quill/klee | 20s | they/he/she
this is a sideblog where i obsess about victor hugo's les miserables, i follow from my main blog @quillsand (also my ao3 username!)
feuilly icon by shamedumpster <3
Every single mention of Feuilly ever /Feuilly meta masterpost
Because it's barricade day and because my fixation on Feuilly has only grown these past few months, I've compiled a list of every single time he's ever mentioned in the brick. (Twenty-six times, for those wondering.) Below is a rundown of every single Feuilly mention and what this tells us about Feuilly as a character, with meta from fandom discussions past sprinkled in wherever relevant.
WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD!!!
1. Feuilly's name listed amongst the members of Les Amis de l'ABC, in the following order:
Enjolras, Combeferre, Jean Prouvaire, Feuilly, Courfeyrac, Bahorel, Lesgle or Laigle, Joly, Grantaire.
Bonus Feuilly fact: Lesgle is singled out as the only one NOT from the South. Ergo, Feuilly is from the South.
Fun information on the meaning of Feuilly's name (spoiler alert: it's a pun) here!
2. Basic Feuilly information from his intro paragraph:
Feuilly was a workingman, a fan-maker, orphaned both of father and mother, who earned with difficulty three francs a day... He had taught himself to read and write; everything that he knew, he had learned by himself.
A lot of information in relatively few words. I won't reinvent the wheel of Feuilly meta and instead I'm going to direct people to posts discussing Feuilly's financial/employment situation here and here and here and posts about fanmakers/the Paris fan industry in general here and here.
3. Information about Feuilly's political beliefs from his intro paragraph:
Feuilly had a generous heart. The range of his embrace was immense... In this club of young Utopians, occupied chiefly with France, he represented the outside world.
Key Feuilly fact here: Feuilly cares about international politics. Like, really really really cares. He is not content with only liberating France and will not be satisfied until the whole world is free. He learns about a place's history and politics specifically so he can advocate for the rights and freedoms of its peoples! Ah, Feuilly <3
4. Feuilly's internationalist politics from his intro paragraph:
He had for his specialty Greece, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Italy... Above all things, the great violence of 1772 aroused him... All contemporary social crimes have their origin in the partition of Poland. The partition of Poland is a theorem of which all present political outrages are the corollaries... Such was Feuilly’s habitual text.
More internationalism! For more information about why Feuilly is interested in Italy see here. For 1772 and Poland specifically see here. Also this wonderful post about the historical context of Polish solidarity in French Republican circles (+some Enjolras/Feuilly propaganda.)
TLDR; Feuilly WILL find a way to bring the conversation back round to the injustice of Poland's partitioning and he's actually so correct for that! It's so important to me that people understand why Feuilly is so vocal about Poland and that he's not just bringing it up for shits and giggles, it serves a very real purpose in an organisation whose focus often doesn't extend beyond France!
5. Enjolras et ses lieutenants; Enjolras is directing Les Amis around Paris and he asks:
"Feuilly, you will see those of the Glacière, will you not?"
At least, this is how it's translated in the version I'm working from (Hapgood) but there's some interesting meta over this line as in the original French it goes "Feuilly, n'est-ce pas? Vous verrez ceux de la Glacière" Note the use of vous and the strange way the question is phrased! Interesting meta on this here and here and here. There's also a really sweet fanfic about the two of them discussing it here
I know, I know, only point 5 and we've already got contentious translations and multiple meanings. What can you do!
6. Enjolras et ses lieutenants; Enjolras is thinking about his powder-train of friends scattered all over Paris and their strengths:
Feuilly’s cosmopolitan enthusiasm
(Original French: l'enthousiasme cosmopolite de Feuilly)
Enjolras admires Feuilly's internationalist politics so much he literally cites it as something he wants to draw upon to light the spark of revolution. A win for Enjolras/Feuilly nation. Also, some really really nice meta about the term 'cosmopolitan' and what it means in relation to Feuilly here.
7. Marius waking up the day of Lamarque's funeral and seeing:
Courfeyrac, Enjolras, Feuilly, and Combeferre standing in the room with their hats on and all ready to go out
Feuilly being present for the all important preparation the morning of the funeral- he's in the inner circle of the inner circle! I think we as a fandom need more triumvirate + Feuilly shenanigans, we really don't do enough with them!
Bonus link to what Feuilly might've worn in canon as this is the only quote that even slightly relates to it but I wanted to fit it in somehow.
