The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Response to Daniel's Questions

5.       Who does Quasimodo love more than Notre-Dame? Explain why.

Quasimodo love La Esmeralda than Notre-Dame because Quasimodo clearly finds Esmeralda very attractive, but he is under no illusion that she could feel the same way about him. Quasimodo shows intelligence, understanding and respect for Esmeralda. Clearly Quasimodo is a "nice" guy trapped in a deformed body, which causes a certain reaction in others. Yet he does not react in kind. He retains the capacity for love and understanding despite his treatment at the hands of others, which is another of the work's major themes - that of compassion and optimism in the face of adversity and injustice, as a result of the capacity for love.

 

4. In chapter 19, Claude Frollo has a flashback when he was developed more fully. Explain the flashback.

Claude Frollo is developed more fully. When he is nineteen, Frollo’s parents die, leaving him to raise his younger brother, Jehan. He devotes himself totally to Jehan and spoils him terribly. As a result, Jehan does not amount to anything.