Posts Tagged “ABC Students”
- Get to Know Your ABCs In the novel, the rebellious students are all individuals, not just Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire and the backup singers seen in the musical.
- You Say You Want A Revolution Before the barricades arise, Hugo establishes the political mood in Paris from 1830-1832, making clear the scope of unrest and that they DID have a chance.
- A Revolting Development The day of the barricade arrives, and the revolt is much bigger than the show makes it look. Gavroche is having a blast running around singing and pranking.
- Barricades of Future Past (Plus Cannon Geekery) After a look ahead to the 1848 barricades, Enjolras gives a speech, Valjean makes an entrance, and the students talk geek out over the army's new cannon.
- Passing Peak Ammunition The barricade holds against several attacks the next morning, but they start running out of bullets...and defenders. Adieu to Gavroche and Javert.
- Last Stand at the Barricade Hugo lays out the main theme of the book, 1000 pages in. The barricade falls, the surviving defenders retreat to the tavern, and Grantaire wakes up at last.
- Getting Schooled Each of the students represents a part of revolution: Enjolras is purpose, Combeferre wisdom, Jean Prouvere the artist, etc. And there's a lot of humor and wordplay in their introduction.
- Dominoes Hugo explains the political background leading up to 1832, because it *was* a historical novel already. Grantaire misses the point of all the dominoes, though.