8. At the start of the insurrection:
In the meantime, in the Marché Saint-Jean, where the post had already been disarmed, Gavroche had just “effected a junction” with a band led by Enjolras, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, and Feuilly.
The riot breaks out and insurrection begins. Feuilly is named as one of the leaders, alongside the triumvirate.
9. Describing what weapons everyone has and one of the only things Feuilly says in the entire book:
Feuilly, with a naked sword in his hand, marched at their head shouting: “Long live Poland!”
If you don't have much to say, better make it count right? He was so iconic for this. Also, background behind the cry and why it would've been a rallying call to migrant communities rather than just a funny thing he decided to say here. Yes, he's in France trying to overthrow the French king but Feuilly's a smart guy; he knows that no one is free until we're all free. He has a sword and he practices international solidarity. Feuilly Les Misérables no one is doing it like you!!!!!!
10. On the way to build a barricade:
Behind Feuilly marched, or rather bounded, Bahorel, who was like a fish in water in a riot.
Not much actually about Feuilly here, but some nice characterisation of Bahorel!
11. Lesgle looking out the window of the Corinthe and paying particular attention to:
Feuilly with his sword.
Just in case you missed it the first time, Feuilly has a SWORD.
(Really sweet fic about how Feuilly acquired his sword here. Read it, trust me, it's so good.)
12. Building the barricade:
Feuilly, with his fingers skilled in painting the delicate sticks of fans, had backed up the barrels and the dray with two massive heaps of blocks of rough stone. Blocks which were improvised like the rest and procured no one knows where.
So that's two more important pieces of lore: Feuilly has skilled fingers and magical barricade building skills. No wonder Enjolras has a crush!
13. Sweet moment on the barricade:
Enjolras, whom it was impossible to divert, kept an eye on the sentinels, Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Jean Prouvaire, Feuilly, Bossuet, Joly, Bahorel, and some others, sought each other out and united as in the most peaceful days of their conversations in their student life... these fine young fellows, so close to a supreme hour, began to recite love verses.
Which is interesting because Feuilly was never a student! I couldn't find any posts that address this but if you know of them, send them my way! My guess is that Hugo is simply using 'student life' in the past tense as a way to remind us that they've left their previous roles behind and have now transformed into Heroes of the Dawn. Or something. Either way, it's a sweet moment they all share before the fighting begins in earnest.
14. Feuilly and his battalion on the barricade:
Six, commanded by Feuilly, had installed themselves, with their guns levelled at their shoulders, at the windows of the two stories of Corinthe.
Hugo tells us there were 50 insurgents total, 43 at the main barricade and Feuilly + his 6 in the windows. 6 men is a decent sized command! And they're stationed on the upper floors, so it'd make sense that they're the men best trained in shooting. Sharpshooter!Feuilly AU when? Also, lovely post about Feuilly and his six men here!
15. Night falls on the barricade. Enjolras tells everyone to sleep but no one listens:
Feuilly employed these two hours in engraving this inscription on the wall which faced the tavern:—
LONG LIVE THE PEOPLES!
These four words, hollowed out in the rough stone with a nail, could be still read on the wall in 1848."
This makes me so emotional and I'm not okay about it at all. + Hugo's possible inspiration for this scene.
And also I'm going to sneak in a link to the fic I wrote for this year's barricade day focused on this moment here.
16. Courfeyrac bantering with Feuilly:
“I am delighted that the torch has been extinguished,” said Courfeyrac to Feuilly. “That torch flickering in the wind annoyed me. It had the appearance of being afraid. The light of torches resembles the wisdom of cowards; it gives a bad light because it trembles.”
This is during the section where they wait for the city to rise with them. No dialogue from Feuilly here but he is at least present for this little interaction with Courfeyrac.
17 & 18. ENJOLRAS' BARRICADE SPEECH:
"Listen to me, you, Feuilly, valiant artisan, man of the people. I revere you. Yes, you clearly behold the future, yes, you are right. You had neither father nor mother, Feuilly; you adopted humanity for your mother and right for your father. You are about to die, that is to say to triumph, here."
NOW WE'RE TALKING!!!! Quote of all time for Enjolras/Feuilly shippers!! Enjolras giving his all important barricade speech ushering in a new world and he takes time out of all these metaphors of love and light to specifically shout out Feuilly and his glorious political worldview <3 Post about why this is so important here but tldr; Feuilly is right about the need to see beyond France, the need to encompass all of humanity in the scope of the fight for justice, and at that final moment before the end, Enjolras, our priest of the ideal, the logic of the revolution, literally tells him so. It's all so symbolic and Romantic and I could cry about it way longer than would be healthy.
