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Book 4, Chapter 3
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
Although Quasimodo loves Notre Dame more than he loves most people, he has great affection for his adoptive father, Claude Frollo. Frollo protected and nurtured Quasimodo when he was a child and, as an adult, Frollo gives Quasimodo the job as bell-ringer in Notre Dame, a position that Quasimodo treasures.
Quasimodo responds to affection with loyalty and love. This suggests that people learn from example and people who are treated kindly are more likely to be kind themselves.
Themes
Frollo teaches Quasimodo to sign when he loses his hearing, which means that Frollo is the only person Quasimodo can communicate with. Beyond this, Quasimodo is exceptionally loyal to Frollo and is utterly in his thrall. He will do anything that Frollo asks of him, even if it harms himself, and he will never allow anyone to harm Frollo. Although Frollo is physically weaker than Quasimodo, Frollo intellectually dominates him, and Quasimodo’s attitude towards Frollo is that of a dog towards its beloved master.
Frollo is, clearly, a passionate young man, and he channels this passion into raising Quasimodo, whom he goes out of his way to help. Although Quasimodo is ostracized from society because of his unfortunate looks and considered vicious by the Parisian populace who have always been unkind to him, Quasimodo’s true nature is pliable and gentle. He is affectionate and loyal towards Frollo because Frollo has been kind to him, which shows that he’s only violent toward other people because he has been treated cruelly.
Themes
