critique essay of the hunchback of notre dame

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo: New Historicism Approach Essay (Book Review)

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Introduction

Works cited.

The analysis of literary works, and even visual art, has often been tied to cultural aspects that were associated with the writer and the period such literary works were written. Towards this end, Historicism and New Historicism are concepts developed to analyze literary texts in regards to culture. Whereas Historicism focuses on how culture was used to shape the characters and tell the story, New Historicism analyses texts as historical documents that showcase the different cultural affiliations of a particular society. Generally, one can argue that New Historicism is a revised version of Historicism.

The paper will analyze the novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame , by Victor Yugo. The novel was written in the early 1830s. It will be argued that the writer, Hugo, was significantly influenced by the culture of the people of Paris at the time. Additionally, it will be argued that Hugo used his story to showcase some of the cultural elements of the people, thus, turning the book into a historical piece. Indeed, characters in the novel were shaped by similar characters that could be found in Paris at the time. Important to note, the personalities of the characters, the environment, and the events that the characters find themselves in highlight the various cultural elements of Paris.

In retrospect, the purpose of the paper is to analyze the identified novel using New Historicism approach. In so doing, the culture of the people of Paris at the time will be evaluated and measured against historical documentation of the same. Overall, the paper will prove that New Historicism is not only a viable literature criticism theory, but also a great approach to analyze history.

When trying to pick any form of literary theory for use, one has to consider the fictional part of the literary text being analyzed. Walford and Fulford explain that many novels that have been identified to carry many historical facts have also been flagged to have some form of fiction (117). Thus, it is up to the reviewer to determine what fact and fiction are in every literary piece. The paper will critically analyze a chosen novel based on the new historicism approach. The preferred story is The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo. The book revolves around the life of a hunchback, who is perceived as ugly and stupid by the general community. The hunchback is given a task by the main antagonist of the story that ends up changing his life. He not only becomes a criminal, but also realizes that the norms set by society do not favor the poor. Through the story, the reader can identify crucial historical points. It is arguable that the past events used in the novel also shape the characters and the plot. It is indeed, by doing so, that the author can tell the history of the people of Paris.

Historicism and New Historicism

Drakakis and Fludernik define historicism as cultural events or ideas that are determined by history (496). Indeed, in literature, historicism is arguably one of the oldest criticism theories. Using the approach requires one to fully understand the cultural events that surrounded the author at the time. Many a time, writers pick out several elements of their culture to include in their writing (Vincendeau 43). For instance, cultural factors can be used to develop characters or even shape the plot. Therefore, in an attempt to understand the quality of the work done, one has to fully understand how cultural expectations affected the different elements of the genre (Conton 827). Lee goes further and explains that historicism is also inclusive of the author’s life experiences (451). It is common to find that authors incorporate their own experiences into their stories. Understanding the life of the author can also be used to interpret his or her work critically.

On the other hand, New Historicism can be defined as the critical analysis of a piece of literature as a way of preserving culture (Harman 191; Bartoszyńska 273). Towards this end, therefore, the author uses the written work to tell about his or her culture. Thus, unlike in historicism, where the author uses culture to tell a story, in new historicism, the author uses the story to describe his or her culture. It should be noted that many scholars who employ this school of thought agree that culture can be used to develop characters and further the plot. However, they are adamant that the fact that stories also talk about culture is the proof that both context and culture affect each other in literature.

An example can be used to explain both concepts better. While interpreting the Bible, using the historicism approach, one would argue that it is the culture of Jews that led to development of the different characters in the Bible. For example, in the story of Lot, who drank too much wine and slept naked, one can argue that Jews did not fancy people sleeping naked. The repercussions of his actions led to the disagreement with his sons, who he then cursed. Using new historicism, however, one would argue that it is the fact that Jews did not encourage people to sleep naked that developed the character of Lot. In turn, it also shaped the plot of the story.

As stated, the essay seeks to employ the use of both historicism and new historicism in the critical review of the novel Notre-dame de Paris . The story revolves around a hunchback, who falls in love with one of the most beautiful women in the city. The hunchback, Quasimodo, is hired to kidnap the lady but falls in love with her in the process. He does everything possible to protect her from the antagonist of the story. However, his efforts are in vain, and the lady is killed. To avenge her death, Quasimodo pushes the antagonist off a roof of the cathedral, plunging him to his death.

