Blaise Appell was the foreman of Monsieur Madeleine's garment factory in Montreuil-sur-Mer, France during the early 19th century. Appell was infamous among his female employees for having terrible breath and wandering hands, and he often flirted with his virtuous employee Fantine Thibault, who politely ignored his advances. In 1823, he fired Fantine after her coworkers accused her of prostituting herself on the side to earn enough money to pay for the care of her illegitimate daughter Cosette by an innkeeper and his wife; Appell attempted to flirt with Fantine and insinuated that she pretended to be virtuous in the daytime and needed no urging in the night, causing Fantine to slap him, and resulting in Appell firing her.