Point of No Return

"no, you listen! all my life you have told me the world is a dark, cruel place. but now i see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!"

classics

(og masterpieces↓)

I know I've probably discussed this topic to death, but I've been thinking about it again.

I just went onto Disney+ and rewatched all of Quasimodo and Esmeralda's interactions in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as scenes where Quasi talks about Esmeralda when she's not present. Having refreshed my memory, I can safely say this, one and for all:

To call Quasimodo's feelings for Esmeralda "toxic" is nonsense!

Their friendship is lovely. Quasimodo is never anything but polite, friendly, and helpful to Esmeralda, while she feels nothing but warmth and esteem for him. In no way does he ever make her uncomfortable. In no way is it his own fault that she doesn't love him romantically.

Yet the fans call his love "toxic." Ad nauseam and again ad nauseam, they claim that he objectifies and dehumanizes her by putting her on a pedestal as a perfect angel, "just like" Frollo demonizes her as a temptress and a witch, while only Phoebus sees her as the real woman she is. If you dare to discuss any aspect of the Quasimodo/Esmeralda/Phoebus love triangle, in any capacity, you can expect at least one person in the comments to chime in that Quasi "sees Esmeralda as a Madonna, while Frollo sees her as a Whore, and only Phoebus treats her like a human being." Quasi and Frollo are lumped together as "the bad choices" for Esmeralda, in contrast to Phoebus as "the good choice," when the movie's actual main contrast is between Quasi and Frollo, the "man" vs. the "monster," with Phoebus not even part of the equation. And again and again, people say that the reason why Esmeralda falls in love with Phoebus instead of Quasi is because she "doesn't like the way Quasi treats her," as if they all saw some alternate version of the movie where he makes her uncomfortable by worshiping her too much.

And why? Because just once, in the song "Heaven's Light," when Esmeralda isn't even present, he calls her "an angel."

My dad used to call me "my angel." Does that mean he was a toxic parent who didn't see me as a human being? And my mom used to call our dog "our little angel." Does that make her a toxic dog owner?

I don't disagree with the claim that Quasimodo idolizes Esmeralda just a little too much for an ideal romance, or that of the three men who have feelings for her, Phoebus is the only one who relates to her entirely as an equal. But I think there are other reasons why Quasi and Esmeralda might not work as a couple... more on her side than on his. She doesn't relate to him as an equal either, but pities him as a "poor creature" and "poor boy" ("boy," not "man") when they first meet, and though she obviously gains respect for him in the bell tower when she sees his artistic talent and gets to know him better, there's always a protective and nurturing motherly aspect in how she treats him. This is fine for a friendship, but for a romance? Not the ideal basis.

Besides, there are two much bigger reasons for Quasimodo not to "get the girl": (1) It lets him prove that he's the "man" to Frollo's "monster," since he accepts Esmeralda's choice and continues to be her friend, unlike Frollo who's willing to burn down all of Paris to possess her and burn her if she refuses. (2) It adds just a hint of bittersweetness to the ending, so the integrity of Victor Hugo's tragedy isn't entirely lost – just like the rewritten ending of The Little Mermaid still has bittersweetness to it, because even though Ariel survives and marries Eric, she still has to say goodbye to her family and friends in the sea. And (3) as the film's creative team has always pointed out, Quasi's dearest wish isn't romantic love, but to be "out there" among the people of Paris and accepted by them, which he gets in the end.

Yet even with all of this in mind, I have nothing against shipping Quasimodo with Esmeralda. Like I said, their friendship is beautiful, and I don't think they're inherently not a romantic match. And while I like Phoebus and Esmeralda as a couple, I understand feeling that they're a little rushed, or preferring Esmeralda and Quasi's mutual tenderness to her snarky banter with Phoebus. You want to ship them? Go ahead, just as long as you don't bash Esmeralda for not choosing Quasi in canon!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH, ANIMANIACS FANS!!

Most often, I've seen these songs described as two equally unrealistic, unhealthy views of Esmeralda, which both objectify and dehumanize her, one as an angel and the other as a demon, conveying that neither Quasimodo nor Frollo belongs with her. As I've said many times, there's a kernel of truth in this, but I think the fandom grossly overemphasizes it and applies false equivalence to Quasimodo and Frollo.

But I think some of the differences between the two songs, which contrast Quasimodo with Frollo, deserve more attention.

In "Heaven's Light," Quasimodo never mentions Esmeralda's beauty. He only describes the warmth and affection she showed him; how she smiled at him and kissed his cheek. He doesn't sing about wanting to possess her, but about her feelings: "I dare to dream that she might even care for me." He doesn't even express hope that she loves him romantically, just that she cares for him – which she does. So he's not obsessed with a fantasy of her, but loves her for the warm, feeling person she is.

In "Hellfire," Frollo fixates on Esmeralda's physical appearance – her dancing, her smoldering eyes, her raven hair. And he doesn't give a single thought to her feelings or her point of view, only his own tortured desire for her. He doesn't even sing of wanting her to love him, only of wanting her to "be his." To him, she's just a sexy object that he's determined to either possess or destroy.