Preview

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
722 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was Hugo's first novel after a series of successful plays. It is set in 1482 in Paris, in and around the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The book tells the story of a poor Gypsy girl, La Esmeralda, and a misshapen bell-ringer, Quasimodo, who are both victimized by a corrupt priest (Claude Frollo). The book is largely a work of social criticism. In fifteenth century Paris, the townspeople are celebrating the festival of Epiphany where Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer, is elected the King of Fools. His master, the archdeacon Claude Frollo ends his play, and as the two pass through the thieves quarter, Quasimodo attempts to kidnap the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda, with whom Frollo has grown increasingly obsessed. Esmeralda is saved by Captain Phoebus, with whom she falls madly in love. Quasimodo is put on trial for the attempted kidnapping of Esmeralda, and he is flogged. Afterwards, Esmeralda has pity on Quasimodo and brings him water to ease his suffering. At this time, we meet Sister Gudule, a recluse who blames all gypsies for the kidnapping of her child sixteen years ago. The structure of the novel closely follows that of a play, especially in this first section where Hugo uses the technique of exposition to "naturally" introduce the major themes and characters of the novel without emphasizing the presence of the author. For example, by placing Gringoire in an awkward situation, Hugo lets his character introduce himself to any of the spectators that will listen. Indeed, at one point, he simply declares, "My name is Pierre Gringoire." Moreover, the Festival of Fools allows Hugo to introduce Quasimodo and emphasize his physical appearance as seen from the point of view of the outside world. we can form a definite and nuanced impression of him as well as allow for future character development as the reader begins to learn more about him from the inside out. Hugo also introduces Jehan Frollo, the brother of the novel's major

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Twenty-five years after Billy’s experience in Dresden, he boards an airplane, knowing it is going to crash, to a convention in Montreal. Billy’s wife’s father was on board with him. The narrator explains that Tralfamadorians claim that every creature is a machine. Outside of the plane, his wife, Valencia waves goodbye to Billy while eating a chocolate bar. Also on board, is a barbershop quartet called the “Four-eyed Bastards.” They sing humorous songs about the Polish. Billy is then reminded about the public hanging he had seen in Dresden, in which a Polish man was hung. Knowing that the plane is about to crash, Billy drifts into sleep and awakens in 1944. Roland Weary is shaking him, but Billy Pilgrim tells the “Three Musketeers” to go on without him. As the…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Big Lebowski

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Our community and society have been facing with the massive mass media for nowadays, and movie is one of them. As many people watch movies, it occupies an important role in their lives socially and economically. There are many different movies and several heroes representing in the world. Heroes are movie's long material, and people have a different point of view when they watch movies. For example, The movie "Independence Day" could give deep impression that airplane pilots sacrificed their lives to save the world, but it could draw unwelcome attention that the world was saved under the leadership of United States. Similarly, movie heroes historical blip on the public's desire to delegate to the body, and its functions as an intensive, which have a specific period movie that soars like a hero's welcome, and it is a communication between the viewer a sense of contemporary popular devices that can be separated. In this essay, how does outlaw hero Jeff Lebowski who wants to be called Dude represent his characteristics and what kinds of social issues can be come up with based on his characteristics in the movie "The Big Lebowsky".…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Newsfront (1978) is about the commencement of Australian television. It notions the changing times; the context before the television was a household object.…

    • 3698 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hugo has many traits in this novel that he shares with in this motion picture the following will be a couple of examples. He is the main character and is the protagonist. Hugo is resourceful because he has been able to keep up with the clocks by sneaking around and going through the vents to get to clocks. Hugo sneaks around so he won’t get caught by anyone at the station. If Hugo does get caught, especially by the police or the station inspector he will become an orphan like he already is but in an unlikely mannered facility. Another way Hugo shows resourcefulness is how he gets food. The way Hugo gets his food is a rather weird way because in 1930s one doesn’t usually hear of another stealing food especially a child at that. He goes around by the cafes and restaurant (usually when people won’t see him) and he takes croissants and other good thing to eat goes home afterwards he goes home to eat it.…

    • 1360 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This novel happens in the late 1700s, where the French Revolution is gradually creating in its initial stages. A mystery club, "Alliance of the Scarlet Pimpernel", is conceived. This is depicted as an underground society of Englishmen who have some expertise in protecting the French aristocrats from Madam Guillotine. The actions of the "Red Pimpernel" are fiercely discussed, notwithstanding, nobody aside from the pioneer's partners know his identity. Marguerite St. Only, an excellent French performing artist, is the spouse of rich English Sir Percy Blakeney, a baronet. Prior to their marriage, Marguerite rendered retribution upon the Marquis de St. Cyr, who had requested her sibling to be beaten for his…

    • 551 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hugo tells us the story of a man, who on a whim, decides to go back to his hometown to visit. When he gets there it isn’t as he remembered. The town is now run down and poor because the need for silver isn’t what it once was. As he drives down the streets he remembers what a wonderful place it once was when the economy there was good. Now all he sees are the remains of a nearly forgotten town.…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hugo, a curious boy, is always exploring every little crook and cranny just to see what's inside or what something is because that is how his character was made to be in this story. Responsible is another word to explain the protagonist because he is able to keep the clocks working, sleep, eat, work at the toy booth, and have make the writing man machine work again all at the same time. Another word to describe the main character is determined because even when the mother of his friend Isabelle said to stay away from the old man he still did it anyway to find the real story of the writing man machine. This character also showed hard-work, because even when his hand was shut in a door he still tried to fix the clocks and put them at the right times. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a book that won't let you put it down and it has the most amazing hand drawn pencil drawings that will blow your…

