Notre-Dame de Paris
Victor Hugo
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
The cathedral
Why does Hugo make the cathedral of Notre-Dame the true centre of his novel?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the chapter on how printing would kill architecture?
- How does the cathedral shape Quasimodo?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
Why does Hugo make the cathedral of Notre-Dame the true centre of his novel?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the chapter on how printing would kill architecture?
- How does the cathedral shape Quasimodo?
How did your view of Quasimodo change from the Feast of Fools to the end?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his deafness and isolation do to him?
- Why does Esmeralda's gift of water matter so much?
Why is Esmeralda desired by so many men, and understood by so few?
Keep the conversation going
- What does her love for Phoebus say about her?
- What did you make of Djali the goat?
How does Frollo's obsession with Esmeralda destroy him?
Keep the conversation going
- Is he a villain, or a man undone by his own repression?
- What does his care for his brother Jehan show about him?
What does Phoebus represent, and why does Esmeralda love him?
Keep the conversation going
- Does he deserve any of her loyalty?
- What does his happy ending say about the world of the novel?
What role does the poet Gringoire play in the story?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does he choose to save the goat rather than Esmeralda?
- Is he comic, cowardly, or both?
What does Quasimodo's rescue of Esmeralda into sanctuary show about the law and the Church?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does the attack on the cathedral by the Truands go so wrong?
- Who is really protecting Esmeralda?
How did you feel about the ending, from the gallows to the bones in the vault of Montfaucon?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Quasimodo push Frollo?
- What does the novel say about fate, or ananke?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.