Also worthy of note: in line with his praising of Feuilly's 'cosmopolitan enthusiasm' in point 5, this part comes directly after Enjolras is talking about the international struggle for justice- Feuilly's influence!!!
19 & 20. A moment of quiet on the barricade:
Combeferre, wearing an apron, was dressing the wounds: Bossuet and Feuilly were making cartridges with the powder-flask picked up by Gavroche on the dead corporal, and Bossuet said to Feuilly: “We are soon to take the diligence for another planet”
First Enjolras and now Bossuet: people are obsessed with telling Feuilly he's about to die soon. Also! Second instance of someone bantering with Feuilly and Feuilly having no recorded response.
21. Enjolras and Feuilly barricade logistics dream team:
"In less than a minute, two thirds of the stones which Enjolras had had piled up at the door of Corinthe had been carried up to the first floor and the attic, and before a second minute had elapsed, these stones, artistically set one upon the other, walled up the sash-window on the first floor and the windows in the roof to half their height. A few loop-holes carefully planned by Feuilly, the principal architect, allowed of the passage of the gun-barrels."
I just think there's so much to be said for how much of a key player Feuilly is in barricade construction. He and Enjolras carefully planning and executing contingency scenarios, doing it so efficiently and with so much thought... and all just to buy them a few minutes more time!
22 & 23. More stunning teamwork from the dream team:
"[Enjolras] issued his final orders in the tap-room in a curt, but profoundly tranquil tone; Feuilly listened and replied in the name of all.
“On the first floor, hold your axes in readiness to cut the staircase. Have you them?”
“Yes,” said Feuilly.
“How many?”
“Two axes and a pole-axe.”
“That is good. There are now twenty-six combatants of us on foot. How many guns are there?”
“Thirty-four.”
“Eight too many. Keep those eight guns loaded like the rest and at hand. Swords and pistols in your belts. Twenty men to the barricade. Six ambushed in the attic windows, and at the window on the first floor to fire on the assailants through the loop-holes in the stones. Let not a single worker remain inactive here. Presently, when the drum beats the assault, let the twenty below stairs rush to the barricade. The first to arrive will have the best places.”
Feuilly's longest recorded conversation. Short, sweet, to the point. Also emphasises his leadership and the trust that Enjolras has in him. Both of them staying calm and collected even under the immense pressure of a final assault and their almost certain deaths. The logistics talk right before the end... reference to Feuilly's six men who have now moved to the attic windows... the conviction of it all.... Oh, Feuilly <3
24. A conversation just before the end:
“Can any one understand,” exclaimed Feuilly bitterly, “those men,—[and he cited names, well-known names, even celebrated names, some belonging to the old army]—who had promised to join us, and taken an oath to aid us, and who had pledged their honor to it, and who are our generals, and who abandon us!”
And Combeferre restricted himself to replying with a grave smile.
“There are people who observe the rules of honor as one observes the stars, from a great distance.”
Longest piece of Feuilly dialogue! I think it's so interesting that Feuilly is the one who shows anger at having been abandoned by prominent figures- and for an idea of who he might've been referring to, see posts here and here and here (and thank you @pilferingapples for those links!)
I also think it's very relevant that his anger is directed at those people specifically and not The People at large. There's no blame placed on other workers, no anger in him for any of his fellow men- he specifically and explicitly blames the failure on a handful of named figures who had the power and influence to secure a different outcome but didn't. It feels hugely important to have this section of dialogue here, right before they all die. Feuilly man of the peoples always <3
25. :(
Feuilly was killed
26. Our last Feuilly mention :( Just a reminder that Feuilly is dead and the barricade has fallen:
When there were no longer any of the leaders left alive, except Enjolras and Marius at the two extremities of the barricade, the centre, which had so long sustained Courfeyrac, Joly, Bossuet, Feuilly and Combeferre, gave way.
And that is EVERY SINGLE MENTION OF FEUILLY EVER. If you have more meta or context that you think I've missed, please feel free to add on to the post, or link to other posts discussing Feuilly! I've done my best with the tumblr search feature but as we all know, that is by no means a comprehensive search tool anymore. All English quotes are taken from Hapgood because it's the best available version for copy + pasting online.
Huge shoutout to the various people whose blogs were invaluable in the quest for Feuilly meta, whether still in the fandom or long since deactivated <3
I was sketching my modern au amis to warm up and I accidentally decided modern AU Bossuet is going bald cause he's going on T and he's like. Well. Better than not being T amirite, fellas?
