“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” is a young adult mystery novel, told in both words and pictures. The novel revolves around 12-year-old orphan, Hugo Cabret, who lives in an old apartment above a train station in Paris, where he tends to 27 clocks in the building each day. It is explained that Hugo’s father perished in a fire before the novel begins, and it is Hugo’s uncle who brought him to work as an apprentice timekeeper in the train station, though his uncle also subsequently died before the novel begins. Hugo, for fear of being thrown out, carries on work as if his uncle is still there. Hugo, like his father and uncle, is very gifted with mechanical skill. Hugo has been stealing toys from the old man who runs the toy booth at the station, hoping to find the parts he needs to fix an automaton that Hugo’s father discovered in an old museum. …show more content…
The automaton that Hugo’s father discovered is designed to write a note of some sort. Both father and son are very interested in repairing and seeing what the machine may write, but Hugo’s father died before his work could be completed. However, Hugo keeps a notebook from his father with written observations and detailed drawings about the automaton, hoping to complete his father’s work, and imagining his father may have changed it so the automaton will spell out an entirely new message for Hugo from his father. One day, the old man catches Hugo stealing from him and orders him to empty out his pockets. The old man is especially interested his Hugo’s notebook. The old man’s goddaughter, 12- year old Isabelle, seeks to befriend Hugo, and vows to get the notebook back. The old man, Papa Georges, explains to Hugo that he may earn the notebook back if he works off the cost of all the items he has stolen. Hugo reluctantly
Giving is an activity that people do every day. Receiving something in return tends to be the motivation for people to be generous. Very few people in this world will actually donate their time, effort, or money without acquiring a service or gift in return. The author of Les Misérables, Victor Hugo, knew of one of these magnanimous and charitable people. Inspired by all the altruistic deeds he has seen and heard about, Hugo created the Bishop of Dignes. The Bishop of Dignes time and time again demonstrates what it means to be a selfless Christian through his actions.
He walks the reader through the mess of political strife and bloodshed and he is very detailed in the inner workings of the Committee of Public Safety. He also writes as if the reader knows nothing about the French Revolution. This is a very helpful aspect of the book. Another strong point in this particular story is that there is a map of The First French Republic in the front of the book. There is also a key for the titles of the months according to the French Republican Calendar. This calendar is useful in the reading because depending on the time of year as well as the situation he is writing about, he uses month names such as Ventôse which, in current translation is around the twentieth of
Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Damn is an animated film based upon Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name. The main characters Quasimodo, the hunchback who lives in the bell tower of Notre Damn, Esmeralda, the gypsie girl, Claude Frollo, the cruel Archdeacon of Notre Damn, and Captain Phoebus, the antagonist who defies Frollos’ orders, are all representative of the social classes and turmoil that occurred throughout the early 19th century in France. The original novel was written during the July 1830 Revolution, with strong influences from Hugo’s personal beliefs in social and political equality for all people as well as his opposition to the monarchy that begun after Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at Waterloo. This film is accurate in the sense that it shows the class struggle of the time in a way that both honors the novel and its historical context but is also appropriate for its younger
Firstly; lighting, camera angles and dialogue are used to portray Uncle Claude as an unsympathetic character. The low key lighting creates a dark and foreboding figure. Uncle Claude tactlessly tells Hugo his father has died and rushes him to pack his bag. This shows Uncle Claude has no sympathy for Hugo. He then shouts in a commanding tone “Quick” at Hugo, showing no patience for him to process and digest the devastating news. The director uses imperative dialogue to create authority over Hugo. “Hugo,
Wealth and power, two of the most influential means to govern over those who have none. In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, A man that goes by the honorary title, Monseigneur, is depicted in such a manner that it would be a great shame to his family to employ less than three servants to prepare his morning hot chocolate. That is one of many examples of how the wealthy live while thousands of mothers and children are dying from starvation on the streets, and men serve severe prison sentences because they commit a petty crimes such as stealing a loaf of bread to feed their starving family while a wealthy man finds it necessary to employ four men to make hot chocolate. The difference in life between those who had money and those who didn’t were drastically different; the rich thought everything in life was paid for, and this is what leads to the revolution. Go backwards in time to a moment that caused a depression in the history of France that future societies will look back on as to not allow fathom and poverty of this caliber to strike again.
