Summary

In the vaulted gothic towers of the Notre-Dame lives Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell ringer. Although he bears a compassionate soul, Quasimodo is burdened by his unfortunate figure so hideous and repulsive that it makes everyone quail. Mocked and shunned for his unsightly appearance, he is sparingly pitied by Esmeralda, a beautiful gypsy girl whom he becomes completely devoted to at a distance. Esmeralda however, has also unknowingly seized the heart of the sinister Archdeacon Claude Frollo. When she rejects his lecherous approaches and falls for somebody else, Frollo is enraged and hatches a plot to end her. Despite Quasimodo’s best attempts to save Esmeralda, she is finally hung to her death for the apparent murder of a captain and deal with black magic. At this unraveling turmoil, Quasimodo kills Claude Frollo and disappears from the scene forever. That is, until one day when a gravedigger stumbles upon Esmeralda’s remains, to find the corpse of a hunchback curled around her.

Inspiration

 Born during the height of the French Revolution, much of Victor Hugo's literary works evolved around this momentous event. Among the heavily invested days about social and political equality that characterized the legacy of the French Revolution, there was very little respect for architecture. As a result of the wars, Notre-Dame was deteriorating, and Hugo desperately sought the revival of its appreciation. This interest grew alongside the Romanticism movement and prevails to be the main inspiration for this classic gothic novel.

Themes

Architecture: Above the many subliming themes of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the one that stands out is the significance of architecture which was declining during Hugo’s era. In fact, the French title of the novel is Notre Dame de Paris, emphasizing not the hunchback, or the tragedy, but the essence of the cathedral itself. It is the symbol and gothic heart of the city. Besides its external facade of upholding divinity and wisdom, it is also the maternal spirit which houses disparity, and commotion in return. From the moment it was built it held no true quality, always changing at the sway of its people. Although it was made in the name of God, Notre-Dame stands inexplicably mixed between the religious and secular, but not one or the other. This metaphor reflects upon the erratic state of the French Society.

Romanticism: This literary movement during Hugo’s period, which strayed away from the strict values of the Enlightenment, asserted the vigour of imagination and emotion before reason and order. Romanticism looms primarily in the nature of the characters and how their impulsive acts are materialized from the individual human will. In the midst of chaos, regardless of where they stand, priorities boil down to gain the love they believe they deserve.

Social Justice: Last but certainly not least, is how each character’s social standing was of such high value in that society, to the point of inadvertently predetermining the fate of their life. Simply based off the clothes they wore or the way they spoke and really all sorts of superficial aspects, they were classified to be of a certain ranking. Each position in the community had specific obligations and restrictions set out that they were expected to respect, but it was completely unjust. Hugo however, dives into the bare truth to reveal that even then, contradicting personifications were in constant manifestation. For example, a corrupted priest, a good-for-nothing scholar, a cowardly philosopher and a beast with a heart.

Gothic Elements

Setting: Set during the medieval times, when gothic art flourished,  the streets of Paris were naturally rough and unkempt. With few to care, the menial houses appeared to be “decayed” and “worm-eaten”. (Bk. 2, Ch. 6, Pg. 68) This deformity immediately kickstarts the mood for the reader. Situated in the center of these woven roads lies the ethereal Notre-Dame where most of the story takes place. It’s imposing and grotesque facade proves to be more than your typical haunted house, being fully adorned with stained glass windows, gargoyles, spiked towers and an unspoken promise of divinity. Although the holy walls has served as a sanctuary to many lives, it is unforgettable that it “[retains] grief and indignation at the numberless injuries and mutilations which time and man have inflicted on the venerable structure”. (Bk. 3, Ch. 1, Pg. 90) This situational irony also establishes an eerie history to the location.

Characters:

Quasimodo (beast): He is the monster in the story, the Frankenstein of gothic novels to top it off, one look at Quasimodo face, and it will bring alive all your deepest darkest fears.

“God knows what intensity of ugliness his features could attain. We shall not attempt to give the reader any idea of that tetrahedron nose, of that horseshoe mouth, of that little left eye, stubbled up with an eyebrow of carrotty bristles, while the right was completely overwhelmed and buried by an enormous wen; of those irregular teeth, jagged here and there like the battlements of a fortress; of that horny lip, over which one of those teeth protruded, like the tusk of an elephant; of that forked chin; and, above all, of the expression, that mixture of spite, wonder, and melancholy, spread over these exquisite features. Imagine such an object, if you can.” (Bk. 1, Ch. 5, Pg. 40)

Though his heart may be pure and sincere, none of these traits will ever outweigh his profoundly ugly countenance. It is as if a lifetime curse has been placed on him for something he had nothing to do with, something there is no way of redeeming. Even after saving the life of his love, Esmeralda, she simply could not “feel sufficient gratitude to blind her to his imperfections...He was too hideous.” Have God no mercy for the creature who lives under His very haven? Or is this the work of the supernatural?

Archdeacon Claude Frollo (tyrannical male): Torn between his virtuous ways and impassioned desire to pursue Esmeralda, Frollo breaks his bonds and becomes a self-indulgent maniac. In attempt to make her love him, he abuses his power by using threats that only suffice to put her in despair. But if he can't have her, no one else can.