The character of the hunchback develops all through the story to showcase the change in some cultural aspects. At the end of the book, he leaves the cathedral and is accepted into the society. Indeed, when the hunchback is introduced in the beginning of the story, he is not only described as dirty and ugly, but he has not free will and is confined in the cathedral. At the end of the story, he is described as being confident with the ability to do good. It is for the said reason that he is accepted back in the society. No one perceives him as an abomination any more.

It can be argued that the chosen novel can be analyzed using both the historicism and the new historicism approach. The next sections of the paper will take into account how the new historicism approach can be used to analyze the novel. Additionally, the facts that will be presented will also be checked against official history, and the similarities and differences will be drawn.

How It is Written in the Aspects of New Historicism

As stated, new historicism refers to the use of a story to tell about a particular culture. The approach can be used in the critical review of the novel, ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’ by Victor Hugo. The book, which was written in 1831, incorporates several elements that attempt to tell the history of Paris. One such aspect is the importance of the church to the society. Indeed, many of the activities that take place in the movie surround the Catholic Church (Hugo 57). Several elements of the church are very prominent in the text.

First, the church is portrayed as a highly respected place, where sanctuary can be found. Both the hunchback and the lady he is in love with, turn to the church for comfort. The premise shows that at the time, spirituality and religion were considered essential elements of the culture in Paris. However, as the novel progresses, the reader feels the shift of ideas from the reactions of the characters. The antagonist also relies on the church to do his evil bidding. Thus the church to the reader becomes less trustworthy yet very relevant to the story. The importance of the church to the society is also emphasized at the end of the novel. The hunchback kills the protagonist by pushing him off the Notre Dame. Religiously, murder is a sin. Therefore, the hunchback appears to care less about the repercussions of his crime and takes justice into his own hands.

It can also be argued that the issue of justice was very communal at the time. The author tells of the justice and criminal system of the people at that time through various executions and sentences in the novel. Whereas there is a central body that passed judgments to people accused of a crime, much of the enforcement of the sentencing was done by the community itself. The society loved watching some of its members hanged. It can be argued that to the people of Notre Dame at that time the truth did not matter as long as someone was being punished for the crime.

An example from the book that highlights the justice system is that of Frollo, the antagonist. Frollo is the Minister of Justice of Paris yet he falsely accuses Esmeralda of witchcraft. He uses his powers to manipulate his guard, Phoebus, in an attempt to arrest and hang Esmeralda. The justice system appears to be made up of one person, Frollo. He not only controls Phoebus, but all other guards and junior judges in the city.

It is also worth noting that the author uses different characters based on cultural fittings. For example, the characters of Gypsies in the story portray their history in the region. When gypsies are introduced into the text, they seem untrustworthy. The hunchback goes further and drives them away, thinking that they have been sent to hurt the lady in question. The hunchback trusts the kings’ men more than he trusts the gypsies. He, therefore, shows the kings’ men where the lady was hiding, only to realize they did not have the best intentions. Through new historicism, it can be argued that society belittled gypsies, whereas, they had the best of intentions.

The concept of gender is also brought out clearly throughout the story. The role of women/females in the story is very cliché. For example, Esmeralda has not yet made up her mind on who she wants to marry. Additionally, it appears she analyzes her suitors based on their ability to make wealth and their social status. She is not repelled by the villain’s character as he is one of the most eligible bachelors in the town. It takes the efforts of another man, the Hunchback, to ‘save’ her.

It is also crucial to note that power and politics shaped the society. From the text, political power was a significant clout for the community at that time. Anyone who had political power was not only safe but also protected. Issues such as corruption, economic degradation of the people and bad leadership are all featured in the text. For example, the main villain uses his political influence to manipulate the justice system. Being wealthy, he sponsors the politicians in the town. Thus, he is protected by the law despite his criminal tendencies. One can indeed argue that the author was also trying to highlight some of the problems the society faced in the book. Also, the author attempts to bring out some solutions to the issues stated.

How It is Written in Official History

Looking at the history of Paris and Notre Dame, one can argue that there are some similarities with the portrayal offered in the book. First, the description of the city appears to fit Paris during that same time. Ditner argues that in 1831, Paris was going through a revolution due to the different political temperature (25). Indeed, the city became more crowded, many of the residents were poor. From Hugo’s descriptions, one can picture the despicable nature of the city at that time. Not only were the overcrowded spaces appalling, but issues such as crime were rampant. Hugo explains that the city had small closely packed houses, where large families lived in poverty. According to Ditner, people in the lower social classes at that time were used to violence (25). The stated goes to explain why they cheered and looked forward to executions. It should be noted that Hugo, through the text, shows that there was no solidarity amongst the ordinary folks.

