Songs from the Barricade Playlist

This is a playlist created by me and is made out of songs that remind me of Friends of the ABC and the barricade scene. Each song is linked with the lyrics and an explanation as to why I chose this song and how it relates to Les Miserables is next to each song. You can listen to the playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0hPwLRlE20b0c3V_ePBge88P2F8cHFV0

Some Nights by Fun. - The very first two lines of this song“This is it, boys, this is war - what are we waiting for?/Why don't we break the rules already?” relate to Friends of the ABC because as far as the reader knows they have not participated in any revolts or anything and this is it, this is what they’ve been waiting for, to take an active part in changing society because their religion is “progress” (247). The line “I miss my mom and dad for this?” relates to Marius because he did leave his grandfather, the only living paternal figure he has, for France, for the revolution (241). And he does miss him (539).

Ready Aim Fire by Imagine Dragons - The lines “With our backs to the wall, the darkness will fall/We never quite thought we could lose it all” relates to the barricades because towards the end they are losing it all and they are backed up against the wall (for Enjolras this is literal) with no exit (504) “Off in the distance, there is resistance/Bubbling up and festering” relates to Friends of the ABC because they are a resistance organization rising slowly and secretly (243). The line “A man on a mission, changing the vision” relates to Enjolras because he is the leader of Friends of the ABC, trying to change things in society (247). Lastly, the line “We don't have a choice to stay/We'd rather die than do it your way” relates to the barricade because people are willing to die to change things (500).

Uprising by Muse - One stanza of this song that really relates to Les Mis and the power dynamics in French society at the time of the setting is “Rise up and take the power back/It's time the fat cats had a heart attack/You know that their time's coming to an end/We have to unify and watch our flag ascend”. This is because of several reasons. The revolutionaries in the barricade are trying to rise up and take some power back but they are also protesting the inequalities of French society at the time that this book was written which was the long term reason that they are revolting. The lines that connect with this protest of social inequalities is “It's time the fat cats had a heart attack/You know that their time's coming to an end”, the fat cat symbolizing the bourgeois and the heart attack being death of the rule of the bourgeois because their time is coming to an end. The last line, “We have to unify and watch our flag ascend” also refers to when Enjolras gets together people to execute his plan for uprising and when he jumps on Jean Lamarque’s coffin and waves the flag of the revolution around.

Can’t Fight Against the Youth by Panic! at the Disco - In this song the main line “Can't fight against the youth!” from the chorus really relates to Les Mis and especially the barricade scene. This is because, as with most uprisings and riots, the barricade was started by young people, mostly students (414). Also the lines “Never gonna take us, never gonna break us.” and “You'll never take us alive!” relate to the people in the barricades, most of whom which die there fighting, never being taken alive or broken by the French army (500).

Run Boy Run by Woodkid - This song reminds me a lot of Gavroche because of the chorus “Tomorrow is another day/And you won’t have to hide away/You’ll be a man, boy!/But for now it’s time to run, it’s time to run!” because of what he tells the criminals that he helps escape from prison on page 378 (“A child like me is a man, and men like you are children.”). Also the line “Run boy run! Break out from society.” reminds me of Gavroche because Marius sends him to run and deliver a letter but also because they are revolting ultimately because of the way society treats lower class people (powder keg) the death of Jean Lamarque was only a spark that set off the powder keg. (407)

Warriors by Imagine Dragons - Theres one line in this song that reminds me of Enjolras, the leader of Friends of the ABC and the barricade, is “And you, you'd lay awake at night and scheme/Of all the things that you would change but it was just a dream!” because I imagine him doing this, lying awake at night and thinking of all the things he wants to change and scheming about it with the Friends of the ABC (247). Also the line “We are the warriors that built this town/From Dust” relate because French revolutionaries like the Friends of the ABC and the people in the barricade really did build Paris up and created a stronger history and therefore sense of identity as French which built up French nationalism and created unity. (For this source I will have to direct you here and here)

