The Friends of the ABC (french: Les Amis de l'ABC) is a fictional association of revolutionary French republican students featured in

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 ...

's 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 origin ...

''. In French, the name of the society is a

pun A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...

, in which '' abaissés'' ('the abased', 'humiliated', 'degraded'), is pronounced , very similar to A-B-C (). Their members represent a wide variety of political viewpoints, ranging from communist agitation to advocacy for

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which people, the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choo ...

to supporting the

Levellers The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its populis ...

and more, but on 5 June 1832 they all join the popular insurrection known as 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 ...

and organize the construction of a massive barricade. They are based on the real political group Friends of the People (french: Société des Amis du Peuple). Hugo brings them into the narrative when

Marius Pontmercy Marius Pontmercy () is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revoluti ...

, one of the novel's principal characters, attaches himself to the group without becoming one of them. With their fight led by

Enjolras Enjolras () is a fictional character who acts as the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. In both the novel and the musical that it inspired, Enjolras is a revolutionary who fights fo ...

, all of the members of the group die during the rebellion. Characters

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 ...

and

Gavroche Gavroche () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. He is a boy who lives on the streets of Paris. His name has become a synonym for an urchin or street child. Gavroche plays a short yet significant role i ...

both also fight with the student rebellion, with Valjean barely making it out alive and Gavroche dying. The central story is also told in the 1980 musical version of ''Les Misérables'', though many of the members lack characterization in the musical.

Role in the novel

The Friends of the ABC is a reference to the historical

Society of the Rights of Man The Society of the Rights of Man (french: Société des droits de l'homme, SDH) was a French republican association with Jacobin roots, formed during the July Revolution in 1830, replacing another republican association, the Society of the Friend ...

. Hugo comments on the Rights of Man society in the novel, describing the many spin-off sub-groups in Paris and elsewhere:

Members

* Bahorel – An idler from a peasant background who connects the Friends of the ABC with similar societies. He is described as having "daring waistcoats and scarlet opinions". Bahorel is a student in his eleventh year at the time of his introduction, though he does not care for the law school. His motto is "never a lawyer".''Les Misérables'', Volume 3, Book Fourth, Chapter 1. On the way to build a barricade in the June Rebellion, Bahorel gains the attention of

due to his bold behavior. He is the first of the principal Friends of the ABC to die in the revolt and is killed by a municipal guardsman. *Combeferre – "The Guide". Representing the philosophy of the revolution, he "completes and corrects" Enjolras. An intellectual, Combeferre advocates for societal and scientific progress. In contrast to Enjolras, whom one "would have liked to fight under", it is mentioned that one would prefer to "march behind" him. At the barricade, Combeferre is killed by bayonet while assisting a wounded soldier, and was able to do no more than look up to the sky before he died.''Les Misérables'', Volume 5, Book First, Chapter 21 *Courfeyrac (also de Courfeyrac) – "The Center". Courfeyrac is compared with Tholomyes, Fantine's lover featured earlier in the novel; however, contrary to Tholomyes, Courfeyrac is honorable and loyal. Alongside Combeferre "The Guide" and Enjolras "The Chief", Courfeyrac is described as "The Center" on account of his warm and radiant personality. He is Marius Pontmercy's closest companion. He dies defending the center of the barricade.''Les Misérables'', Volume 5, Book First, Chapter 22 *

– "The Chief". Youthful, handsome, and charming, though "capable of being terrible", he is the leader of the Friends of the ABC. A "priest of the ideal", Enjolras is devoted to the revolution and his republican ideals. He is a skilled combatant during the June Rebellion, facing a battalion of the National Guard alone, but he sustains no wounds or injuries prior to his death. Enjolras is killed by firing squad in the Corinthe, holding hands with Grantaire. *Feuilly – An orphaned

fan maker A handheld fan, or simply hand fan, is any broad, flat surface that is waved back-and-forth to create an airflow. Generally, purpose-made handheld fans are folding fans, which are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material (suc ...

who taught himself to read and write. He has great interest in foreign affairs and history, and he is described to have "adopted the people". He has a particular interest for Poland (where the recent November Uprising had been crushed by the Russians), shouting "Long live Poland!" while marching to the barricades. He is the only workingman among the named members of the Friends of the ABC. Feuilly is revered by Enjolras, and he dies on the barricade in the June Rebellion. *

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 sceptic with no interest in revolution. Grantaire is involved with the Friends of the ABC due to his friendship with its members and his admiration, veneration and love for Enjolras, who disdains him for his skepticism and drunkenness. He is noted to be ugly and a heavy drinker, and he sleeps through most of the fighting in the June Rebellion. Despite this, he eventually declares himself to be one of the insurgents and dies alongside Enjolras, hand in hand.''Les Misérables'', Volume 5, Book First, Chapter 23. *Jean Prouvaire (also Jehan) – Described as softer than Combeferre, Jean Prouvaire is a poet who calls himself Jehan due to his interest in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. He has knowledge of Italian, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and his interest in poetry is grand. Though he is timid and quiet, he is intrepid, and good above all. Shortly after the first assault on the barricade, Jean Prouvaire is found to be missing among the insurgents. Combeferre and Enjolras realize that he is taken prisoner, but before they can attempt a truce, they recognize the sound of his voice from the end of the street. After they hear the sound of gunfire, they determine that Prouvaire is killed. *Joly (also Jolllly) – A

hypochondriac Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...

student of medicine. Joly is described as the happiest of all of the Friends despite his eccentricity and hypochondria. He is called "Jolllly" with four Ls, a pun on the English word "jolly". He has the habit of touching his nose with the tip of his cane, which shows he has a sagacious mind. The morning of June 5, Joly dines with Lesgle and Grantaire before joining his fellows in building the barricade, despite having a cold.''Les Misérables'', Volume 4, Book Twelfth, Chapter 2 Joly dies alongside the other insurgents on the barricade during the June Rebellion. *Lesgle (also Lègle, Laigle, L'Aigle The Eagle'or Bossuet) – Lesgle is the son of a man who was granted a post-office by Louis XVIII. He is bald at twenty five years old. Unlucky but good-humoured, he says often that he lives "under a roof of falling tiles". Lesgle has no home of his own and usually stays with friends, most often Joly. He is the first Friend of the ABC to meet Marius.''Les Misérables'', Volume 3, Book Fourth, Chapter 2. On the morning of June 5, he tells Courfeyrac to build a barricade at the Corinthe, where he is dining with Joly and Grantaire, and Courfeyrac agrees. He dies defending it alongside the other insurgents.

References

{{Les Misérables Les Misérables characters Fictional secret societies Fictional revolutionary organizations