Hunchback Analysis Essay

Megan Gold

1st hour

Hunchback Analysis Essay

Victor Hugo is known for his great work in romantic literature. In one of his best known works, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there is a very prevalent theme of love. Love can both be a wonderful thing, and something that may cause a painful heartbreak. In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, love is depicted as both of these. Phoebus de Chateaupers, the captain of the king’s archers, is one of the characters that brings out the love theme, but not always in the right way. He tends to use is handsome looks and charm to make women fall head over heals in love with him, but unfortunately he rarely loves back. Phoebus’s perception of how a woman should be treated is one of his flaws that prevail in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

One of the women that Phoebus disrespected in this book is his fiancй, Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier. Despite the fact that they were soon to be married, it always seemed like a task far Phoebus to show any sort of compassion for his fiancй. For instance, at the engagement party of the couple, which should be a very happy event full of love, Phoebus wasn’t too concerned with being romantic. “Discomfort and boredom were written clearly on all his features” (105). It was very rude and disrespectful towards Fleur-de-Lys and her mother when Phoebus didn’t at least pretend to have a good time at the event. Also, throughout the book Phoebus cheated on Fleur-de-Lys one time that we know of, but from the way he acts, the reader is forced to believe that there have been multiple times where Phoebus wasn’t loyal to her. The one woman that we know Phoebus has cheated on Fleur-de-Lys with is La Esmeralda. “The captain, emboldened by her gentleness, took her waist without any resistance on her part, then began to unlace her blouse” (149). One can only hope that this blouse that Phoebus is unlacing is his fiancйs, but unfortunately it’s not. It is the blouse of La Esmeralda. Despite the efforts of Fleur-de-Lys to be a loving fiancй, Phoebus was very disrespectful towards her.

Along with his wife to be, Phoebus also disrespected La Esmeralda. After the incident at the Gondelaurier mansion when La Esmeralda’s goat spelled out “Phoebus” with the blocks from around his neck, Phoebus realized that La Esmeralda was infatuated with him. “Fleur-de-Lys ran over and shuddered. The letters arranged on the floor spelled out this word: PHOEBUS”. (113) Phoebus used his knowledge of La Esmeralda’s feelings towards him to his advantage. He set up an appointment with her to meet at the end of the Pont Saint-Michel. During their get together, many words of love were exchanged. For example, when Phoebus said