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Part 1, Chapter 6: Ashes
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Magic, Cinema, and Imagination
Friendship, Honesty, and Vulnerability
Meaning and Purpose
Hardship and Maturity
Summary
Analysis
Hugo goes to the bookstore. He knows where it is but has never been inside before. Hugo rubs his jacket as he enters the store, and his heart beats quickly. The look, feel, and smell of the bookstore reminds Hugo of his time at school. In particular, he remembers his two best friends, Antoine and Louis. He wonders how they are doing and if they still remember him. The bookstore also reminds Hugo of when his father used to read him stories by Jules Verne and Hans Christian Andersen. Hugo treasures these memories and wishes he could still be read to.
Other than the flashback featuring Hugo’s father, there is little information given in the story about Hugo’s past. Antoine and Louis are an exception to the rule, though they are not mentioned again. Their presence is a reminder of the normal life Hugo once had before it was all taken away. Meanwhile, Jules Verne and Hans Christian Andersen are both writers whose works inspired this story. Jules Verne is known for his adventure stories such as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, while Hans Christian Andersen is known for his fairy tales such as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Ugly Duckling.”
Themes
At first, the only person Hugo notices in the shop is the clerk. However, on further inspection, he sees the young girl he met a few nights ago. The young girl tells him that Georges did not burn his notebook. At first, Hugo does not believe her, but she assures him it is true. Hugo asks the girl why she is helping him. She says it is because she wants to see what is inside his notebook. Hugo says she is not allowed to look inside the notebook, but she acts like she is going to anyway.
Because of his past, Hugo struggles to trust others. He worries that this young girl does not have his best interest at heart. Indeed, his fear is not entirely unfounded, as the young girl seems just as interested in learning more about the notebook as anything else.
Themes
Hugo leaves the bookstore still not entirely sure what to think. From there, he makes his way to Georges’s shop and tells Georges he doesn’t believe that he burned his notebook. In response, Georges says that he doesn’t care what Hugo thinks, but admits it is possible that he didn’t burn the notebook. Then, Georges once again firmly asks Hugo to go away. Hugo leaves but spends the entire evening thinking about the automaton. Then, he returns to the toy store the next day. Still, he has no luck with Georges, but he comes back day after day and spends his nights drawing pictures of the automaton.
Georges’s admission that the notebook could still be intact suggests the girl is telling the truth. However, Hugo does not trust either one of them. In the meantime, drawing remains a coping mechanism for Hugo. Drawing the automaton brings him comfort, just like rubbing the notebook.
Themes
After a few days of this pattern, Georges gives Hugo a broom and says, “Be useful.” Hugo sweeps for Georges and then asks for his notebook back. Georges gives Hugo some money and asks him to go buy them some coffee and croissants. Hugo happily does so and then returns to Georges. They eat and drink together, but do not say anything. After the meal, Georges hands Hugo the windup toy he broke and asks him to fix it. Hugo tells Georges he needs tools, so Georges gives him some. Hugo diligently works on the toy and quickly gets it working again.
Although Georges can be grumpy, he is never unkind to Hugo. He knows Hugo is homeless and hungry, which is why he treats him to coffee and croissants. Georges also correctly assumes that Hugo has a talent for fixing mechanical objects, perhaps because of what he’s seen in the notebook. Indeed, for a boy his age, Hugo’s talents are impressive; he quickly manages to fix the toy even though he is not working with his normal tools.
Themes
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Impressed, Georges tells Hugo that he knew he was talented and asks him again about the contents of his notebook. Hugo does not answer his question and once again asks for the notebook back. Georges tells Hugo that it is possible he did not burn the notebook. However, the only way for Hugo to find out is if he works for Georges. Georges warns him that there is a possibility that he could work there for months only to discover his notebook was destroyed. Hugo tells Georges that he already has a job. In response, Georges says that being a thief is not a job. Again, Hugo says that he has another, legitimate, job. However, he promises to come whenever he can. Georges tells Hugo that his first day begins tomorrow. Hugo is not fully satisfied with the plan, but decides it is better than nothing.
Georges wants to know more about Hugo, but Hugo refuses to open up. However, Georges knows he can learn more about Hugo—and make Hugo trust him—if he lets Hugo work for him. Additionally, this is a way Hugo can pay Georges back for all of the toys Hugo has stolen since his father’s death. Although Georges claims the notebook could be burned already, that seems unlikely given what the young girl has said. Additionally, Georges is skeptical that Hugo has another job because children Hugo’s age could not legally be employed—at least, not in the manner Hugo is suggesting.
Themes
