia- partly because he had no choice and every policeman on the force was expecting him to- he knew his self-esteem (or what he had of it, reader) would not crumble as he would not have to pay for sexual intercourse. At first, he restrained himself in the act of lovemaking, and the tenseness in the bedroom had spread throughout the whole marriage- no wonder his wife felt so uncomfortable around him. It continued like this until Sophia found herself pregnant; it was then he convinced himself that sex was not a sin if it meant conceiving a child.
He rarely read, unlike Sophia who seemed to have all the time in the world, partially because he hated books. But when he had the sparse free time, he read so he would not be illiterate.
So if we were to compare Sophia ‘Sophie’ Anlié to Inspector Etienne Javert, we would find a completely different character. Let’s examine Mademoiselle Anlié’s history. Born to a wealthy policeman, Jacques Anlié, and his wife Alicia, she was the youngest of three daughters. She was charming as a girl- long blonde locks and big blue eyes. Her mother died of pneumonia when she was just six months old. Because ‘Princesse Sophie’ was so much like her mother, Anlié spoiled her. Whatever his little princess Sophie wanted, his little princess got. And if she did not get what she wanted, she would use tears and tantrums to get her way, much to her elder sisters, twins Victoria and Valeria’s dismay. She was well educated, well-read and skilled in horsemanship, sewing, dancing. She spoke fluent French, English, Italian and Latin. It was when Sophia was fourteen springs old that her father finally decided to do something about his youngest daughter’s behaviour. Marrying her off to Javert was his solution; he knew the thirty-eight year old would have no nonsense from her and hoped she would soon learn her place.
That first meeting between Etienne Javert and Sophia Anlié could be described in one simple word: disastrous. When Anlié had told him he wanted her to marry one of his daughters, Javert thought he meant Valeria, the middle child who was beautiful but pious. She was like the female version of himself. Anlié had failed to mention that it would be Sophia whom he would be marrying.
“You expect me to marry some spoiled daughter of yours?” Javert had practically exploded to the old man.
“Listen, Monsieur Javert, I know you do not like Sophie, but the reason I want you to marry her is so that she would hopefully grow up. She is young, naïve and spoiled. I knew you would take no nonsense from her and possibly discipline her. I want you to make my daughter grow up. Do whatever it takes.”
So there was the unmatched couple: the dark, unattractive, tall husband and the blonde, beautiful and small wife.
Etienne Javert was one of those men who never had a moment’s fun. He was dark- black hair with a sideburn each side, cold grey eyes. He rarely laughed and was widely feared and respected by the lower classes from which he had once come from. Born to a father who was a thief and the mother a prostitute, Javert had escaped the doldrums of the bohemian race from which he originated from to join the police. And he did. He did well there. By the time he was forty years old, he was an Inspector in Paris. He had no vices until he met Monsieur Jacques Anlié, a wealthy member of the police force. Javert had never drunk or smoked and only once or twice he had had sex. Old Anlié had three daughters- Victoria, Valeria and Sophia. His favourite was little Sophia, whom he spoiled. Only after meeting Anlié was Javert properly introduced to the sinful pleasures Paris had to offer. Anyone who knew Javert would think Anlié was a corrupting influence. But Javert was careful not to overindulge unlike his portly companion. He did not care much for tobacco: he had the occasional pinch when pleased with himself or stressed. It was a way of holding onto humanity. He rarely drunk alcohol- he had never been intoxicated.
But sex was a different matter.
When he had married Sophia- partly because he had no choice and every policeman on the force was expecting him to- he knew his self-esteem (or what he had of it, reader) would not crumble as he would not have to pay for sexual intercourse. At first, he restrained himself in the act of lovemaking, and the tenseness in the bedroom had spread throughout the whole marriage- no wonder his wife felt so uncomfortable around him. It continued like this until Sophia found herself pregnant; it was then he convinced himself that sex was not a sin if it meant conceiving a child.
He rarely read, unlike Sophia who seemed to have all the time in the world, partially because he hated books. But when he had the sparse free time, he read so he would not be illiterate.
So if we were to compare Sophia ‘Sophie’ Anlié to Inspector Etienne Javert, we would find a completely different character. Let’s examine Mademoiselle Anlié’s history. Born to a wealthy policeman, Jacques Anlié, and his wife Alicia, she was the youngest of three daughters. She was charming as a girl- long blonde locks and big blue eyes. Her mother died of pneumonia when she was just six months old. Because ‘Princesse Sophie’ was so much like her mother, Anlié spoiled her. Whatever his little princess Sophie wanted, his little princess got. And if she did not get what she wanted, she would use tears and tantrums to get her way, much to her elder sisters, twins Victoria and Valeria’s dismay. She was well educated, well-read and skilled in horsemanship, sewing, dancing. She spoke fluent French, English, Italian and Latin. It was when Sophia was fourteen springs old that her father finally decided to do something about his youngest daughter’s behaviour. Marrying her off to Javert was his solution; he knew the thirty-eight year old would have no nonsense from her and hoped she would soon learn her place.
That first meeting between Etienne Javert and Sophia Anlié could be described in one simple word: disastrous. When Anlié had told him he wanted her to marry one of his daughters, Javert thought he meant Valeria, the middle child who was beautiful but pious. She was like the female version of himself. Anlié had failed to mention that it would be Sophia whom he would be marrying.
“You expect me to marry some spoiled daughter of yours?” Javert had practically exploded to the old man.
“Listen, Monsieur Javert, I know you do not like Sophie, but the reason I want you to marry her is so that she would hopefully grow up. She is young, naïve and spoiled. I knew you would take no nonsense from her and possibly discipline her. I want you to make my daughter grow up. Do whatever it takes.”
So there was the unmatched couple: the dark, unattractive, tall husband and the blonde, beautiful and small wife.
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