Whereas one would expect that the difficulties of life would bring people together, there was so much stratification between the poor people that it led to many deaths. For example, the hunchback could not trust the gypsies for several reasons. First, they were poor people. Based on history, gypsies have been perceived to do anything for money. In fact, from the novel, gypsies are described as untrustworthy (Ditner 32). One can argue that the author used the New Historicism approach to bring out the perception the society had of gypsies at that time. However, one also has to appreciate the fact that the author appears to want to change the blanket opinion the society had on gypsies. He uses gypsies to save the damsel in distress.

By doing so, the author tries to convince the reader that there is more than meets the eye within a society. The society did not trust gypsies because they are poor. However, the fact that the author appears to paint them in a good light only speaks to the fact that society never accepted them. Overall, it can be argued that the author initiated a fantasy, rather than history when developing the characters of the gypsies. Secondly, the gypsies were not trustworthy as they did not have a permanent home. The fact that they moved around made them less accountable. Thus, society found it difficult to trust them.

Otey et al. argue that in 1831, and several years after that, home ownership in Paris was considered very prestigious (1065). Due to the crippling level of poverty in the city, only the wealthy could afford houses. Despite this, the poor still fought for permanent housing by taking up smaller developments in the slum areas of the city. Gypsies, however, preferred living in very temporary housing, a fact that was not understood at that time due to cultural beliefs.

The justice system that is described in the book goes hand in hand with that which is described in the official history of Paris at the time. Not only was the system mired in corruption, but it was also managed by top political leaders for their gain. As stated, the society believed so much in punishment for a crime that they did not care about the truth. Politicians used this to control the communities. It can be argued that justice was not the primary concern to both the leadership and the community as compared to execution.

Suffices to mention that the killing of the antagonist by the hunchback has a historical meaning. Indeed, even though much of Paris remained the same in 1831, fractions of the population were trying to resist the different forces that influenced everyday life in the society. The hunchback would not have had the courage to kill the antagonist because he is used to taking orders. Additionally, it is the antagonist who hired him to kidnap the lady he loved. One can note the change in belief and attitude when the hunchback kills the antagonist. Historically, at around the same time, some members of the community were also protesting against political and judicial decisions. Paris experienced a lot of demonstrations and public outcry for change in the systems, including the legal systems, at the same time.

Historical Event or an Issue Which is Handled from New Historicist Point of View

Several historical events are highlighted in the novel. One of the most significant issues addressed is the social stratification that the society in question embraced. Vilslev defines social stratification as the division of a community based on specific elements such as wealth and education (261). The gap between the rich and the poor is described as significant by the novelist. The descriptions of the places different characters lived in also highlights the differentiation. For example, whereas the antagonist lived in a lovely house, the hunchback did not. Not only did the hunchback live in the basement of the church, but he would often also sleep on the streets (especially when he was protecting Esmeralda from her captors).

It is important to note that many societies, not just those in Notre Dame, were very stratified then. The more wealthy and educated a person was, the higher he or she was in the stratification ladder. Even though one could move from one class to another, many did not get opportunities to do so. Take for instance, in the novel, the hunchback, who was born with a deformity and could not get any significant work due to his physical appearance. The hunchback is, therefore, left to fend for himself through odd jobs and crime. Indeed, to some extent, the difficulty of changing one’s social and economic status forced people to do things they did not initially anticipate. For example, there is no indication that the hunchback is a criminal. Despite this, the main antagonist still finds him and offers him the job. The main reason given as to why this is so is the fact that the hunchback is considered ugly due to his physical appearance. Ugliness is then associated with inability to do decent work.

There are several examples from the novel that can be analyzed using the historicism and new historicism approach. For instance, the scene in which Esmeralda and Captain Phoebus meet at the cathedral can be analyzed using the new historicism approach. Phoebus follows Esmeralda to the cathedral to arrest her for witchcraft. It should be noted that the allegations were made by Frollo, the villain of the story. However, Phoebus changes his mind and falls in love with Esmeralda. He sees her as soft and cannot bring himself to arrest her. Using new historicism, one can argue that in Paris, men were meant to physically protect women. Seen as a less superior, and physically weaker gender, it was up to the men to protect the women from bodily harm.

