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Friends of the ABC

The Friends of the ABC, or simply the ABC, is a fictional association of revolutionary French republican students featured in the 1862 novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. In French, the name of the society is a pun, in which abaissés 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 to supporting the Levellers and more, but on 5 June 1832 they all join the popular insurrection known as the June Rebellion and organize the construction of a massive barricade. They are based on the real political group Friends of the People. Hugo brings them into the narrative when Marius Pontmercy, one of the novel's principal characters, attaches himself to the group without becoming one of them. With their fight led by Enjolras, all of the members of the group die during the rebellion.

Role in the novel
The Friends of the ABC is a reference to the historical Society of the Rights of Man. Hugo comments on the Rights of Man society in the novel, describing the many spin-off sub-groups in Paris and elsewhere: ==Members==
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". On the way to build a barricade in the June Rebellion, Bahorel gains the attention of Gavroche 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. • 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. • Enjolras – "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. and he dies on the barricade in the June Rebellion. Despite this, he eventually declares himself to be one of the insurgents and dies alongside Enjolras, hand in hand. • Jean Prouvaire (also Jehan) – Described as softer than Combeferre, romantic man, Jean Prouvaire is a poet who calls himself Jehan due to his interest in the Middle Ages. 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. • Joly (also Jolllly) – A hypochondriac 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. Joly dies alongside the other insurgents on the barricade during the June Rebellion. On the morning of 5 June, 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==
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