What would Victor Hugo make of this Essay Example For Students

What would Victor Hugo make of this? Essay In his novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame,  Victor  Hugo  decried the numberless degradations and mutilations the Notre Dame cathedral had suffered at the hands of remodelers. If  Hugo  were alive today, he might have a similar opinion about what Disney has done to his classic work. Disneys cartoon version, which opens in theaters Friday, is a sanitized, politically correct retelling of  Hugos grim tale. In the studios hands,  Hugos grotesque hunchback becomes cute and endearing, and the novels gruesome ending turns happy and uplifting. Disney changed the villain, Frollo, from a priest to a judge and transformed gypsies from baby stealers into an oppressed minority. The novel is one of many examples of books of the past that have been betrayed by translations and interpretations, said  Hugo  scholar  Victor  Brombert, of Princeton University. Disneys version is the fourth Hunchback movie. While previous films also took liberties with the story, they at least didnt turn the the title character, Quasimodo, into a cuddly little guy. Thats a far cry from the original vision of  Victor  Hugo  (1802-1885). He was a prolific French poet, novelist and playwright who dominated 19th century literature. Although most respected in France for his poetry, hes best known elsewhere for his novels Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In the fall of 1830,  Hugo  locked his formal clothes away, so he wouldnt be tempted to go out, and penned the 500-page Notre Dame of Paris in 4 1/2 months. (The title was changed to The Hunchback of Notre Dame in the English translation.) The historic novel is set in Paris in the late 15th century. . . . Warning: Dont read on if you dont want the novels plot revealed. Gypsies steal a baby girl, Esmeralda, and in her crib leave behind the grotesque Quasimodo. Esmeralda grows up a beautiful gypsy dancer, while Quasimodo is adopted by the demented priest, Frollo. The reclusive Quasimodo becomes the cathedrals bell ringer, which causes him to lose his hearing. Frollo lusts after Esmeralda, but she loves Phoebus, a captain of the kings archers. Phoebus seduces Esmeralda, cynically professing his love. Frollo stabs Phoebus in a jealous rage. But its Esmeralda whos charged with the crime, and shes sentenced to hang. Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda from the gallows and brings her to the cathedral, where shes given sanctuary. A mob attacks the cathedral, and while Quasimodo is fending them off, Frollo kidnaps Esmeralda. Frollo offers her freedom in return for sleeping with him. She refuses and is sent back to the gallows. This time, Quasimodo is unable to rescue Esmeralda. He sees her dangling at the end of the rope while terrible convulsions travel down (her) body. Enraged, Quasimodo throws Frollo off the cathedral. Quasimodo disappears, and about two years later, authorities discover his remains in a cellar where Esmeralda and other criminals are buried. Quasimodos skeleton is clutching Esmeraldas skeleton. Not exactly a Disneyesque ending. Disney rewrote the story from start to finish. The movie leaves out the part about gypsies stealing a baby, as well as passages in which Esmeralda is horribly tortured and locked in a rat-infested dungeon. For comic relief, there are three talking gargoyles, two of whom are named  Victor  and  Hugo. Phoebus is transformed from an unprincipled cad into a brave and handsome lover. In the end, Quasimodo saves Esmeralda, kills the hated Frollo and is carried through the streets a hero. Nevertheless, the movie is grim, at least by Disney standards. The music is heavy, the colors are dark and some parts may frighten small children. Especially scary is a scene in which Frollo sees Esmeraldas image in a fire and vows shell face the fires of damnation if she wont have him. Since the book isnt read much anymore in American schools, the Disney version likely will supplant  Hugos story in popular culture. And thats too bad.  Hugos novel is a great work, said French lit professor Robert Morrissey of the University of Chicago. When my students read it, they loved it, Morrissey said. Its got everything sex, power, blood, and Quasimodo, whos a great character. And theres more to the novel than its compelling plot.  Hugo  ruminates on themes such as architecture, the futility of acquiring knowledge and the French Revolution. The mob attack on the cathedral, for example, is a metaphor for the storming of the Bastille.