“Haunted by it incessantly, incessantly hearing thy song ringing in my ears, incessantly seeing thy feet dancing upon my breviary, my dreams by night, as well as my thoughts by day, being full of thee. I was desirous to behold thee again, to touch thee, to know who thou wert, to ascertain whether thou resemblest the ideal image impressed upon my mind, to dispel perhaps the phantasm by the reality.” (Bk. 7, Ch. 4, Pg 256)

Esmeralda (damsel in distress): While she appears to be level-headed and independent in the beginning, the reader slowly comes into terms with her weakness, that is to be naive for love. However glorifying it may be to in the city of love, Esmeralda blindly falls head over heals for an arrogant man whom she falsely believes is equally infatuated. This mishap puts her in the inferior position as her logic and reality is suddenly distorted. There is no hiding the fact that her unprecedented beauty and youthful charms is what condemned her to be such a target of purity.

“She was not tall, though she appeared to be so from the slenderness and elegance of her figure. Her complexion was dark, but it was easy to divine that by daylight her skin must have the beautiful golden tint of the Roman and Andalusian women. Her small foot too was Andalusian. She danced, whirled, turned round, on an old Persian carpet, carelessly spread on the pavement; and every time her radiant face passed before you as she turned her large black eyes flashed lightning.” (Bk. 2. Ch. 3, Pg. 51)

Vocabulary: There is a large selection of gothic vocabulary that not only captures the temper of the story, but also greatly enhance it.

Personification: Throughout the book, there was not a substantial use of personification as expected, but each and every one still counts and this was one of them: “The myriad bells with their little copper tongues seemed to him so many gaping jaws of serpents, ready to bite and to hiss.” (Bk. 2, Ch. 6, Pg. 77)

Pathetic Fallacy: The only pathetic fallacy that occurs during the novel follows the narration of a philosopher named Pierre Gringoire. His impartial and whimsical attitude towards life other than himself translates fluently into the passages.

“...where a thousand scattered lights flickered in the confused haze of night.” (Bk. 2, Ch. 6, Pg. 67)

Omens and Prophecies etc.: Hugo includes many elements of the mystical, such as black magic, alchemy, and curses. The remark of sorcery alone was especially thrown around as people then strongly believed in gypsies possessing evil power. Even the priest Claude Frollo is associated with such dealings when he writes ANAÃKH on the wall of his room. The word means fate and reflects on the gripping effects from which the characters appear unable to free themselves. Thus, making the word a prophecy of the short time remaining for Hugo’s main characters.

Overwrought Emotions: It is a thunderous storm of emotions encased within the inscription of words this one. From the height of the philosopher’s joy of having slipped by the card of death, to the desperation of Frollo’s break down, and Quasimodo’s final blow of anger, the intensity constantly regenerates. The whole plot is driven by these character’s raw emotions which dictates their actions. For example, at the end of this novel when Esmeralda could have narrowly escaped death, she chooses to remain a captive of her wretched emotions, yet again. And yet again, it openly betrays her. Having so mindlessly left her hiding spot to seek her past lover, it had costed her her life.

“‘Oh, my Phoebus!’ was all that poor girl could utter.” (Bk. 7, Ch. 4, Pg. 257)

“At this awful moment, a demon laugh, a laugh such as one only who has ceased to be human is capable of, burst forth upon the livid face of the priest. Quasimodo heard not this laugh, but he saw it.” (Bk. 10, Ch. 2, Pg. 411)

Romance: This novel, includes a great collection of romantic elements all as a direct result of Esmeralda. We get a taste of powerful love from the archdeacon mournful pleas, the uncertainty of reciprocated love from Phoebus, along with her rival suitors the Archdeacon, Phoebus, Gringoire and Quasimodo who all seek the attention innocent Esmeralda! This singular element, is the core that builds and connects the whole story to create tension in its unpredictability.

“Thou wilt grant me that indulgence, wilt thou not, my Phoebus? Meanwhile take me; let me belong to thee, and be the only object of they love! We Egyptians want nothing else but air and love.” (Bk. 6, Ch. 8, Pg. 231)

Critic of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

As a gothic novel, everything flowed except for two glaring problems that could have made it less of a drag to read. First off, Victor Hugo’s omniscient voice that followed the events, rambled off topic too often onto his own thoughts and opinion that it had the effect of breaking the reader from the rising plot. He wrote with too much stream of conscience. There would literally be a ten page section on the history of Paris that popped out every now and then to ruin the moment. Whatever tension developed, was always immediately lost despite his best intentions. 
Secondly, this story greatly lacked the factor of creating dread. The reason why this is so, is because Hugo had not engaged a reader’s five senses in his style of writing. Therefore not allowing the reader to wear the shoes of the character to encounter the same heart-wrenching emotions. Had it not been for these two road bumps, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame would have been a stress-free read.

Otherwise, it was a poignant gothic novel with a well developed and executed plot. This classic book is highly recommendable, and leads you to understand the legacy that is Quasimodo’s.  

Final Quote

"The Cathedral was not only [Qausimodo's] society but his world--in short, all nature to him. He dreamed of no other trees than the painted windows, which were always in blossom; of no other shades than the foliage of stone adorned with birds in the saxon capitals; of no other mountains than the colossal towers of the church; of no other ocean than paris which roared at their feet."
--(Bk. 4, Ch. 3, Pg. 130) From The Hunchback of Notre-Dame