| Jean Prouvaire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also Known As |
Jehan |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
June 5, 1832 |
| Cause of Death |
Hostaged by the National Guardsmen and executed(novel) |
| Job |
Member of the Les Amis de l'ABC |
| Portrayer |
Leo Roberts |
Jean Prouvaire is a member of Les Amis de l'ABC.
About []
Like Enjolras, Jean Prouvaire is an only child, from a rich family. He is described as being "still a shade softer than Combeferre."
According to Hugo, Prouvaire calls himself Jehan (the Old French orthography of the name "Jean") because of his interest in the Middle Ages, which was in fashion within the Romantic movement. He writes and reads poems, plays the flute, grows flowers, and ponders upon social questions. He dresses badly and although he is shy, he is also brave.
He is highly educated and knows Italian, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, but only uses his knowledge of these languages to read the poets Dante, Juvenal, Aeschylus, and Isaiah. Although he is a republican, he blames the French Revolution for executing the poet André Chénier, who is considered to be one of the forerunners of Romanticism.
At the barricade, he recites a love poem ("Vous rappelez-vous notre douce vie") as they wait for the fighting to begin. After the first attack, it is discovered that he has been taken prisoner. Enjolras and Combeferre plan to exchange their prisoner Inspector Javert for him, but before they are able to, he is executed, crying out “Vive la France! Long live France! Long live the future!”
In both musical and the 2012 film, Jehan is shot at the barricades, along with the other Les Amis members- instead of being executed as a hostage in front of the barricades by the National guardsmen. It is presumed he is shot with a musket or stabbed with a bayonet by the National Guard as he fends them off on the lower floor of the Corinthe, when they break in. He is last seen on the lower floor of the wine shop running to escape the National Guardsmen, but is presumably shot possibly alongside Lesgle. In the musical, his phantom spirit later appears amongst the other Amis behind Marius during 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables'.
It is possible that his character was inspired by the French Romantic poet Gérard de Nerval, a friend of Victor Hugo. In the novel, Hugo mentions Nerval as "confounding progress with God". Prouvaire is described as having "confounded God and the future in the same confidence".
