Sarah McAllister
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Victor Hugo
March 16, 1831; paperback edition chosen published in 2008
Romanticism/Gothic Fiction
France/Catholicism/Middle Ages and the Dawn of the Renaissance
Summary:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was written in order to save the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, from destruction during the 1800s. The novel, written by Victor Hugo, places a heavy emphasis on the history of the cathedral, while also focusing on the story of Quasimodo, the hunchback bell ringer for the church. When the gypsies come into Paris, and begin their dancing in front of the cathedral and in squares around the city, Dom Claude Frollo attempts to get them removed from Paris by virtue of the Church. Quasimodo, deaf and blind in one eye, notices Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer. Quasimodo is arrested by the Paris guards, as well as Esmeralda. Quasimodo, as punishment, is tortured at the Palace de Greve, where Esmeralda gives him a drink of water after he pleaded with the crowd for a drink. After this, Quasimodo attempts to hide Esmeralda in the towers of Notre Dame in order to keep her from Dom Claude Frollo, but he finds her, and Esmeralda is sentenced to death by hanging for witchcraft and seduction of a clergy member.
Reflection Questions:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame indicates that Paris, France, the setting of the book, has a very diverse population of people living within it, all leading very different lives. This diversity highlights the differences in social classes in Paris, as those who are well off in Paris dress in the latest fashions, hold themselves to a higher standard, and do not participate in some of the festivities for the Feast of Fools. Intellectuals are made fun of by the students, as they are unacquainted with those who live in poverty and are uneducated. However, the students of Paris and the universities surrounding it often make fun of those living in poverty, the intellectuals, and the clergy. These groups are vastly different, which separates Paris into different regions which then merge together in the main square of Paris, near the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Notre Dame Cathedral is, in Victor Hugo’s eyes, extremely important to the culture of Paris and what the city was, is, and will be.
I found the parallel of the destruction of historical monuments and buildings to be a parallel between the culture of Paris in the 1800s, and my current culture. At the time that Victor Hugo wrote the novel, the Notre Dame Cathedral was in jeopardy of being demolished by the Parisian government, as it was seen as an ugly imprint of the different types of architectural differences between ages, as well as a sign of the different histories of the city and its clerical and government officials throughout the ages. This was during the time of the French Revolution, where signs and symbols of the monarchy, and those who were still in favor of the monarchy, were being killed and exiled to make way for a French Republic, which would be democratic. This is seen all over the world today as well, as countries in revolution attempt to overthrow their current governments and erase some of the stain of their history. The most recent examples come from the protests in Hong Kong, where protesters have defaced Chinese monuments and symbols as they attempt to gain their own sovereignty. In Iran during their series of revolutions, symbols of the monarchy and the Shah were destroyed in an attempt to erase the monarchy and its reign over Iran.
I did not really connect with any of the characters in the story, or any of the events that took place. Some of the situations that took place seem outlandish to me, and are things that I would not want to endorse or watch either.
The central conflict of the novel is the treatment of Quasimodo and the gypsies, more specifically Esmeralda. Quasimodo and Esmeralda are treated like outcasts in society simply due to being slightly different than those in Paris. In the case of Quasimodo, he is berated, belittled, and stoned due to his hunchback, deafness, blindness in one eye, and the rest of his overall appearance. Esmeralda was berated and killed for being a gypsy from Egypt due to her physical appearance, but she claims to be from Catalonia, the region between France and Spain. The people of Paris treat them poorly, and their bereavements and belittlements are the foundation for the cases against them, causing them to turn against the people of Paris.
These conflicts were hardly resolved in the book, as Dom Claude Frollo has Esmeralda executed for her gypsy dancing in the square in front of the cathedral because he finds it seductive, and Quasimodo is still exiled by the people of Paris. I think that the conflicts could have been handled much better than they were, as the people of Paris had extreme prejudices against them for things that were either out of their control, as seen in the case of Quasimodo, or a lifestyle that had not been their choice, as seen in the case of Esmeralda. These conflicts are universally based, as those with disabilities and mangled appearances are often ostracized by society, and made fun of for their appearance and actions. Immigrants and refugees are often ostracized as well, simply because they do not have the same level of conformity to their new home and society as those who are well acquainted with the ways of the people around them. In the time of the writing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, these conflicts were much different and differently handled than conflicts of similar origins that are seen today.
This reading experienced changed my worldview only slightly as it offered an explanation as to why the world reacts the way that it does to those who are vagabonds and refugees, and those who are disabled. It can never be truly explained where these sentiments come from, as these have been deeply ingrained in many humans. This does, however, give an insight into why people had thought this way, and continue to still think this way.