The stated issue tells more about the people than it does about the plot itself. First, very many people in Paris loved the idea of living in the city. It is due to this that the town was always crowded. It can be argued that populations went into the city to look for work. However, the concept of work in the novel has not been well highlighted. Secondly, the crowded streets were also as a result of derogatory cultures. According to history, the issue of social stratification in Paris was resolved through revolution (Canning 173). As stated, in 1831 several uprisings tried to change the popular culture at the time by highlighting the different things that were negatively affecting the society. The issue of stratification was amongst the concerns such groups had. The change in belief is also very noticeable in the novel.

Social stratification also trickles down to how the society viewed the hunchback. The antagonist asks the hunchback to kidnap Esmeralda as he believes the hunchback is stupid and can only follow orders. The assumption arises from the fact that the hunchback is not only considered ugly but also cannot think on his own. The society feels that he is stupid and cannot differentiate right from wrong. It is for the stated reason that the antagonist does not realize the extent to which the hunchback loves Esmeralda. It is, therefore, easy for the hunchback to kill the antagonist without him (antagonist) knowing. It can be argued that Esmeralda brings a new element of a thought revolution in the novel and in Paris at that time. She does not perceive the hunchback as ugly or stupid.

In conclusion, there are very many literature theories that can be used to review literary pieces critically. One of the most common literature theories is historicism. Historicism has been used by several well-known scholars to discuss literature and is defined as the use of culture to develop a story or character. Despite its popularity, however, more scholars have changed their minds and now support new historicism. The main difference between historicism and new historicism is the fact that the latter also emphasizes how stories can be used to highlight the culture of the people.

The chosen novel for review is the Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo. The story is set up in 1831, in Paris, France. A hunchback is hired to kidnap a beautiful lady for a man who is in love with her. However, the hunchback is arrested and the lady rescued. The hunchback is sentenced to hanging but gets pardoned due to the efforts of the lady, Esmeralda. Esmeralda refuses romantic advances from the main antagonist of the story, and this leads to her death. To avenge her, the hunchback, who had fallen in love with her, kills the antagonist.

The novel can be analyzed using the new historicism approach. First, the author uses the character to showcase the economy of France at that time. The description of the living conditions of the hunchback and that of the main antagonist go to show the stratification in the society. Additionally, the descriptions used to highlight the plight of the different groups of people in France. The top class in the society is not only privileged but also feared. The Hunchback was afraid of saying no to kidnapping Esmeralda. One can argue that he knew kidnapping Esmeralda was wrong. His was not an internal war on good and evil but rather an internal war on social class.

Also, the justice system of Paris is highlighted in the plot. During the said era, the community was not interested in the truth, but instead, in the punishment. Thus, anyone would be punished for a crime, despite no evidence showing their involvement in the said crime. The stated justice system was also preferential. Only the rich and wealthy would get some form of justice. Esmeralda is not portrayed as a wealthy woman. For this reason, she was easily accused of the crime and almost killed. The premise also brings about the issue of gender and justice. The main villain of the story is male. He is, however, able to easily manipulate the system. Since the system favors him, the Hunchback has no option but to take matters into his own hands.

The issue of gender is further developed to highlight the perception of weakness of gender. Arguably, Esmeralda is not a strong character. In fact, the only role the character plays is cliché. Her feminine features have been used to showcase how women were perceived as weak. For example, she could not make up her mind on who she wanted to marry and had to fully depend on the male characters. Since the author based the character development on the New Historicism approach, he was influenced directly by the societal views of gender. Paris and France in general, therefore, experienced gender inequality during the stated era.

Bartoszyńska, Katarzyna. “Constructing a Case: Reflections on Comparative Studies, World Literature, and Theories of the Novel’s Emergence.” Comparative Literature , vol. 69, no. 3, 2017, pp. 271-287.

Canning, Patricia. “Text World Theory and Real World Readers: From Literature to Life in a Belfast Prison.” Language & Literature , vol. 26, no. 2, 2017, pp. 172-187.

Conton, Blandine. ‘Notre Dame De Paris’: Reverberations in English and American Operas . Dissertation, Daugavpils University, 2014, UOI 2017.

Ditner, Tessa. “London and the Grotesque.” World Literature Today , vol. 86, no. 3, 2012, pp. 24-27.

Drakakis, John, and Monika Fludernik. “Introduction: Beyond New Historicism?” Poetics Today , vol. 35, no. 4, 2014, pp. 495-513.

Harman, Graham. “The Well-Wrought Broken Hammer: Object-Oriented Literary Criticism.” New Literary History , vol. 43, no. 2, 2012, pp. 183-203.

Hugo, Victor. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame . Dick & Fitzgerald Publishers, 1862.

