Reading Response # 1

Response # 1
Character
In my opinion, the first critical point of the novel is the first introduction at the Festival of Fools. This is a crucial moment in the novel because Hugo allows us to view the main characters objectively, through the eyes of others. The reader is allowed an introduction to the quintessential characters used in the tragic historical novel; Quasimodo, La Esmeralda, and . through the eyes of the audience at the Festival, without the influence of the subjective opinions implemented by the author throughout the subsequent chapters. We are first fully introduced to Quasimodo with,
"His prodigious head was covered with red bristles; between his shoulders rose an enormous hump, which was counterbalanced by a protuberance in front; his thighs and legs were so strangely put together, that they touched at no one point but the knees, and, seen in front, resembled to sickles joined at the handles; his feet were immense, his hands monstrous; but with all this deformity, there was a formidable air of strength, agility, and courage, constituting a singular exception to the eternal rule, which ordains that force, as well as beauty, shall result from harmony." (pg. 39)
This paints a beautiful portrait of the misconceived appearance of the character Quasimodo, because it shows how truly all his deformities simple make him stronger and more humane, and foreshadows the extreme level of morality and human emotion the hunchback will exhibit later in the novel, despite his cruel mistreatment. Hugo weaves together the acceleration of the plot and the depiction of the characters eloquently, and proceeds to describe La Esmeralda with such eloquence, stating "She danced, whirled, turned 'round, on an old Persian carpet, carelessly spread on the pavement; and every time her radiant face passe before you as she turned, her large black eyes flashed lightning" (pg. 50). This depicts the issue of sexual allure in conflict to values later presented in the book such as the confliction of Frollo's lust with his faith to religion. Later, depsite a predominant description of Frollo being presented during the Festival of Fools, Hugo more elegantly describes him as Quasimodo's feelings and devotion towards with the passage occurring when Frollo discovers Quasimodo crowned as the Pope of Fools and leads him back to the cathedral,
"With one bound he was before the priest; he looked at him, and dropped upon his knees. The priest pulled off his tiara, broke his crosier, and tore his cope of tinsel. Quasimodo remained kneeling, bowed his head, and clasped his hands. Then ensued between them a strange dialogue of signs and gestures, for neither of them spoke; the priest, erect, irritated, threatened, imperious -- Quasimodo at his feet, humble, submissive, suppliant. And yet, it is certain that Quasimodo could have crushed the priest with his thumb" (page 58).
Hugo uses this moment to symbolize the strong emotional bond and mental connection that has been established between the hunchback and the archdeacon. The dialogue "it is certain that Quasimodo could have crushed the priest with his thumb" used by Hugo foreshadows what is soon to come; the destruction of the relationship and bond of loyalty, and ultimately, the downfall of Frollo by Quasimodo as a result of strong emotional turmoil. Overall, Hugo establishes character with great effectiveness, and uses this depiction of character, intermixed with dialogue in order to allude to the vast development and decay of both the characters and their relationships with one another to come later in the novel.