Paris is Burning by St. Vincent - The line “Send my cinders home to mother” relates to Les Mis, specifically when Marius writes in his notebook to take his dead body back to his grandfather (514). The lines to the chorus are “We have taken to the streets/In open rejoice revolting/We are dancing a black waltz/Fair Paris is burning after all” and this relates to Les Mis because the people in the barricade have taken to the streets and revolted because Paris is , metaphorically, burning in their eyes. To them they think it’s being burned down and destroyed by the bourgeois (244). In the bridge Anne Clark sings ”Dance poor people, dance and drown/Dance fair Paris to the ground” which is pertinent to Les Mis because most of the people who are revolting are poor, on page 414 Victor Hugo describes the people in the barricade as workers, students, and artists, all people with very little money.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Lorde - The lines “Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down/When they do, I'll be right behind you/So glad we've almost made it” reminds me of page 504 where Enjolras and Grantaire are both shot by the French army while holding hands. The metaphorical walls were tumbling around them as the barricade fell, they were holding hands right beside each other (“I’ll be right behind you”) and they almost had made it before the barricade was invaded.

Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes - In this song the lines “I'm gonna fight 'em off/A seven nation army couldn't hold me back” relate to the barricade because they're trying to fight off the French army and they're giving it their all, letting nothing hold them back, not even death (500).

Centuries by Fall Out Boy - The lines “We'll go down in history/Remember me for centuries” relate to the barricade because they are trying to change things, changes which will be taught in history classes and remembered as brave and valiant efforts against the oppressive bourgeois (244). The lines “And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name/'Cause I was only born inside my dreams” relate to the people in the barricade for the same reason. They want to be known and remembered for their efforts that they only dreamed of doing (248).

Imagery to show Beauty in Les Miserables

(Pepe the Frog as Javert)

Victor Hugo uses imagery in Les Miserables to show the theme of beauty which runs through his writing with characters such as Eponine and Cosette. On page 162 when we first see Cosette being cared for by the Thenardiers she is a miserable child abused by her guardians described as “thin and pale” with “large eyes [that were] sunk in a sort of shadow”. When we see her again, on page 271, many years later, having been cared for and loved by Jean Valjean she is described as having ”Beautiful chestnut hair, shaded with veins of gold, [and] a brow which seemed chiseled marble”. The same happens with Valjean. When he is first seen as a hate filled ex-convict he is described as having a “rough, hard, tired, and fierce look” (14) but later on in the book after being shown kindness and mercy by the Bishop and letting go of all of his hate to help people he is described as having an “expression [that] was kind”(268).

Victor Hugo deliberately hints in Les Miserables to the idea that even people who are ugly or old can be beautiful through their actions and the most beautiful people can be hideous because of the things they do or say. The Bishop “was not tall; he was somewhat fleshy” and was hunched over (5) but the more you read about him and the good deeds he’s done the more beautiful and kind he looks in your mind. Now compared to Eponine who was once very beautiful became evil and corrupt and it shows. On page 163 she’s described as a “lively, neat, plump, fresh and healthy” child. Now, after years of poverty that have made her depraved and dishonest she is described as a “pale, puny, meager creature” with “eyes dull, bold, and drooping”. (285) But later on in the book Eponine becomes pretty again, compared to a star (346) but at the same time she also becomes good; wanting to make Marius smile just so he wouldn’t be sad. As we read of the Bishop’s actions he becomes more beautiful and holy looking while as we read of Eponine’s actions she becomes more hideous until she starts doing kind things, then she becomes beautiful again.

Allusions in Les Miserables

There are a lot of allusions in Les Miserables mainly to two pieces of writing; Romeo and Juliet, regarding the love between Marius and Cosette, and allusions to the Bible. The biblical allusions in Les Mis often compare Jean Valjean to Jesus or God. For example on page 172 he is prepared to stay the night in a stable like Jesus, who was born in a stable. In Luke 7:36-50 Jesus blesses a prostitute and is very kind to her much like Valjean gives Fantine, a prostitute, shelter and health care as well as offering to retrieve her child for her. Valjean is full of mercy like Jesus was. An example of Jesus’ mercy can be found in John 8:1-59 when he offers an adulterer mercy , saying “I [do not] condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Valjean shows his mercy when he takes Cosette away from her abusers by taking in a child he didn’t even know to care and provide for when he could do many other things with the money spent raising Csette (177). Not only does he show mercy but Valjean also spends “more than a million francs” helping the poor (52) comparable to when Jesus tells people to “sell all that you have and give to the poor” in Mark 10:21. Also, as Jesus went through a resurrection, Valjean also went under a sort of resurrection or rebirth as “Monsieur Madeleine” (85) where he “comes back” kind and generous like Jesus was. On page 176 in Les Mis Victor Hugo inscribed “As demons and genii recognize by certain signs the presence of a superior God, Thenardier comprehended that he was to deal with one who was very powerful” which compares Valjean to a “superior God” to Thenardier who is compared to a “demon”. Victor Hugo alludes to the bible when talking of Valjean to stress his kindness and morality.