    • 374 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Les Misérables, published in 1862, is a story that focuses on an ex-convict, Jean Valjean, on his road to redemption. Through his course, he encounters characters such as the relentless and unforgiving police inspector Javert, the saintly Monseigneur Myriel – Bishop of Digne, the naïve orphan turned unmarried mother turned prostitute Fantine, the illegitimate child Cosette, the greedy con artist couple M. and Mme. Thenardier, and the upper class boy estranged from his family Marius. With these people, he learns compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and love. What’s outstanding about this story is how Victor Hugo incorporated his beliefs without making the story flat. He was able to articulate the struggles of class oppression and social injustice in such a way that not only the upper classes would understand, but also the lower ones who are the main reason he wrote the novel for.…

    • 3032 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Baron’s daughter, Cunegonde, become involved with two important men. One man is a grand inquisitor and the other a Jewish merchant. They share Conegonde and come to argue about who should have her on what day, arguing over Saturdays and Sundays. Voltaire is showing that even the most religious of men can be dishonest.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Truth In Oedipus The King

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Truth is not intended to bring contentment but make people face the realities of their lives which can be unsettling for some. In Oedipus the King,by Sophocles this is demonstrated. Oedipus is given away as a child because his parents were told that he inevitably would kill his father and marry his mother. This same prophecy follows Oedipus as he grows and leads him to run away from the kingdom that raised him. On his road away, he ends up killing a group of men which leads him to another kingdom. There he marries the dead king's wife, little does Oedipus realize he had killed his father and married his mother. Sophocles uses the blindness motif in this play, in order to explain how the truth can be too much for people to bear…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Bridge of San Luis Ray

    • 1463 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The scene is set in Lima, Peru, in 1714. One afternoon, an ancient bridge broke sending five people to their deaths. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan monk, witnesses this catastrophe and believes he can prove the existence of divine intervention. The first person is the Marquesa de Montemayor along with her servant and companion, Pepita. The Marquesa's love for her daughter is not returned which sends her into a state of borderline psychosis. She begins to drink heavily and neglects to take care of the most important things in her life. One night while Pepita lay sleeping, the Marquesa is struck with the realization that her love for her daughter is a selfish love and she decides to renounce this love and begin a new life. Esteban and Manuel are orphaned twins found on the steps of a convent and raised by Maria del Pilar. When Manuel dies of an infection, Esteban is in despair and is about to embark on a new life with Captain Alvarado when he crosses the bridge. Camilla Perichole did not die on the bridge but was a victim nonetheless. Uncle Pio, friend and confidant of the Perichole, takes her son to educate him in the Arts and literature. The two never make it across the bridge. The Perichole is a famous actress who plays an important role in the story. "She is the axis, as it were, around which everything…

    • 1463 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hunchback of Notre Dame

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages

    While growing up I would always watch Disney movies, but until recently I never analyzed their true meaning. Disney movies are ways to control and occupy children; they are fun, whimsical forms of entertainment that captivate children for hours on end. I always believed that Disney movies improved children 's imaginations. However, after taking off my rose colored glasses and leaving them in Neverland, I have realized that Disney movies have a lot of power to control children 's views on the confusing world that surrounds them. One of the biggest factors that Disney movies are notorious for portraying, are frayed relations between different races. As anyone knows, children, by nature, are very impressionable and are constantly learning about the world on a daily basis. As a result of that undeniable truth, the very fact that Disney movies have such an ample platform to subliminally inflict negative race relationship views on children is more than unfortunate. One movie that exemplifies this is the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Through racist personifications and repeated instances of inferiority due to skin color, the Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) is an excellent example of how Disney movies can negatively impact children 's views on racial relations in their own lives.…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Martin Scorsese's Hugo

    • 2247 Words
    • 9 Pages

    carts. The boy has no choice. The only thing that his father (Jude Law) left him…

    • 2247 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    From this point in the setting of the forest, characters come to together in contrasting ways to illustrate certain aspects of the human condition, which demonstrate the theme of belonging. The main spring of all these contrasting relationship is the catalyst Rosalind who disguised as Ganymede brings about a metamorphoses in the characters of Audrey and touchstone, silvius and Phoebe and even Orlando and herself. Yet Her…

    • 2058 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Les Miserables Essay

    • 1199 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “So long as the three problems of the age- the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of women by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night- are not solved… books like this cannot be useless,” (Hugo Preface). In his novel, Les Miserables, Victor Hugo illustrates these problems throughout the plot, adding to the public obsession over the book. Most went crazy over the light he shone on the struggles of France in the late 1800s, instead of the happy love stories many authors were writing about at that time. Through Les Miserables, Hugo ties the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of women by starvation, or the dwarfing of childhood into almost all of the characters introduced.…

    • 1199 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays