Gavroche

Gavroche is a street urchin of Paris whose family name, Jondrette, connects him to the Gorbeau hovel—a place of misery where his parents and sisters dwell in indifference to his welfare. Abandoned by those who should have sheltered him, he has become the spirit of the streets themselves: a vivacious, fearless child who sings, laughs, plays, and pilfers with equal enthusiasm. He first encounters Jean Valjean as a messenger delivering a letter from the barricade, impressing the older man with his wit, his unexpected dignity (refusing a bribe, insisting on 'respect for despatches'), and his awareness of his own hunger. He becomes a devoted aide to the revolutionary cause, running messages, gathering cartridges under fire, and singing defiantly at his attackers. Though barely into his teens, Gavroche is drawn toward the barricades and the grand gesture of sacrifice, finding meaning and companionship among Enjolras, Courfeyrac, and the other republicans who treat him as a true comrade. His jauntiness, his knack for slipping through crowds and danger, and his absolute fearlessness in the face of death mark him as a tragic figure—a child forced to grow up in the crucible of revolution, yet retaining an innocence and joy that death cannot fully extinguish.