What if we worked together in a place that became a hotbed of a revolution? What if we served the barricade as we would have served wine? What if we faced all that together? And we were both girls?
Do you ship it?
Yes (ironically)
Yes (genuinely)
Yes (only one-sided)
No
I do not endorse dating coworkers.
Voting ended onMay 28
Leah Harvey as Matelote, Fanny Carbonnel as Gibelotte
In celebration of their third place finish in the Les Mis Shipping Showdown 🙏
Despite having only a single work on AO3 prior to the tournament, little HMS Gyriel punched well above its weight, soaring above far more popular ships including Enjoltaire, Enjolferre and Eposette (why do they all start with E? this eeelucidates their eeelimination....this eeecosystem was greatly lacking in diversity) (what) to claim their half of a bronze medal.
It just goes to show what Very Old Man Yaoi can do.
Do you ship it?
Yes (ironically)
Yes (unironically)
No
Only unrequited
I'm don't care about the love lives of Very Old Men
Voting ended onMay 25
I didn't mean to type "I'm don't care" in the poll but you know what, I'm don't care, I'm leaving it
i think......................................... i may have done it. i may have actually bridged the two parts of this au that needed bridging to make it a coherent narrative.......................... first part of the climbing buddies au on ao3 SOON
Out of 27,924 Les Miserables works on AO3, Feuilly, a character who has 5 lines of dialogue in the book, one of which is the word "Yes," has 4,055 in which he is tagged. Together we can make that 4,056, when we collaborate on my passion project: Feuilly is Crushed by a Cart and is Not Saved by Valjean
Feuilly opened his mouth, as if to say one of his five unique phrases, but what came out unfortunately did not qualify as dialogue due to the cart's unpleasant compression of his person. Jean Valjean watched impassively, nibbling on a turnip.
Enjolras, his virgin lungs unimpeded by cart, bent next to his fellow man. "Feuilly, I revere you," said he. "You are about to die, that is to say to be crushed by this cart, here." Feuilly made no response. Jean Valjean carried on eating the turnip.
“Excuse me, Monsieur,” one of the boys called. Feuilly recognized him—Courfeyrac, was it? He’d shopped here a few times before; Feuilly had seen him enter from his window upstairs. “Can I ask for your opinion on these two fans here? It's for a very special lady.”
“His mother,” Enjolras added helpfully.
Feuilly forced a smile onto his face with practiced ease. “Certainly! What are you looking for, exactly?”
But, unexpectedly, Courfeyrac’s own smile only faded in response. “Monsieur, are you alright?”
Monsieur Cadieux had been fretting about his wife’s health, the impending birth, and on how the new arrival might affect his cousin’s business downstairs for weeks now. Monsieur Ducasse, for his part, had not taken the announcement of the new arrival well.
‘What customer wants to take their time looking for fans with a baby screaming upstairs!’ he had exclaimed when he’d first heard the news.
But regardless of that, it must be such a relief to….
The people dispersed, the midwife still cradling the baby, and Feuilly could finally make out Monsieur Cadieux leaning over the bed, pulling his wife into his arms and… crying.
She was dead, he realized.
Feuilly climbed down the stairs in a daze.
He hadn't known her very well, but every time they had passed each other by she’d always smiled at him, and it hurt to know that he’d never see her again.
And her baby, it would never even get the chance to know her. Another child forced to grow up without its mother… a strange sort of grief settled into his heart at the thought.
At the end of the staircase he paused at the door, listening to hear if there were any customers in the atelier. Muffled voices drifted through, but he didn’t really have the heart to go back upstairs and face what had transpired again so he remained where he was, vaguely listening to the conversation in the other room.
“I can’t decide between this landscape one or the one with the flowers. What do you think, Enjolras?”
There was a beat of silence as this Enjolras must have considered the two different fans. “They both look fine to me.”
“Fine! My dear friend, ‘fine’ isn’t good enough!
“I’m not sure why you’re asking me, then. You know I haven’t an eye for this sort of thing.”
“Honestly, between you and Combeferre, it's a wonder either of you ever look presentable. I shudder to think where you would be without me.”
“Perish the thought, Courfeyrac,” Enjolras replied solemnly. “Don’t even speak it aloud.”
As he stood there, the ache in Feuilly’s chest welled up in a painful way and he blinked carefully as his vision blurred. Although he didn't fully understand why he felt this way or what it meant, it was a familiar feeling, one that he had carried with him for as long as he could remember, and after only a few moments it eased again.