Lee, Maurice S. “Searching the Archives with Dickens and Hawthorne: Databases and Aesthetic Judgment after the New Historicism.” ELH , vol. 79, no. 3, 2012, pp. 747-771.

Otey, Hernandez, et al. “Ugliness and Beauty in Literature.” NAAAS & Affiliates Conference Monographs , 2013, pp. 1061-1070.

Vilslev, Annette Thorsen. “Questioning Western Universality: Sōseki’s Theory of Literature and His Novel Kusamakura.” Japan Forum , vol. 29, no. 2, 2017, pp. 257-278.

Vincendeau, Ginette. “French Film Noir.” Sight & Sound , vol. 26, no. 11, 2016, pp. 42-49.

Walford, D. Damian, and Tim Fulford. “Introduction: Romanticism’s Wye.” Romanticism , vol. 19, no. 2, 2013, pp. 115-125.

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Book Review: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo

Published in 1831 in French under the title Notre-Dame de Paris , this book has been made into an opera, a ballet, several stage plays, two musicals, and at least 15 films, including TV and animated versions. One conclusion I could draw from this is that it’s a very popular tale, and so there is a good chance that you already have some idea of what it’s about. Another conclusion that I came to while listening to David Case’s expert audiobook narration, is that it was written in a way that lends itself to dramatic interpretation. It’s not hard to see why so many theater and film producers have found it hard to resist the urge to adapt this book to their medium. It comes ready-made with dramatic set pieces, entertaining dialogue, moving soliloquies, skillfully blocked stage business, characters making dramatic entrances and exits, vividly described scenery, and impressive spectacles that leave one thinking, “I wonder how this could be engineered for the stage.” Sometimes its melodrama is downright operatic: “With a few cuts,” one thinks, “this could easily be made into a libretto.” As the villain struggles to hang on while dangling 200 feet above certain death, one thinks, “I know just how I would edit this scene, intercut with shots of the gargoyles and sculptures on the church’s facade.” You see where the idea comes from.

Perhaps, now that this has been done so many times, the time has come for film and theater people to give it a rest. It’s not only that they’ve already outdone each other every which way (though they have never outdone the novel). It’s that they have, some way or other, changed the story out of all semblance to its original shape and purpose. Try this experiment: Read this book yourself, and then check whether its ending resembles that of any of the competing film versions, all of which differ from each other. Who lives? Who dies? Is it happy or tragic? Which characters are left in, or combined with other characters to simplify the plot? What is it really about?

The first thing that may surprise you is that it isn’t narrowly focused on the hunchback, Quasimodo, who rings the bells at the church of Notre-Dame in Paris in the year of our Lord 1482. He is only one of several characters who treads the stage in this drama; though, because his particular tragedy is the master-stroke that powers the book to its terrible conclusion, he deserves to be the character singled out in the title of the English translation. Not all adaptations of this book single out Quasimodo, though; some of the films, for example, are named after (La) Esmeralda, the gypsy girl whose fate is intertwined with his. It is worth remembering, though, that Hugo’s original title suggests that the church of Notre-Dame and the city of Paris are really the main characters in this novel. I give fair warning to those who come to this book in search of cheap thrills and easy gratification: the story takes a while to pick up speed. In the meantime, Hugo spends several early chapters developing a high-resolution picture of what he believed Paris to be like in 1482: a place whose architectural marvels had all but disappeared, or been disfigured by later stylings, by the time of his writing; a place that can hardly be seen at all now, except in the images his words paint on the mind’s canvas.

Though it takes them almost the whole length of the book to figure it out—and I don’t think they ever work out all the details—Quasimodo and La Esmeralda were swapped in their infancy. The pretty girl was taken from her unmarried mother, a floozy whose career was fading with her looks when she poured all of her love into the child. The mother all but lost her mind when her dear baby Agnes was stolen by gypsies and replaced with a deformed child of their own. She rejected the little monster, and so he was brought up as a foundling by a priest at Notre-Dame: a grim, scholarly fellow named Claude Frollo. Claude has a tender side towards not only the hunchback but also a much younger brother of his own, who grows up to be a wastrel named Jehan. But it is, alas for both of them, not Jehan but Quasimodo who responds to the priest’s kindness with respect and devotion.

