Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame Essay -- Hunchback of Notre D

Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame      Viewed from the outside, a more horrific being neer lived. Everything he presented to the world twisted legs, a deformed spine, oversized hands, and a monocled visage crowned by a mane of bull the rust color of autumn leaves, made him a most intolerable man in the eyes of the people. Ostracized from a society who never hesitated to agree at his ugliness, Quasimodo, the monster of Notre Dame, bore all told abuse with unremitting lethargy while taking shelter behind the walls of his refuge&emdashthe cathedral. manifestly devoid of all feeling, Quasimodos hardened demeanor only added to his miserable initiation as he appeared an even greater aberration from anything human, like virtuoso of the hideous gargoyles that rests quietly and defenselessly on the facade of the cathedral as passersby layover to gawk at its grotesque and frightening form. However, once this error of temperament experiences the emotions of love and devotion, spawned by the arrival of the beautiful and sympathetic La Esmeralda, Quasimodos sexual fortitude, strength, and benevolence transcend his distorted body, allowing the people to view him not as a helpless cripple, but instead as a significant human being with the bearing of a king. Lame and deaf, the one-eyed, misshapen admiration of Paris, Quasimodo, dwells as a hermit in the Cathedral of Notre Dame during the fifteenth century. Taken under the care of Jean-Claude Frollo when only an infant, Quasimodo receives the occupation of bell ringer, and and so spends his life in constant devotion to the cold, exacting and insensate Archdeacon, extracting all earthly pleasure from his haven&emdashthe cathedral&emdashand pass on all his passion to the ringing... ...e citizens, the courts, and the king, leaving them astounded at his display of artwork (190). After withdrawing into his den&emdashNotre Dame&emdashwith his precious gemstone between his paws, Quasimodo ran to the highest tower which housed the great bell, and held the girl before the eyes of the city as he roared savagely...Sanctuary Sanctuary Sanctuary (190). Mounted on the bell tower of Notre Dame, Quasimodo stood before Paris in a imperial coat of pride and power, shedding physical imperfection to allow an sexual compassion and tenderness to emerge before the jungle of onlookers. After witnessing the gallantry and warmth of the lordly hunchback, neither the citizens of Paris nor Louis XI himself could deny that, for the moment, this wildcat truly reigned as king.   Hugo, Victor. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. New York Bantam Books, 1984.