Then the bell at the door chimed; the customers must have finally made their decision and left. Feuilly waited a moment longer before pushing open the door, only to freeze at the sight of two young men still staring thoughtfully at the fans mounted on the wall. Before he could move they turned to face him, surprised at his abrupt entrance.
“Excuse me, Monsieur,” one of the boys called. Feuilly recognized him—Courfeyrac, was it? He’d shopped here a few times before; Feuilly had seen him enter from his window upstairs. “Can I ask for your opinion on these two fans here? It's for a very special lady.”
“His mother,” Enjolras added helpfully.
Feuilly forced a smile onto his face with practiced ease. “Certainly! What are you looking for, exactly?”
But, unexpectedly, Courfeyrac’s own smile only faded in response. “Monsieur, are you alright?”
Feuilly blinked, taken aback at his words. “Uh….”
“Forgive me, I do not wish to prod. You just seem rather… sad.”
“It’s fine,” Feuilly said quickly. “Besides, it’s not really my business to be upset about, let alone discuss.”
“But if it has you upset, then it’s not ‘fine’,” Courfeyrac protested.
Feuilly opened his mouth to reply and unexpectedly found his throat tightening, his nose burning, his face flushing, and he quickly closed it again. He took in a deep breath, then another, but this time the feeling refused to abate.
After a moment Courfeyrac walked up to him and pulled him into his arms, and Feuilly stiffened in surprise. “Monsieur?”
“You look like you could use a hug,” Courfeyrac answered simply.
Feuilly didn't say anything to that. He didn’t know what he could say, nor what to do with his arms. But as strange and uncomfortable as the contact was, it was also kind of… nice.
Eventually the other boy pulled back, regarding Feuilly with a small, warm smile. Then he patted his arm. “Come, let us return to the task at hand. I’ll buy both fans. One can never go wrong with having some variety, yes?”
“I… suppose you're right,” Feuilly agreed, a little distantly. He rubbed at his eyes, a queer, warm feeling in his chest burning away at that everpresent ache until it was very nearly gone.
‘How strange….’
“What did I tell you about coming through the store while there’s customers, boy?”
Feuilly stiffened at the sound of that voice, turning around to see Monsieur Ducasse in the doorway, a stern frown on his face.
“I— I was just—”
“He was just answering my call for assistance,” Courfeyrac cut in. He held out the two fans to Monsieur Ducasse. “And I’ve decided on getting both. Will you box them up for me?”
Monsieur Ducasse’s frown slowly faded away at the customer’s words, a more congenial expression taking its place. “Well, yes! Certainly!”
He took the fans and walked back to the counter, shooting Feuilly a warning look as he passed. Courfeyrac gave Feuilly a wink before following, leaving him standing awkwardly by Enjolras.
Feuilly glanced over at him, but Enjolras’ gaze was trained somewhere in the distance, so he quickly looked away again.
After the purchase was finalized Courfeyrac returned, the two boxes carefully balanced in his arms, and he smiled at Feuilly again. “Say, I never did catch your name.”
“Oh. It’s… Feuilly,” he answered a little sheepishly.
It wasn’t often that someone asked for his name, and even rarer that they didn’t have a strange reaction to the name Feuilly had chosen for himself if they did. It was a bit silly, perhaps, but he loved it all the same.
“I’m Courfeyrac,” the young man said in reply, his smile never faltering, “and this is one of my dearest friends, Enjolras. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Enjolras nodded at the mention of his name, a faint smile on his lips.
“Say, Feuilly,” Courfeyrac continued. “We were planning on eating at the Café Lemblin after this, would you like to join us?”
Feuilly stared at him in disbelief. “Me?”
“Yes, you! My treat; consider it a ‘thank you’ for all your help.”
Feuilly resisted the urge to insist he hadn’t done much, really, since Monsieur Ducasse was still watching. “Well… I was just on my way out.”
“Excellent! So you’ll join us?”
He considered the offer. Truly, he didn't really have a reason to decline, and after a moment he nodded with a hesitant smile.
“By the way, my good fellow,” Courfeyrac said as they stepped out onto the street, Enjolras leading the way, “Have you any political opinions?”
Feuilly’s smile widened at that. “As a matter of fact, I do!”
I'm not normal about Enjolras saying Je te vénère to Feuilly in the original text of the brick.
If I correctly understand the whole pull of meanings of the verb vénérer in French, I'll never be able to be normal about it. The amount of respect and admiration in it is incredible.
