Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gothic Architecture, History, and Art
Lust, Sin, and Misogyny
Appearances, Alienation, and Hypocrisy
Fate and Predestination
The Supernatural, Rationalism, and Knowledge
Justice, Punishment, and Freedom
Summary
Analysis
Once Louis XI has released him, Gringoire rushes down to the Porte Baudoyer where Frollo waits for him. Frollo irritably asks Gringoire why he was late and Gringoire replies that it was not his fault. He tells Frollo that he was almost hanged and that this seems to be his destiny. Frollo asks if he has the “truant’s password” and Gringoire replies that it is “blazing bayonets.” Gringoire asks how they will get inside Notre Dame and Frollo replies that he has the key to the tower and another key that will take them out a back door to the river. The two men hurriedly set off towards the cathedral.
Gringoire consistently wriggles out of deadly situations, despite his belief that he is destined to be killed. He has no strong emotions or principles that he feels he must stick to. In this sense, Gringoire is the opposite of Frollo, who is very rigid in his beliefs and who will not change his behavior, even when he feels that his actions are immoral or damning. Although Louis XI views the truants as a disorganized mob, he underestimates them. Their use of the password and their effective surrounding of Notre Dame suggest that, when organized in large numbers, the people are a powerful force.
Themes