All this is prologue to the events of the story, in which a motherless gypsy girl named La Esmeralda is loved by three men but, tragically, she only loves a fourth who does not love her. Claude Frollo’s obsession with La Esmeralda is a psycho-study in diseased sexuality, religious torment, extortion, abuse of power, and life-destroying evil that in today’s world would spell “rapist.” Pierre Gringoire, who technically happens to be La Esmeralda’s husband (though she has never let him touch her), finds her attractive enough, but really thinks more of his own interests and of the trained goat that follows the girl around. Phoebus, the Captain of the King’s Archers whom La Esmeralda loves with single-minded devotion, has no interest in her except as a casual dalliance, while he remains betrothed to another young lady. Finally, it is Quasimodo, whose ugliness repels and frightens La Esmeralda, who loves her with a purity and tenderness that is never reciprocated. Get the thought out of your head that this is going to end happily. As light and flippant as Hugo’s writerly tone may be, THIS IS A TRAGEDY.

Only a few other pieces need to be put in place. One is a hermit woman whose cell overlooks the gibbet where Esmeralda is sentenced to hang. The hermit is the mother of poor baby Agnes, who has spent the past fifteen years mourning the child she believes to have been eaten by gypsies. She jeers with bitter glee at the news that the pretty dancing gypsy girl, about the same age as Agnes (for reasons I’m sure you can guess) will be led to the gallows. But before Esmeralda gets there, the hunchback snatches her from the hands of her captors and claims refuge for her in the church of Notre-Dame. Why, you ask, has Esmeralda been condemned to death? Partly for witchcraft—because superstitious folk are alarmed by the tricks she has trained her pet goat to perform, and because a boy stole a coin from a silly woman and left a leaf in its place, which was put down to witchcraft—and partly for murdering Phoebus, although in the first place it was Frollo who stabs him, and in the second place, Phoebus survives the attack. Expect to feel torn by helplessness and pity as the girl’s doom draws nearer, indifferent to the fact that her supposed victim is not only alive, but actually taking part in the hunt for her.

Though it is painfully obvious that Phoebus does not love her, La Esmeralda’s misplaced love for him finally seals her doom. Well—that and the spiteful malice of Claude Frollo, who hates and loves her with equal intensity. Between a disorderly mob attempting to rescue her from the King’s justice, and a devoted hunchback (who, unfortunately, is as deaf as he is deformed) mistaking them for a disorderly mob trying to lynch her, the square in front of the cathedral becomes a bloodbath of gruesome violence and death—and this hastens, rather than prevents, the girl’s death. And while most of the principal characters die in the climactic pages of the book, or shortly thereafter, the few who survive leave a bitter flavor in the reader’s mouth. Only the final twist, in the chapter titled “The Hunchback’s Marriage,” shades the aftertaste of sadness back towards the sweet end of bittersweetness. But in case I haven’t emphasized it enough, let me remind you once more that THIS IS A TRAGEDY. Accept no Disney substitutes, which leave room for a cheerful song-and-dance number and a straight-to-video sequel. If you haven’t felt yourself sighing at the memory of this story and its ending, even days after finishing it, you haven’t really experienced The Hunchback of Notre Dame . Read the book; or, if that’s to slow for you, listen to the audio-book.

Notre-Dame de Paris was the fourth of Victor Hugo’s eight novels. The only other one that is now widely read in the English-speaking world was his next novel, Les Misérables (1862), written over thirty years later. Though his criticism of royalty and corrupt leadership is indeed much milder in this earlier novel, that is another element you can expect in this book, which (besides a wicked priest) also features a merciless king, a deaf judge, a torture-happy inquisitor, and a doctor who extorts money out of his patients. Hugo’s social conscience will hardly be a surprise to anyone familiar with his other great novel. Hugo (1802-85) is also admired for his poetry, for plays such as Ruy Blas , and for several novels inspired by his off-and-on exile to the Isle of Guernsey. Now that I have tasted the pleasures of Hugo’s storytelling style, I hope and expect to report more of my discoveries among his works.

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• Introduction

Plot summary

Central themes, context and reception, adaptations.

• What is Victor Hugo remembered for?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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• University of South Carolina Libraries - Scholar Commons - "This dreadful web": Alienation and Miscommunication in The"This dreadful web": Alienation and Miscommunication in The Hunchback of Notre DameHunchback of Notre Dame
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame , historical novel by Victor Hugo , originally published in French in 1831 as Notre-Dame de Paris (“Our Lady of Paris”).

