Hunchback Of Notre Damn Historical Analysis

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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 …show more content…

For instance, the gypsie Esmeralda gets her happy ending in the movie, marrying the knight and gaining acceptance for her and all other gypsies. In reality, gypsies continued to be greatly discriminated against. In 18th century France, the “Bohemians” as they were referred to, were considered lesser members of society and were often arrested and put into the army, or at the very least lived under stricter control of the government. Additionally, during the time of the French Revolution, people were becoming increasingly suspicious of the Catholic Church, with people becoming split between those who supported the Constitutional Church and those who remained loyal to the refractory priests. The film touches upon the suspicion of the church and other problems associated with it, such as the government (Frollo) challenging the church’s authority by leading his soldiers into it, as well as Frollo using the church to justify his immoral

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