Throughout the novel, there is a great prejudice against Quasimodo. Quasimodo is exiled and berated because of his hunchback, but also due to his deaf and one-eyed nature, along with a limp from a leg that is malformed. This directly impacts what Quasimodo is able to do, and how he is perceived. The story revolves around Quasimodo being seen as a monster and a freak of nature, among other things, and how he was able to interact with Esmeralda and protect her for a short amount of time from Dom Claude Frollo. The prejudice against Quasimodo is not unique to France, nor is it unique to the time period written in. Often there are strong prejudices against those who are disabled or who have a physical deformity, and this occurs all over the world, and has been continued throughout all different time periods.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Victor Hugo
March 16, 1831; paperback edition chosen published in 2008
Romanticism/Gothic Fiction
France/Catholicism/Middle Ages and the Dawn of the Renaissance
Summary:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was written in order to save the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, from destruction during the 1800s. The novel, written by Victor Hugo, places a heavy emphasis on the history of the cathedral, while also focusing on the story of Quasimodo, the hunchback bell ringer for the church. When the gypsies come into Paris, and begin their dancing in front of the cathedral and in squares around the city, Dom Claude Frollo attempts to get them removed from Paris by virtue of the Church. Quasimodo, deaf and blind in one eye, notices Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer. Quasimodo is arrested by the Paris guards, as well as Esmeralda. Quasimodo, as punishment, is tortured at the Palace de Greve, where Esmeralda gives him a drink of water after he pleaded with the crowd for a drink. After this, Quasimodo attempts to hide Esmeralda in the towers of Notre Dame in order to keep her from Dom Claude Frollo, but he finds her, and Esmeralda is sentenced to death by hanging for witchcraft and seduction of a clergy member.
Reflection Questions:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame indicates that Paris, France, the setting of the book, has a very diverse population of people living within it, all leading very different lives. This diversity highlights the differences in social classes in Paris, as those who are well off in Paris dress in the latest fashions, hold themselves to a higher standard, and do not participate in some of the festivities for the Feast of Fools. Intellectuals are made fun of by the students, as they are unacquainted with those who live in poverty and are uneducated. However, the students of Paris and the universities surrounding it often make fun of those living in poverty, the intellectuals, and the clergy. These groups are vastly different, which separates Paris into different regions which then merge together in the main square of Paris, near the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Notre Dame Cathedral is, in Victor Hugo’s eyes, extremely important to the culture of Paris and what the city was, is, and will be.
I found the parallel of the destruction of historical monuments and buildings to be a parallel between the culture of Paris in the 1800s, and my current culture. At the time that Victor Hugo wrote the novel, the Notre Dame Cathedral was in jeopardy of being demolished by the Parisian government, as it was seen as an ugly imprint of the different types of architectural differences between ages, as well as a sign of the different histories of the city and its clerical and government officials throughout the ages. This was during the time of the French Revolution, where signs and symbols of the monarchy, and those who were still in favor of the monarchy, were being killed and exiled to make way for a French Republic, which would be democratic. This is seen all over the world today as well, as countries in revolution attempt to overthrow their current governments and erase some of the stain of their history. The most recent examples come from the protests in Hong Kong, where protesters have defaced Chinese monuments and symbols as they attempt to gain their own sovereignty. In Iran during their series of revolutions, symbols of the monarchy and the Shah were destroyed in an attempt to erase the monarchy and its reign over Iran.
I did not really connect with any of the characters in the story, or any of the events that took place. Some of the situations that took place seem outlandish to me, and are things that I would not want to endorse or watch either.
The central conflict of the novel is the treatment of Quasimodo and the gypsies, more specifically Esmeralda. Quasimodo and Esmeralda are treated like outcasts in society simply due to being slightly different than those in Paris. In the case of Quasimodo, he is berated, belittled, and stoned due to his hunchback, deafness, blindness in one eye, and the rest of his overall appearance. Esmeralda was berated and killed for being a gypsy from Egypt due to her physical appearance, but she claims to be from Catalonia, the region between France and Spain. The people of Paris treat them poorly, and their bereavements and belittlements are the foundation for the cases against them, causing them to turn against the people of Paris.
These conflicts were hardly resolved in the book, as Dom Claude Frollo has Esmeralda executed for her gypsy dancing in the square in front of the cathedral because he finds it seductive, and Quasimodo is still exiled by the people of Paris. I think that the conflicts could have been handled much better than they were, as the people of Paris had extreme prejudices against them for things that were either out of their control, as seen in the case of Quasimodo, or a lifestyle that had not been their choice, as seen in the case of Esmeralda. These conflicts are universally based, as those with disabilities and mangled appearances are often ostracized by society, and made fun of for their appearance and actions. Immigrants and refugees are often ostracized as well, simply because they do not have the same level of conformity to their new home and society as those who are well acquainted with the ways of the people around them. In the time of the writing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, these conflicts were much different and differently handled than conflicts of similar origins that are seen today.
This reading experienced changed my worldview only slightly as it offered an explanation as to why the world reacts the way that it does to those who are vagabonds and refugees, and those who are disabled. It can never be truly explained where these sentiments come from, as these have been deeply ingrained in many humans. This does, however, give an insight into why people had thought this way, and continue to still think this way.
Throughout the novel, there is a great prejudice against Quasimodo. Quasimodo is exiled and berated because of his hunchback, but also due to his deaf and one-eyed nature, along with a limp from a leg that is malformed. This directly impacts what Quasimodo is able to do, and how he is perceived. The story revolves around Quasimodo being seen as a monster and a freak of nature, among other things, and how he was able to interact with Esmeralda and protect her for a short amount of time from Dom Claude Frollo. The prejudice against Quasimodo is not unique to France, nor is it unique to the time period written in. Often there are strong prejudices against those who are disabled or who have a physical deformity, and this occurs all over the world, and has been continued throughout all different time periods.