Notre Dame de Paris (aka: Hunchback of Notre Dame)

TL:DW - YouTuber and film critic Lindsay Ellis amusingly and richly discusses the evolution of Victor Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris, known in English by the more sensational title of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. For those of you who don't have about 40 minutes, the SparkNotes version of this history lesson is as follows (spoiler alert):

​

1) Victor Hugo wrote the novel to work up enough interest in the decaying cathedral to inspire preservation efforts. He succeeds. This means the original intent of this novel was historical preservation, as the cathedral is depicted as outlasting both the print text new to the society of the novel (it takes place around the creation of the printing press, c. 1455) and the petty humans who live in the cathedral's shadow. 

​

2) Hugo almost immediately re-writes the ending so Esmeralda doesn't die for his stage-version of the play, making it more palatable for a wider audience.

​

3) The 1923 black and white, Lon Chaney (as Quasimodo) film version was such a massive success, notably shifting the focus from the longevity of the cathedral to the tragic love story, it inspired the 1939 Charles Laughton (as Quasimodo) version. This one is the most notable of all discussed for the clearly sympathetic way it depicts the Romani as refugees suffering discrimination, focusing on social justice and holding power accountable for its actions. This sensitivity was heavily influenced by the anti-Nazi director,  William Dieterle, and is really where Disney gets the inspiration and major beats for their movie from.

​

4) Lastly, we have the Disney version, which attempts to straddle the line between calling for social justice and an end to discrimination while still being child-friendly and comprehensible. This version builds on the changes made over the decades, as it focuses on social justice, the responsibility of power, morality and religious abuse, and prioritizes "this theme of internal vs external monsterhood."

​

This begs several questions, which you are free to debate in the comments below:

• When one references Notre Dame de Paris/Hunchback of Notre Dame what do they mean? Architectural importance or social justice? The impermanence of man or the equality and dignity of all persons, regardless of physical appearance or ethnic background?

• If you were to allude that your OC was like one of these characters, such as Quasi, how do you think that would read from your reader's perspective? Would they expect him to die without his love after killing his abusive father-figure, or mature in to a responsible adult and accept her friendship?