1. Did Hugo have a specific agenda in making the cathedral the center of action as well as a symbol of Paris?
2. In what ways is Claude Frollo not a stereotypical villain? Do his failures drive him to evil? What role does his obsessive lust play in his heinous acts?
3. Why does La Esmerelda bring water to Quasimodo when he is being tortured? Does she not remember that he tried to kidnap her the night before? How does this act affect Quasimodo?
4. How does Hugo describe the French justice system in the Middle Ages? Who is put on trial? What role does torture play in the novel?
5. Why does Sister Gudule despise gypsies, and especially La Esmerelda? Why does she defend La Esmerelda and give her life to protect her at the end of the novel?
2. In what ways is Claude Frollo not a stereotypical villain? Do his failures drive him to evil? What role does his obsessive lust play in his heinous acts?
3. Why does La Esmerelda bring water to Quasimodo when he is being tortured? Does she not remember that he tried to kidnap her the night before? How does this act affect Quasimodo?
4. How does Hugo describe the French justice system in the Middle Ages? Who is put on trial? What role does torture play in the novel?
5. Why does Sister Gudule despise gypsies, and especially La Esmerelda? Why does she defend La Esmerelda and give her life to protect her at the end of the novel?