Continuing this journey as a book packer, I am becoming increasingly engulfed in the novels we are reading in class. It is now easier for me to empathize with each character. As we walk, stroll through the places they have been. Personally, Paris has made this connection for me seamless due to the flaneur lifestyle. In this short week as a flaneur, I have learned so much. I say revolt is the answer! First, I would like to talk about the French lifestyle and then move on to three experiences that made me reach this conclusion. Coming from Los Angeles where everything is moving at a fast pace has me questioning. In the states why are we pushed towards imposter syndrome, to hustle and bustle, with no days off? Whereas the French enjoy life and all it has to offer. As I am walking down the streets, people are laughing, smoking, and eating. It is so calming here, very much a leisure lifestyle that I want to learn more about. The piece by Edmund White speaks to the lifestyle of the French Flaneur or the flaneuse. He describes them as a “ mirror as huge as the crowd–or to a kaleidoscope outfitted with a consciousness that at every shake of the tube copies configuration of multifarious life and the graceful movement of all its elements.”( 1). Thinking of Gavroche, he offers so much experience to the novel Les Miserables. The young child is our inside look into the gritty life of Paris. He is the Gamin, the wanderer, the flaneur. Paris is his playground. He is forced to grow up because he is living on the streets but he also uses this to his advantage. He has acquired a great knowledge of street smarts. I instantly think of the chapter where he takes care of his brothers and shows them the ropes.My mind thinks of the homeless or even the scam artists walking the streets. The homeless make up 44% of Paris’s population, a little less than half. One could argue this is a loose comparison but very much accurate. They are the modern-day flaneurs or adult gamins. I say this with no negative connotation added. Several times I have had people come up to me and try to run a scam whether it was a lost coin, ring, or petition. In addition compared to London, there are more homeless visible on the streets. These two groups are one subset of the flaneur lifestyle. Like Gavroche, they see Paris for what she truly is outside of the glitz and glamor– the fine dining and fashion–. Both were failed by the system of some sort and have had to overcome a majority of challenges. Although sad, we can look at this in a positive light and change our view of this community just as readers began to love Gavroche. Through this observation, one question struck me: what's going on in the world today? What is going on with the French economy? How are the taxes?
