Physique and Character Theme Analysis

Throughout the narrative of Hop-Frog’s revenge, there is particular attention given to physical features and how they inform characters’ behavior. At the beginning of the story, the narrator clearly suggests that there is a strong association between appearance and behavior, evoking the stereotype that fat people naturally like to joke. The narrator later reiterates his belief in the determining effect of body type when he explains that Trippetta (another court servant) is more popular than Hop-Frog because of their drastically different appearances. (Hop-Frog is crippled and has dwarfism; Trippetta also has dwarfism but is extraordinarily beautiful.) This suggests that a person’s appearance can affect not only how they act, but how other people treat them.

Descriptions of physique also function to foreshadow events in the story. For example, the narrator notes early on that Hop-Frog has large, strong arms that enable him to climb well. This is a seemingly insignificant detail that ultimately matters a great deal, as Hop-Frog’s plots to trap his victims (the king and his ministers) and escape using a chain that he can climb. The king and his ministers’ portliness and oiliness also arguably represent such an instance of foreshadowing, as these qualities call to mind a plentiful, greasy source of sustenance—something that the king and his ministers ultimately serve as for the fire when Hop-Frog burns them alive. Instances like these, in which the story associates a visual description with an outcome or behavior, suggest that a body type can tangibly affect how one acts or is received by others. By observing and emphasizing this trend, the story suggests that physique can determine how we interact with our environment—and in this sense, our physique may have an impact on our character.