I was in choir when...

I witnessed sociology in musical form. Because we are planning on seeing Les Miserables later this month, Mr. Fantozzi showed us a video featuring the music of Les Miserables that also gave us a general outline of the plot. Around the beginning of the story, a woman named Fantine is forced into prostitution in order to provide for her young daughter. Fantine is arrested for attacking a bourgeois man, Bamatabois, out of self defense after he harasses her and throws snow down her back. Even though Bamatabois is clearly the guilty party, Fantine is arrested, mainly because her poverty causes her to be treated unjustly. Fantine's situation is an example of conflict in society due to class antagonism, which drives the story. This play demonstrates how people were treated according to their place in the caste system and how those of lower status usually got the worst treatment.