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Part 2, Chapter 2: The Armoire
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 and Isabelle exit the bedroom and Hugo gets Isabelle ice for her foot, which she hurt when the chair broke. Jeanne comes into the room, and the children try to question her about what is going on. However, Jeanne refuses to say anything. Instead, she tells Hugo that he can stay the night, but after that, she does not want him around Isabelle anymore.
Jeanne is kind and does not want to turn Hugo away, but her first priority is her husband’s health. So far, Hugo has only been a destructive force in both Isabelle’s and Georges’s lives.
Themes
Once everyone is in bed, Hugo sneaks over to Georges’s jacket and steals his keys. Then, he makes his way to the toy shop and tries every key until he finds the right one. Once the shop is open, Hugo searches it in an attempt to find anything that could solve the mystery of Georges and the drawings. Although he doesn’t find what he is looking for, he does come across the little windup toy that he broke and then fixed for Georges. Apparently, Georges decided to keep it rather than sell it, which makes Hugo happy.
Despite everything he’s learned, Hugo’s curiosity is not satisfied. The mystery of the drawings has replaced the mystery of the automaton in his mind. The pictures renew Hugo’s purpose and give him something new to research and uncover. The toy Hugo finds in Georges’s shop suggests that Georges cares for Hugo more than he lets on. Otherwise, he would have no reason to keep it.
Themes
Not sure what else to do, Hugo makes his way back to his room. He is worried because his injured hand prevents him from doing his job. Soon, he thinks, the Station Inspector will realize the clocks are out of sync and come looking for him. Hugo lays down in bed and starts dreaming. His dreams are full of images of clocks, Georges, Isabelle, and the automaton. The last image he remembers before waking up is the Station Inspector’s hand reaching out to grab him.
Although Hugo is still worried about what his future holds—hence his dream about the Station Inspector—the new mystery of Georges’s drawings has given his imagination something to focus on. Overall, the Station Inspector is still a mysterious figure in the story. His title is invoked several times, and Hugo spots him on occasion, but otherwise he has stayed in the background.
Themes
When Hugo wakes up, he is excited. He has an idea of how to solve the mystery of Georges. He makes his way to the bookstore and asks the shopkeeper if he has any books on movies. The shopkeeper recognizes Hugo as Isabelle’s friend and tells him he would be happy to help. Together, Hugo and the shopkeeper look for books on early cinema but cannot find anything. However, before Hugo leaves, the shopkeeper tells him to try the Film Academy library. The shopkeeper gives Hugo instructions, and Hugo takes off running, excited about what he might find.
Again, Hugo demonstrates that he is a thoughtful and clever child, who is capable of unravelling mysteries all on his own. Although the bookstore does not work out, he immediately gets a promising new lead. Again, this scene demonstrates how Hugo feels he has a renewed purpose in life. Just a day ago, he was feeling defeated. Now, he is filled with his excitement and determined to achieve his goal.
Themes
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