Bohemienne - Blog Posts

On the parentage of Esmeralda

SO, we know that in the Notre Dame De Paris, Esmeralda isn't the kidnapped daughter of Paquette (La Chantfleurie), since Paquette isn't in the musical and also Esmeralda doesn't have her amulet with the baby shoe on her. Which begs the question; who are her parents supposed to be?

Esmeralda does not look like Clopin's gang, even if Phoebus calles her "mon ange noir" I still see Esmeralda as a white-ish girl (thank you casting committee). With that in mind I suggest that she is in fact NOT a gypsy, but got accepted into the gypsy tribe because they knew her mother. Well then, who was she?

Allow me to present my theory on that. For those who watched the musical Don Juan, they will remember the girl called "Belle Andalouse", the dancer at the tavern, with whom Don Juan spent the night and then left behind, even though she wanted him to stay.

(Proof ^^)

Now then, what does Esmeralda tell Phoebus about her parentage? Only that her mother (!) was a Spaniard (!!) who told her about Andalousia (!!!).

(Proof ^^)

So, here's my theory: after Don Juan seduced La Belle Andalouse, she became pregnant, and lost her job at the tavern, maybe because she had to stop dancing, maybe because they didn't have paid maternity leave, or maybe because they had the same policy as Monsieur Madeleine in his factory. Who knows.

So the Andalusian Fantine loses her job, and, in my theory, meets the gypsies. How, I do not now. Maybe she was seeking shelter and they took her in. Maybe she was kind to them earlier, and they remembered. Anyhow, Clopin decides to take her in, and they bond. Soon after, Baby Esmeralda is born, and Andalousian Fantine goes back to dancing. Gypsies are a tolerant folk, and they happily accept a good dancer. So, Belle Andalouse travels with them, as does Baby Esmeralda.

Somewhere among the road Belle Andalouse, sadly, dies, and so we are left with Esmeralda entrusted to the care of Belle Andalouse's good friend Clopin, as seen in "Esmeralda, tu Sais"

(Proof ^^)

Here again, Clopin confirms that the girl who bore Esmeralda was Andalousian.

Bonus: I think this theory also explains why Esmeralda was irresistible to every man in a 5-mile radius; her father was none other than the most charming Don Juan!! ;)