Another piece of writing that is often alluded to is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. While when alluding to the bible Hugo often refers to Valjean, but when alluding to Romeo and Juliet he refers to Marius and Cosette’s love. One main idea in both loves is love at first sight. In Romeo and Juliet in Act I Scene IV Romeo first sees Juliet he says “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!/It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-/Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!”similar to when Marius first sees Cosette as a woman and says “He saw only her long chestnut lashes, eloquent or mystery and modesty.” among other excessively sappy and descriptive quotes (271). Both descriptions involve boys rattling on about how beautiful these girls are and soon after these descriptions Romeo and Marius both decide that they are in love with Juliet and Cosette. Another theme in Romeo and Juliet but also in Marius and Cosette’s relationship if the idea of forbidden love. Both couples have to meet each other in secret because of disapproving relatives (368). Victor Hugo alludes to Romeo and Juliet when writing to emphasize the drama and tragedy of Marius and Cosette’s “forbidden love”

Imagery to show Characterization in Les Miserables

Victor Hugo uses lots of wonderful imagery to convey themes and messages as well as characterization. In his descriptions of characters he uses animalistic descriptions to show what a character is like, inside as well as out, and to emphasize the goodness or evil in them. For example when describing Cosette and Gavroche he talks about animals of flight. He compares Cosette to a “lark”, a small songbird, on page 63 and Gavroche to “an escaped bird” on page 464. This imagery of birds show that Gavroche and Cosette are free spirited and can fly above their misery and poverty unlike the Thenardiers. The Thenardieress is described as a “swine with the look of a tigress” (303) which is very symbolic. She is not only like a greedy creature that lives among its own filth but also like a tigress with the deadly cruelty that tigers display. She isn’t a good enough person to rise above her misery like Cosette and Gavroche so she lives among her own filth and it’s turned her cruel and horrible. Her husband, Thenardier, is described on page 313 as having eyes “similar to the eyes of a boa constrictor”. Boa constrictors are large, wily snakes that will squeeze the life out of you like Thenardier, who isn’t above murdering the man who is trying to help him (304). Thenardier and his wife are described as land dwelling creatures to show that they aren’t as free as Cosette and Gavroche who can fly as they please and aren't held down because of their wickedness and life of crime like the Thenardiers.

Another example of imagery that Victor Hugo utilized in Les Miserables to show characterization, specifically the inner struggles that Jean Valjean goes through, is the contrast of light and dark. Light represents the good in Valjean’s thoughts as seen on page 30 he is about to rob the Bishop, who has shown him nothing but kindness, and Victor Hugo writes “For nearly half an hour a great cloud had darkened the sky. At that moment when Jean Valjean paused before the bed the cloud broke as if purposely, and a ray of moonlight, crossing the high window, suddenly lighted up the bishop’s pale face.” Seeing the light on the bishop makes Valjean hesitate, a moment of contemplation about what he’s doing and how he is about to commit this evil, immoral act. It’s a moment of virtue when Valjean didn’t have one. A moment where darkness symbolized evil in Jean Valjean’s thoughts is on page 87 when he is thinking about letting an innocent man go to jail in his place he “blew out his [candle]” which made the room go dark. Later when he realizes that he has to do the right thing even if it means going back to the galleys he re-lights his candle, his thoughts turning good again.