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is set in Paris during the 15th century. The story centres on Quasimodo , the deformed bell ringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral , and his unrequited love for the beautiful dancer La Esmeralda. Esmeralda, born Agnès, is perceived to be a French Roma girl. Her biological mother is a former prostitute once known as Paquette la Chantefleurie but now known as Sister Gudule; her paternity is unknown. Fifteen years before the events of the novel , a group of Roma kidnapped the infant Agnès from her mother’s room. Esmeralda has no knowledge of her kidnapping: she lives and travels with the Roma as if she is one of them. Quasimodo first meets Esmeralda at the Feast of Fools , an annual festival parodying ecclesiastical ritual and cardinal elections. During the festival, Quasimodo is elected “Pope of the Fools” and subsequently beaten by an angry mob. Esmeralda takes pity on him and offers him a drink of water. Quasimodo thereafter falls in love with the dancer and decides to devote himself to protecting her.

Unbeknownst to Quasimodo, two other men vie for Esmeralda’s affection: Quasimodo’s adoptive father, Archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, and the womanizing captain Phoebus de Châteaupers. Esmeralda, for her part, has fallen hopelessly in love with Captain Phoebus. When he asks her to meet him in secret late one night, she enthusiastically agrees. That night Phoebus tries to persuade Esmeralda to sleep with him. From a closet in Phoebus’s room, a disguised Frollo spies on the couple. After he sees Phoebus kiss Esmeralda’s shoulder, the archdeacon , in a fit of jealous rage, breaks down the closet door and stabs Phoebus in the back. Phoebus collapses before he can see his assailant. Esmeralda too loses consciousness , and Frollo escapes, leaving Esmeralda as the only suspect for the attempted murder.

Esmeralda is quickly captured by the king’s guard. Master Jacques Charmolue presides over her trial. Charmolue sentences her to death after she falsely confesses to witchcraft and to murdering Phoebus. (Esmeralda is unaware that Phoebus is alive.) Quasimodo attempts to shelter Esmeralda in Notre-Dame, but he is ultimately unable to save her. Frollo betrays Quasimodo and Esmeralda by taking Esmeralda from the cathedral and releasing her to an angry mob of Parisians. Shortly thereafter Esmeralda is hanged, and Quasimodo, in his grief and despair, pushes Frollo from the cathedral tower. The novel ends many years later, when two skeletons—that of a hunchback and that of a woman—are found embracing in Esmeralda’s tomb. Hugo reports that Phoebus also came to a tragic end: “He married.”

Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame considers what it means to be a monster. The novel makes Quasimodo’s defining characteristic his physical monstrosity, and his entire identity is constructed around being perceived as a monster. He is described by one of the women of Paris as a “wicked” ugly man. Several characters suggest that he is some kind of supernatural being that prowls around Paris, casting spells on its citizens. Quasimodo is juxtaposed with the dashing Captain Phoebus, who shares his name with the Greco-Roman god of the Sun . Phoebus is described as an imposing young man, “one of those handsome fellows whom all women agree to admire.” Yet it is Quasimodo—not Captain Phoebus—who attempts to save Esmeralda and who ultimately kills the archdeacon, thereby ending his reign of terror.

Esmeralda is also perceived as a kind of monster. Although she is not, in fact, a Rom, she is seen and treated as one. In The Hunchback of Notre Dame the Roma are associated with witchcraft and the supernatural. They are viewed as exotic outsiders and are said to practice magic, possess satanic goats, and kidnap Parisian children among other things. Frollo exploits their association with the supernatural to sanction a Roma purge, just as Charmolue uses it to authorize Esmeralda’s execution.

The novel condemns the society that heaps misery on the likes of Quasimodo and Esmeralda. In the end, Hugo indicates that the real monsters are not Quasimodo and Esmeralda but Frollo and Phoebus.

The cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the most enduring symbols of the French capital city. Hugo conceived of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a story of the cathedral itself and devoted two chapters of the novel to describing it. He focused primarily on the Gothic architectural elements of the structure, including its flying buttresses, clerestory windows, and stained glass . Hugo identified Gothic architecture as the bearer of the cultural heritage of France and argued that, as such, it should be protected. At the time that the novel was written (between 1828 and 1831), Paris was verging on major changes that cumulatively threatened to destroy much of its cultural heritage. The French Revolution had resulted in the desacralization, decay, and consequent destruction of many Gothic cathedrals and churches. In the July Revolution of 1830, the French people expressed a desire to liberate themselves from the past. This uprising was driven by a condemnation of the forms and institutions associated with the traditional monarchical regime, and its leaders sought a new way forward.

