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In the three years that I have been part of the Les Misérables fandom, I have always loved the song Bring Him Home. Not only was it one of the many songs to make me cry, but there was something about it that struck me emotionally. Perhaps, because I am a religious person, I was struck by the fact that it was a prayer. I am not sure. Over the last few years, this song has meant very much to me, but I will go into that another day. I am here to talk about Barricade Day and what Bring Him Home means for that.

As you are all well aware, Bring Him Home is the song that Jean Valjean sings over the sleeping Marius as a prayer to God that Marius may be able to go home and be with Cosette. However, over the last few days, I have thought of another instance. What if this is the prayer of everyone who had family at the barricade. In Hugo's novel, Combeferre gives a beautiful speech about women. In it he says, "...Listen, only a moment ago, Enjolras, he just told me about it, saw at the corner of the Rue de Cygne a casement lit up, a candle in a poor window, on the sixth floor, and on the glass the quivering shadow of the head of an old woman who appeared to have spent the night watching and to be still waiting. Perhaps she is the mother of one of you. Well, let that man leave, and let him hurry to say to his mother 'Mother, here I am!' .... Can you imagine perhaps the mother of Combeferre or of Jean Prouvaire saying, "Bring him peace, bring him joy. He is young, he is only a boy. You can take, you can give. Let him be, let him live. If I die, let me die! Let him live! Bring him home..."?

Or perhaps, Jean Valjean's reprise of this beautiful song sung by the students before they die? "God on HIgh, hear my prayer. Take me now to thy care. Where you are, let me be. Take me now, take me there. Bring me home...". What a beautiful thought.

So, in honor of Barricade Day and of those who died:
Enjolras
Combeferre
Courfeyrac
Feuilly
Jean Prouvaire
Bahorel
Bossuet
Jolllly
Grantaire
Eponine
Père Mabeuf
Gavroche

Bring [Them] Home.