The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Here are five good points that I can share about the novel of Victor Hugo which is “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.
1. The setting shows the culture in Paris
The story was set in 1480’s in Paris. There are some establishments mentioned in the story such as palace and church. The cathedral of Notre Dame is one of the largest and famous church buildings in the Catholic Church in France. This is where Quasimodo, the main character in the story lives. He is the bell ringer and the hunchback of Notre Dame. There are holidays that are mentioned in the novel such as: Epiphany and the Festival of Fools. Epiphany is held on every 6th of January and it is known to most Christians as the arrival of the Three Kings. The festivals mirror the tradition and culture of France.
2. The character of La Esmeralda
La Esmeralda has a pet goat named Djali. La Esmeralda is a beautiful young gypsy girl who loves to dance and carries a tambourine and a goat. She is kind, selfless, and brave. Why kind? First, La Esmeralda helped a man named Gringoire. Gringoire reached ‘The Court of Miracles’ where robbers and bandits live. He was about to get hanged when no one wanted to marry him. Luckily, La Esmeralda came and she stopped the man from dying when she married him. Next instance is when Quasimodo was tortured in public. He asked for water but the people ignored and suddenly, La Esmeralda came to bring him a bottle of water even though Quasimodo did something not so good to her. She did not judge Quasimodo based on his appearance. La Esmeralda is selfless because she cared so much to Phoebus, she even confessed to sins that she did not commit such as witchcraft, fornication, and the murder of Phoebus de Chateaupers. That’s why she was sentenced to be hanged at the Place de Greve. La Esmeralda is brave enough to face the consequences of the deeds. Also, she fights Claude Frollo who has bad intentions to her.
3. Issues that we can compare to today’s time
Some novels depict how beautiful the world is, or even give happy endings, but this novel is somehow different from the stereotype. First, the people make fun of Quasimodo because of his extraordinary appearance. He became pope of fools for he has the ugliest face and body. If we were to compare it in the 21st century, this kind of festival is not allowed because it will be the cause of bullying. Next is, the beggars who were covered with sores at daytime but becomes thieves at night. This also show the situation wherein some people tend to be poor and pitiful but they have other intentions. Another one is the poor judgments. When Quasimodo was in the courtroom, the judge interrogated him and he was not able to hear the question because he was deaf. While the judge is also deaf and he kept on interrogating Quasimodo and the people in the courtroom burst into laughter. The judge was offended because he thought Quasimodo said something disrespectful. He sentenced Quasimodo to be flogged at the Place de Greve. This situation shows that justice cannot be attained in some circumstances. There is no special treatment on people with disabilities in the medieval times. Those are only few comparisons of the society and we see hi much society has changed in some aspects.
4. The Character of Claude Frollo and his relationship with Quasimodo
Claude Frollo took care of his younger brother, Jehan when they became orphans. He became a mother to him and eventually, became a priest at the age of twenty. Because of his love for Jehan, Claude Frollo adopted and baptized a child and named him Quasimodo. He made Quasimodo the bell ringer of the bells of Notre Dame, Also he teached Quasimodo how to speak, to read, and to write. He equally loved his brother and Quasimodo. Claude Frollo also became the archdeacon incharge of two deanships and one hundred and seventy-four priests. Claude Frollo, the priest is madly in love with La Esmeralda, the gypsy girl. On the night of the festival, he ordered Quasimodo to take her by force and Quasimodo obliges. Quasimodo is very loyal to his master because he thought of the deeds that the priest did to him. Claude Frollo became evil and his love for La Esmeralda grew bigger to the point that he almost killed the man La Esmeralda loved which is Captain Phoebus. He tried to take advantage of La Esmeralda several times and he failed. He then felt angry and when La Esmeralda was caught and hanged, he laughed but Quasimodo saw it and he pushed the priest and watched him fall from a height of more than two hundred feet and he died. Quasimodo then felt regretful because of his sudden actions and all of his loved ones were gone in a blike of an eye.
5. The novel gives moral lessons that can be stored in our hearts and minds.
There are a lot of real life situations in the novel and it gives us of moral lessons. This novel teaches us that the most unlikely hero can be found in all of us. For example, Quasimodo helped La Esmeralda to not get hanged because her inside the church. It is said that a prisoner within the walls of the cathedral of Notre Dame was untouchable and could not be arrested. Quasimodo maybe deaf but he was not blind. When La Esmeralda gave him a bottle of water, he remembered her and helped because she had given her help in the first place. Humans tend to help each other in times of need especially when the person who needs help did something great to you. Remember to pay off the so called “debt of gratitude”. It is very important because sometimes, we forget the people who help us in times of need. Some people always help without asking for anything in return. There are more lessons that we can acquire from the novel. Try to find out by reading it yourself! Have Fun! :)
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