Notre-Dame de Paris

Author: (French) Victor Hugo / Chen Xiaoqing
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Victor Hugo (1802–1885), the author of the novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, was a renowned French poet, novelist, literary critic, and political commentator of the 19th century. He was also a pioneer in poetic innovation and the founder of Romantic drama, one of the most beloved writers in France. Hugo wrote extensively across various literary genres, including poetry, drama, novels, literary theory, and political essays, with his works filled with humanistic passion. The novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame artistically recreates the historical reality of the rule of King Louis XI of France more than four hundred years ago, depicting how the court and the church colluded to oppress the people and how the people bravely fought against these forces. In the novel, the rebellious Gypsy girl Esmeralda and the physically deformed cripple Quasimodo are presented as embodying true beauty, while the readers see cruelty, emptiness, and sinful desires in the archbishop Frollo and the noble soldier Phoebus. The author skillfully weaves together heart-wrenching stories and vivid, dramatic scenes, making the novel highly readable. The novel is rich in Romanticism and employs the technique of contrast, serving as an artistic model for the application of Romanticism's principle of opposition. Its publication further enhanced Hugo's fame.
January 6th is the traditional Western Day of Fools. On this day in 1482, the entire city of Paris was immersed in a festive atmosphere, with people flocking from all directions to the old town. The crowds gathered on the streets leading to the Palais de Justice were particularly large, where the election of the "King of Fools" was taking place. The rule was simple: the ugliest and most grotesquely laughing person would be elected. When the lucky King of Fools was brought forward, amazement and admiration reached their peak. He had a tetrahedral nose, a mule-shaped mouth, one eye, a hunchback, a limp, and a body almost as wide as it was tall, with a square lower half and legs that looked like two scythes, their handles connected. Amidst his deformities, there was an undeniable determination, solemnity, and courage—this was the bell ringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Quasimodo. The people dressed him in a crown and robe made of cardboard and lifted him into a decorated sedan chair, taking him to Place Grève.
At Place Grève, the Gypsy girl Esmeralda, who earned her living by performing on the streets, captivated the onlookers with her dazzling performance, including a dance on a she had laid down. She was graceful, ethereal, and joyful, and all the spectators gazed at her in awe, their mouths agape, mesmerized by the spectacle. Among the dense crowd, there was a middle-aged man who stood out, though not in a noticeable way. His greedy eyes fixed on Esmeralda, while his lips muttered cold curses almost inaudible to the ears of others. His demeanor was truly frightening. This was the archbishop of Notre-Dame, Claude Frollo. Frollo had always been ascetic, avoiding all worldly pleasures. But that night, seeing Esmeralda dance so gracefully, he was instantly captivated by her unparalleled beauty. The repressed lust within him, like a beast awakening after years of slumber, overwhelmed his self-control. Though he knew that giving in would lead him to an abyss of horror, desire seemed irresistible. He clearly saw before him two paths: to possess her at all costs or to kill her to save his soul. At that moment, the latter path seemed to prevail.
In a corner of the tower at Place Grève, the nun Gudule was cursing Esmeralda with a pious and hateful voice, blaming her for the abduction of her daughter fifteen years ago. Esmeralda was filled with terror and unease at the curses of the archbishop and the nun. When the members of the Friends of Fools carried Quasimodo to the square, he became the new focal point of attention. The fools fought to defend their king against the surging crowd, while the triumphant Quasimodo, upon seeing Frollo, suddenly became as docile as a lamb. It turned out that sixteen years ago, the deformed Quasimodo had been abandoned at the gates of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Frollo, moved by pity, had taken him in and named him Quasimodo. As Quasimodo grew up, he became deeply grateful to Frollo and obeyed him blindly.
As evening approached and the festivities of the Day of Fools reached their peak, the crowds began to disperse. Esmeralda left the holiday square with her beloved goat, but as she reached a small alley near the square, Quasimodo, acting on Frollo's orders, attempted to abduct her. Esmeralda fought back and cried for help. At that moment, Captain Phoebus, the leader of the King's archers, and his soldiers passed by and came to her aid, rescuing Esmeralda and capturing Quasimodo. Esmeralda, moved by Phoebus's handsome appearance and his act of rescue, asked for his name and rank before quickly returning to the gathering place of the beggars and outcasts—the "Kingdom of Miracles."
The Kingdom of Miracles was a vast square inhabited by the lower classes, including French, Spanish, Italian, and German people, who had different religious beliefs. During the day, they were beggars, but at night, they became thieves. It was a fantastical world, a poetic realm of hell. Esmeralda held great sway here, and when she returned, the men and women beggars lined up gently, their fierce faces softening at the sight of her. At that moment, the beggar king of the Kingdom, Clopin, was presiding over the trial of the poor poet Quasimodo, who had accidentally entered their territory. According to the laws of the "Kingdom," Quasimodo would be hanged unless someone was willing to marry him. Time passed, and Quasimodo's fate hung in the balance. The kind and beautiful Esmeralda, unexpectedly stepping forward, declared her willingness to marry him, saving him from death.
The next day, a temporary scaffold was set up at Place Grève. The former King of Fools, Quasimodo, now knelt on the wheel and enduredching. Frollo passed by and witnessed the scene, of course knowing why Quasimodo had fallen into this predicament, but to preserve his dignity, he remained indifferent, watching impassively. Quasimodo saw Frollo in the crowd and felt a surge of hope, but his adoptive father hurriedly averted his gaze. After more than an hour had passed, Quasimodo, thirsty and desperate, roared, "Give me water!" The onlookers not only ignored him but also mocked and cursed him.