You may not know this but I had a proper Christian upbringing, church every Sunday, prayers before bed, free Bibles for everyone, all that sort of thing. (Wait! Don’t go away! This is actually Les Mis E/R meta.) One of the stories that was in a lot of the children’s books I read was The Denial Of Peter, it’s stuck in my mind for years. You know, the bit where Jesus tells Peter he will deny him? Come on down, Wikipedia:
The second denial to the same girl in Mark 14:69-70 is:
When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.“ Again he denied it. [6]
One of them – now doesn’t that remind you of something? I’ve been trying to puzzle out all the Enjolras-as-Jesus imagery for ages, but I really like the idea of Grantaire being able to stand up where even Saint Peter fell down, crying out instead of being afraid. Because of course:
…the soldiers whose eyes were fixed on Enjolras, had not even noticed Grantaire, and the sergeant was preparing to repeat his order: “Take aim!” when all at once, they heard a strong voice shout beside them:
“Long live the Republic! I’m one of them.”
Grantaire had risen. The immense gleam of the whole combat which he had missed, and in which he had had no part, appeared in the brilliant glance of the transfigured drunken man.
And here, try this on for size:
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! [x]
*
But Grantaire, still keeping his tender and troubled eyes fixed on him, replied:—“Let me sleep here,—until I die.”
Enjolras regarded him with disdainful eyes:—
“Grantaire, you are incapable of believing, of thinking, of willing, of living, and of dying.” [x]
So that’s…interesting. And here’s how Peter died:
Origen wrote: “Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downwards, as he himself had desired to suffer.“[32] This is why an upside down cross is generally accepted as a symbol of Peter, who would not have considered himself worthy enough to die the same way as his Savior.
And…straaaaight back to Les Mis…if you’re reading this you probably know how Enjolras and Grantaire die: Enjolras stays upright in a crucified-like position and Grantaire falls at his feet, presumably with his head down.
So, er, is this a snazzy possible extra layer to things, or just me reaching massively through old Bible stories? (Has anyone better-read than me got anything to add?)