Eponine’s Playlist

This is a playlist created by me and is made out of songs that remind me of Eponine. Each song is linked with the lyrics and an explanation as to why I chose this song and how it relates to Les Miserables is next to each song. You can listen to the playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0hPwLRlE20bdc-z6a_h6_xTpoo2v6GdI

This is Gospel [Piano Version] by Panic! at the Disco - The first line of this song really speaks of Eponine, “This is gospel for the fallen ones” because she is one of the fallen ones. She is one of les miserables (291) at least while she is living with her family. The line “Their gnashing teeth and criminal tongues conspire against the odds/But they haven’t seen the best of us yet.” reminds me of Eponine’s father who is a criminal and who could blame her if she turned out a rotten thief but against all odds she turns into a better person, becoming “more beautiful” and doing things out of kindness (346), which I think is the best of her which was a part of her that couldn’t shine or be seen while living with her family. And lastly the lines “If you love me let me go/‘Cause these words are knives and often leave scars” relates to Eponine’s death scene because Marius really is ‘letting her go’ in a sense. Also on page 452 when Marius asks if he hurt Eponine she answers “A little.” and it’s implied that for Eponine this goes beyond her wounds and that she was hurt because of Marius’ words towards her.

When You Were Young by The Killers - This songs reminds me of Eponine because of the lines “You sit there in your heartache/Waiting on some beautiful boy to/To save your from your old ways”. Before she met Marius she was sitting around idle, letting her father do horrible things and even assisting him like she did on page 308, standing guard while Thenardier attempted to murder Jean Valjean. After she met Marius she kept bothering him to give her money and to “save” her from her poverty (289).

Irresistible by Fall Out Boy - In the chorus the lines “And I love the way you hurt me/It's irresistible, yeah.” reminds me of how Eponine feels towards Marius. He is continually rude to her (301) but she keeps coming back to talk to him, even doing him a favor by finding Cosette’s address for him (347). And as she’s dying Marius touches her hand and when she makes a sound of pain he asks “Have I hurt you?” and she answers “A little.” which I think goes way beyond the injury in her hand and proves that he has, very much, hurt her with his actions.

Born to Die by Lana del Rey - The first stanza “Feet don’t fail me now/Take me to the finish line/Oh my heart it breaks every step that I take/But I’m hoping at the gates,/They’ll tell me that you’re mine”, of this song relates to Eponine, especially in her death scene. She is close to the “finish line” and her heart is breaking because Marius was always so callous towards her but she loved him and it broke her heart to be treated that way as she said on page 453. The lines “Choose your last words,/This is the last time/Cause you and I/We were born to die” relate because on page 454 she told Marius “We are all going to die.” She was the one who told him about the barricade in hopes that he’d come and her plan obviously was for them to die together.

White Blank Page by Mumford and Sons - One line that pertains to Eponine from this song is “Can you lie next to her/And give her your heart, your heart” and I feel like this would be something Eponine could be saying to Cosette because Eponine loves Marius so deeply while Cosette doesn’t love him like Eponine does, even forgetting about him at one point (361) so Eponine might say this to Cosette, kind of like “Would you be willing to give Marius your all”. Another line from this song that applies to Eponine is “You desired my attention but denied my affections, my affections” because Marius wanted her attention, he wanted her to go get Cosette’s address for him but when she tried to project her affections onto him he completely denied her, just using her to get to Cosette (300 and 345). Lastly the lines“So tell me now, where was my fault/In loving you with my whole heart” apply to Eponine because she really did love Marius with her whole heart to the point where she even acted like Marius did towards Cosette, being a little creepy by tracking him down (344).

Say Something by Great Big World - In this song some lines that relate to Eponine are “I'll be the one, if you want me to/Anywhere I would've followed you” because Eponine wants so badly to be with Marius (“I’ll be the one if you want me to”) that she follows him all the way to his new home just to relay an address for Marius (346). Another line that works well with Eponine is “You're the one that I love/And I'm saying goodbye” because one page 445 on her death bed as soon as she tells Marius that she fell for him she says “Goodbye” by dying.

This is Your Life by The Killers - This song relates to Eponine because of these lines, among others, “Candy talks to strangers/Thinks her life's in danger/No one gives a damn about her hair“. In the song Candy is a homeless girl, similar to Eponine who has nowhere to live after her parents are jailed, who nobody cares about. In Les Mis it is clear that nobody really cares about Eponine, not even her own parents as seen on page 308 when her father makes her stand outside in the snow for hours with barely any clothes so that he has a chance at becoming rich. Also the lines “And the sky is full of dreams/But you don't know how to fly “ apply to Eponine because she does have thoughts and dreams and aspirations like every other person but she doesn’t know how to “fly” in to her dreams and because of this feels helpless enough to talk about drowning herself (289)