As the era of literature slowly declines, the expert critiques and praise for literature are lost. Previously, novels were bursting at the seams with metaphors, symbolism, and themes. In current times, “novels” are simply short stories that have been elaborated on with basic plot elements that attempt to make the story more interesting. Instead of having expert critical analysis written about them, they will, most likely, never see that, as recent novels have nothing to analyze. Even books are beginning to collect dust, hidden away and forgotten, attributing to the rise of companies such as Spark Notes. An author deserves to have his work praised, no matter how meager and the masses should have the right to embrace it or to reject it. As much of this has already been considered, concerning Les Misérables, the purpose of this paper is to compare, contrast, and evaluate Victor Hugo’s use of themes and characterization in his novel, Les Misérables.
Victor Frankenstein finds himself exploring the world of science against his fathers wishes but he has an impulse to go forward in his education through university. During this time any form of science was little in knowledge especially the chemistry which was Victors area if study. Victor pursues to go farther than the normal human limits of society. “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” (Chapter 4). He soon finds the answer he was looking for, the answer of life. He becomes obsessed with creating a human being. With his knowledge he believes it should be a perfe...
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Approaching Literature: Reading + Writing + Thinking, Third Edition. Ed. Schakel, Peter J, and Jack Ridl. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 233-234. Print.
...t Max gave to Liesel as a gift. This book represents the power of words, and how words can make a difference in a person’s life.The readers are engaged because it is interesting know the back stories behind these books when we read about them in the novel. Finally, Hans’ accordion symbolises comfort in The Book Thief. When Hans leaves to go fight in the war, he leaves his accordion at home with Rosa and Liesel. This is the moment that Liesel know that Rosa truly does love Hans, although she might not show it. “Liesel watched. She knew that for the next few days, Mama would be walking around with the imprint of an accordion on her body” (429). Rosa, Liesel’s “Mama”, keeps the accordion close to her heart because it reminds her of her husband, Hans, whom she misses so much. In The Book Thief, symbolism attracts attention to certain thematic ideas and the novel itself.
A Doctor Alexandre Manette was captured for 18 years in France and was being freed at the beginning of the book. While imprisoned he became a shoemaker and became quite good at it. His daughter Lucie, along with Jarvis Lorry, a banker and friend to Lucie, rescued him. They went back to live in England and Lucie would come to marry Charles Darnay, also known as Charles Evrémonde, and they would have a daughter. Darnay was brought up with money in France and an old servant sent him a letter asking for his help; because he was stuck in jail and sentenced to death. Darnay ended up going to France to help him, but was put jail himself for entering France without papers. Lucie and her family met with Mr. Lorry, who was already in France on business,
Rivers in this novel can also be a symbol for an escape. Weeks later, when Frederic hears from the barman about his expected arrest, he and Catherine escape for Switzerland by boat. They leave their old lives behind in search of a clean start in Swit...
Victor Hugo’s Les Misèrables is a classic novel that demonstrates how a child is unable to mature in darkness. In the book, Fantine, gets pregnant and is left alone with her child, Cosette. Fantine searches for a place where Cosette can stay while she goes out to work. When she finds the right house she leaves her child, little did Fantine know that Cosette was going to be mistreated and miserable. On Fantine’s death bed, she begs Jean Valjean to find and take care of her child. In Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Misèrables, Cosette is a symbol of the child atrophy by darkness through her time spent with the Thènardiers, her transformation with Jean Valjean, and her flourishing into a young woman. Victor Hugo uses Cosette to represent the children of the time period and how they cannot grow without love and light.
Hugo uses Jean Valjean's imprisonment and immediate release to criticize France's inadequate justice system. To describe Valjean's punishment, Hugo writes, “In October, 1815, he was set at large; he had entered in 1796 for having broken a pane of glass, and taken a loaf of bread” (22). Valjean receives, in total, nineteen long years for the initial crime of stealing a loaf of bread. The legal system severely punishes Valjean for an act that stemmed, not from malicious intentions, but from the desire to feed his family. Valjean resorts to thievery only when he family is on the verge of starving. However, the law chooses to punish, instead of help, an innocent civilian who’s in desperate need of assistance. Through this incident, Hugo showcases the French government's inability to deliver true, righteous justice. Hugo criticizes not only the government's inability to properly restrain dangerous criminals, but also criticizes its mistreatment of prisoners. Valjean was treated cruelly in prison and when he is finally released from prison, “The beginn...
In addition, Valjean is able to learn about the importance of love, honesty, and family with...
Victor Marie Hugo was a French poet, author, and playwright,and he was part of the Romantic movement. He is one of the greatest and best known French writers. Within France, his fame first came from his poetry but later his novels and his plays also brought him fame. Among his many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles are some of his most famous. Outside of France, he is best known for the novels Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris. Though he was a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as he got older and he became a supporter of republicanism. A lot of his works mention the political and social circumstances of his time. He was buried in the Panthéon on June 1st, 1885.