Date of Award
5-2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Department
English Language and Literatures
Director of Thesis
Esther Richey
First Reader
Andrea Henderson-Platt
Second Reader
Andrea Henderson-Platt
Abstract
Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame hinges on the idea of fate and characters being caught up in situations and fantasies that seem to be out of their control. Esmeralda is the fly caught in Frollo’s web, and yet her beauty and allure attracts and ensnares him in turn. Quasimodo is ensnared by Esmeralda’s beauty but also by society’s perceptions of him. The characters in Hunchback are so caught up in the webs of fantasies and perceptions spun by themselves or society that they can no longer communicate effectively with others, resulting in alienation from the very society in which they are caught.
Recommended Citation
Clark, Debbie, ""This dreadful web": Alienation and Miscommunication in The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (2018). Senior Theses. 226.
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/226
Rights
© 2018, Debbie Clark