Enjolras () is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

who acts as the

charisma Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...

tic leader of the

Friends of the ABC The Friends of the ABC (french: Les Amis de l'ABC) is a fictional association of revolutionary French republican students featured in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. In French, the name of the society is a pun, in which '' abaissé ...

in the 1862 novel ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

. In both the novel and the musical that it inspired, Enjolras is a

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

who fights for a France with more rights for the poor and oppressed masses, ultimately dying for his beliefs in the June 1832 rebellion.

Description

Physical

Enjolras is described as "a charming young man who was capable of being fearsome"Hugo, Victor. Les Misérables (English language) (p. 642). Everyman's Library. and as "

Antinous Antinous, also called Antinoös, (; grc-gre, Ἀντίνοος; 27 November – before 30 October 130) was a Greek youth from Bithynia and a favourite and probable lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Following his premature death before his ...

wild". He is said to have the appearance of "long fair lashes, blue eyes, hair flying in the wind, rosy cheeks, pure lips, and exquisite teeth".

Political and moral

Enjolras is a republican, whose views are significantly shaped by the

Montagnards Montagnard (''of the mountain'' or ''mountain dweller'') may refer to: * Montagnard (French Revolution), members of The Mountain (''La Montagne''), a political group during the French Revolution (1790s) ** Montagnard (1848 revolution), members of t ...

of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. The "divine right" of revolution that he expresses is said to go "as far as

Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...

",Hugo, Victor. ''Les Misérables.'' Trans. Charles Wilbour. New York: Modern Library, 1992. and Hugo declares that "in the Convention, he would have been Saint Just". His social philosophy is influenced by that of

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

; whom he declares himself to "admire", in particular by Rousseau's

social contract In moral and political philosophy Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships betw ...

. Late in the novel, Enjolras "come to accept... the transformation of the great French Republic into the immense human republic", and speaks of a "revolution of the True" that will "light up the whole human race." In the same speech, he seems to draw a religious parallel, declaring the barricades of the failed 1832 uprising to be a place where "day embraces night, and says: I will die with thee and thou shalt be born again with me." Though he embraces violence as a necessary means of revolution, Enjolras also abhors it: upon executing a member of the insurrectionary mob (Le Cabuc) who has murdered a householder, he declares that while "what e Cabucdid is horrible... what e, Enjolrashas done is terrible... I have judged myself also, and you shall soon see to what I have sentenced myself." "Death," he says, "I use thee, but I hate thee."

Enjolras' narrative

The Friends of the ABC

Enjolras is the leader of ''Les Amis de l'ABC'' (the

), a group of radical French republican students. In the original French, the name of the group is a pun: "ABC" is homophonous with "abaissé", the "abased people". Thus Hugo writes that the society had "as its aim, in appearance the education of children; in reality, the elevation of men". On 5 June 1832, the Friends of the ABC become involved in the

June Rebellion The June Rebellion, or the Paris Uprising of 1832 (french: Insurrection républicaine à Paris en juin 1832), was an anti-monarchist insurrection of Parisian republicans on 5 and 6 June 1832. The rebellion originated in an attempt by republ ...

that arises during the funeral of

Jean Maximilien Lamarque Jean Maximilien Lamarque (22 July 17701 June 1832) was a French commander during the Napoleonic Wars who later became a member of the French Parliament. Lamarque served with distinction in many of Napoleon's campaigns. He was particularly noted f ...

, a popular critic of the monarchy. Enjolras takes command of a barricade they construct in the Rue de la Chanvrerie, overseeing its fortification and defense. Shortly following this, a test of leadership arises: the murder of a local householder by Le Cabuc, an insurrectionary at the barricade, leads Enjolras to execute Le Cabuc, though he deplores the act and declares that " the future no man shall slay his fellow." The first assault on the barricade by the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

fells the red flag that signifies revolution; when Enjolras calls for volunteers to raise the flag, an elderly bibliophile called Mabeuf undertakes the task and is killed in the process. Enjolras, moved by his courage, takes the bullet-torn coat from his body and raises it as the barricade's new flag. When Gavroche Thénardier identifies one of the barricade's defenders as the police spy

Javert Javert (), no first name given in the source novel, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables.'' He was presumably born in 1780 and died on June 7, 1832. First a prison guard, and then a polic ...

, Enjolras is prepared to trade his life for that of ABC member Jean Prouvaire; however, the execution of Prouvaire causes Enjolras to decree Javert's execution. (Javert is later spared by

Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...

.) By daybreak on 6 June, Enjolras comes to understand that the uprising has failed, and the barricade has been abandoned. The revolutionaries agree to defend it nevertheless; however, Enjolras argues that it is unnecessary for all to die, and insists that some few men escape disguised as Guardsmen. Following this, aware that he and all those others who remain will die, he delivers a vast speech envisioning the future made possible by their sacrifice: a future filled with liberty and peace. " e hours in which we live... is a gloomy hour, but of such is the terrible price of the future," he says; " ! the human race shall be delivered, uplifted, and consoled! We affirm it on this barricade." An extensive assault on the barricade results in the deaths of almost all of its defenders. Enjolras is cornered by Guardsmen in a nearby tavern and throws aside his weapon, prepared to be shot. He welcomes the execution, as it will have meant he died for his cause. He is joined in his last moments by

Grantaire Grantaire () is a fictional character from the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. He is a student from the South of France and is one of the principal characters of the revolutionary group known as the Friends of the ABC. According to ...

—a cynic and drunkard. Though Grantaire has previously scoffed at republican ideology, he declares himself a republican and asks Enjolras for permission to die with him. Enjolras had previously despised Grantaire for his skepticism (and, to a lesser extent, his drunkenness). Despite that, Enjolras welcomes Grantaire in sharing his martyr-like death. The two die hand in hand in the same volley, Enjolras pinned to the wall, standing, and Grantaire lying at his feet.

Adaptations

Since the original publication of ''Les Misérables'' in 1862, the character of Enjolras has appeared in a number of adaptations in various media based on the novel, such as

books A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical ar ...

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

,Enjolras (Character)
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

musicals,

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

and

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

In the musical

Enjolras is featured in the ''Les Misérables'' stage musical. The musical omits much of the political background of the Friends of the ABC and the June Rebellion; it also presents Marius and Enjolras as being much closer friends than they are in the novel. Though many of the events at the barricade feature in the musical, Enjolras is often shown as dying while raising the red flag atop the barricade, a conflation of his death with the death of Mabeuf. In the 2012 film adaptation, his death is similar to that in the book.

References

External links

Enjolras (Character)
at the

Search for Enjolras
at the

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade assoc ...

Enjolras
a
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{{lesmis Les Misérables characters Fictional revolutionaries Fictional French people Literary characters introduced in 1862