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Book 2, Chapter 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gothic Architecture, History, and Art
Lust, Sin, and Misogyny
Appearances, Alienation, and Hypocrisy
Fate and Predestination
The Supernatural, Rationalism, and Knowledge
Justice, Punishment, and Freedom
Summary
Analysis
Very little remains of the Place de Grève in modern Paris, except for one historical turret. The rest of the square has been built over with modern houses. However, in 1482 the whole square was surrounded by Gothic buildings, which dated back to the 11th century. In the middle of the square there were gallows and a pillory, for which the square later became famous when gallows fever temporarily overran Paris.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame contains many descriptions of medieval Paris and the Gothic architecture that dominates the city. Hugo contrasts the historical city with the modern city, in which much of the historical architecture has been built over, to show that modern architects and citizens do not appreciate the history contained in these buildings and the knowledge about previous centuries which can be gained from architecture. The Place de Grève is a site for public punishments, which were extremely common in medieval Paris. The reference to gallows fever is an allusion to the French Revolution and Reign of Terror, in which the people of Paris overthrew the monarchy and publicly executed thousands of nobles. This allusion highlights the way that the French social order would soon change, even though it seems inescapable in the world of the novel.
Themes
It is comforting to think that, compared with 1482, when many parts of the city contained places of public execution, punishment, and torture, the only place that remains in 1830 is the gallows in the Place de Grève, where prisoners can still be hanged.
Although French society in Hugo’s time has improved in terms of its treatment of prisoners, Hugo suggests that there are still changes to be made. While public execution is not as frequent in 19th-century France as it was in the medieval period, Hugo suggests that the end of capital punishment would be “comforting” and that even the comparatively small number of prisoners who are executed in the 19th century are too many.
Themes