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame , Hugo recreates the vibrant, intense atmosphere of 15th-century life to remind his readers of the splendour and significance of Paris’s Gothic past. The book doubles as a plea for the preservation of the city’s historic Gothic architecture (and thus its heritage). His plea was met with great success. The first printing, by publisher Charles Gosselin, was distributed in four issues of 275 copies each, and the novel was instantly, incredibly popular. Many thousands of printings followed. The Hunchback of Notre Dame circulated widely, inspiring illustrations by lithographers, painters, book illustrators, and even cartoonists. Images from the novel (especially images of the cathedral) became known to individuals at all levels of society. Notre-Dame de Paris became a French national icon, and the proliferation of images of the cathedral helped revive the use and prestige of Gothic forms. An extensive program of renovation, overseen by French restoration specialist Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc , was undertaken in the mid-1840s, and in the latter half of the 19th century Gothic monuments began to regain their religious significance.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has been adapted several times for the stage and screen. One of the most notable film versions was directed by William Dieterle ; it was released in 1939 and starred Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara , though its happy ending diverged significantly from Hugo’s novel. Other screen adaptations included a 1923 silent film featuring Lon Chaney and a 1956 version starring Anthony Quinn and Gina Lollobrigida . The stage musical Notre-Dame de Paris premiered in Paris in September 1998. The production reportedly had the most successful first year of any musical up to that time. A year later, Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (“The Bell Ringer of Notre Dame”) opened in Berlin . Unlike it’s French counterpart, the German adaptation was based on the Disney animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame , which was released three years prior, in 1996. Although based on Hugo’s novel, the animated film differs significantly from the original text. In Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame , Quasimodo is not dark and brooding but naïve and friendly. He craves social interaction and expresses a keen desire to make friends. Phoebus is also recast: he is a good-natured heroic soldier who returns Esmeralda’s love. The film also revises the end of the novel, such that Esmeralda survives and befriends Quasimodo.

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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Gothic Architecture, History, and Art

The Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame , in Paris, is a central motif in Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame . The novel documents the lives of several characters who live in and around Notre Dame, including Quasimodo , the titular “hunchback” who lives in isolation in the cathedral. Hugo’s novel was written in the 1800s but is set during the medieval period (specifically the 1400s), when Notre Dame was still relatively new…

Lust, Sin, and Misogyny

Lust is associated with sin in the medieval period, while purity is associated with holiness and spiritual rewards. Due to these attitudes, many of the characters in The Hunchback of Notre Dame try to repress their feelings of lust and desire. However, the repression of these urges, which Victor Hugo suggests are natural and healthy, does more harm than good to some of the characters, despite their beliefs in the power of purity.

Frollo represses…

Appearances, Alienation, and Hypocrisy

People are primarily judged on their appearances, rather than their internal characters, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame . Victor Hugo argues, however, that appearances can be deceiving, and that judging people based on how they look can often cause people to be treated unfairly and even ostracized by society. This alienation from society often causes people to reject society because it has rejected them, and in turn to behave in malicious ways. This behavior…

Fate and Predestination

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame , many of the characters suffer tragic fates through no fault of their own. Some characters, like Claude Frollo , believe in predestination (the idea that humans lives follow a set plan which is preordained by God and, therefore, unchangeable), while others try to resist their fates. Victor Hugo suggests that while some aspects of life may be unavoidable, believing in predestination can cause people to engage in destructive…

The Supernatural, Rationalism, and Knowledge

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame , Victor Hugo presents the medieval period as an intensely superstitious age in which people often believe in supernatural explanations for events rather than rational ones. Hugo undermines this attitude and provides a logical explanation for every supposedly supernatural occurrence in the novel. This demonstrates the difference in knowledge between the medieval period, in which the novel is set, and the 1800s, in which Hugo wrote the novel. In…

Justice, Punishment, and Freedom

Victor Hugo presents the medieval Paris of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as an unjust society, despite the many incidents of apparent “justice” which take place. The characters are often falsely accused of crimes or unjustly imprisoned, and the threat of capital punishment is very real in the novel. However, Hugo indicates that even in the face of a corrupt judicial system, ordinary people nonetheless have the power to overcome injustice through collective action.

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame Victor Hugo

The Hunchback of Notre Dame literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame Essays

The complexities of female beauty in the scarlet letter and the hunchback of notre dame eve mandel college, the hunchback of notre dame.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1642, while Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame takes place in Paris, France in 1482. Despite their vastly different settings, Hawthorne’s heroine Hester Prynne and...

The Search for Sanctuary Nick Summers

It is important for those with problems to seek refuge in a place where they can better sort out their difficulties and find solutions to their predicaments. Different people have different methods of coping with their problems: some attempt to...