Isabelle Character Analysis in The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Isabelle is the goddaughter of Georges and Jeanne Méliès. Her parents used to be friends with the Mélièses, and her father even worked on one of Georges’ movies before both of them tragically died in a car accident. Isabelle was only a baby at the time and does not have any memory of her parents. Because of her unusual upbringing, Isabelle in a spirited and independent child, who befriends Hugo after discovering Georges took his notebook. Isabelle promises to help Hugo get his notebook back, partially because she likes Hugo and partially because she is curious about what is inside of it. Isabelle is exceedingly clever and manages to find out more about Hugo—including the truth of the automaton and where he lives—well before anyone else. She is also emotionally mature for her age and is willing to open up to Hugo about her past and her feelings. Isabelle’s behavior enables Hugo to open up as well, allowing him to mature and move past the tragedy of his father’s death. Although she is a well-meaning child, like Hugo, Isabelle tends to misbehave, often out of curiosity. She taught herself how to pick locks with a bobby pin and often utilizes that skill to get into things and places adults do not want her to see. In fact, Isabelle’s ability with the bobby pin is what allows her and Hugo to discover Georges’ filmmaking career.

Isabelle Quotes in The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The The Invention of Hugo Cabret quotes below are all either spoken by Isabelle or refer to Isabelle. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Magic, Cinema, and Imagination Theme Icon

Suddenly, Hugo felt stupid for thinking he could fix it and especially for imagining there would be a letter from his father waiting for him.

All his work had been for nothing.

Hugo felt broken himself.

Related Characters: Hugo’s Father, Hugo Cabret, Isabelle

Page Number and Citation: 250

Explanation and Analysis:

He related the whole story, from his father’s discovery of the automaton up in the attic of the museum, to the fire, to the arrival and disappearance of his uncle. He told her about discovering the toys in her godfather’s booth and how he used them to fix the automaton. He told her everything.

When Hugo finished, Isabelle was quiet for a few moments, then she said, “Thank you.”

Related Characters: Georges Méliès, Hugo Cabret, Isabelle

Page Number and Citation: 365

Explanation and Analysis:

“Maybe it’s the same with people,” Hugo continued. “If you lose your purpose . . . it’s like you’re broken.

“Like Papa Georges?”

“Maybe . . . maybe we can fix him.”

Related Characters: Hugo Cabret (speaker), Isabelle (speaker), Georges Méliès

Page Number and Citation: 375

Explanation and Analysis:

“Before you go home, come with me,” Hugo said, and he helped Isabelle through the nearest air vent into the walls. Between Hugo’s injured hand and Isabelle’s sprained foot, it was extremely difficult for them to get up the staircases and the ladder, but they helped each other and at least they came to the glass clocks that overlooked the city.

Related Characters: Hugo Cabret (speaker), Isabelle, Georges Méliès

Related Symbols: Clocks

Page Number and Citation: 375

Explanation and Analysis:

“I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.”

Related Characters: Hugo Cabret (speaker), Georges Méliès, Isabelle

Page Number and Citation: 378

Explanation and Analysis:

When Hugo opened his eyes, all he could see where stars. Stars and moons and what looked like a rocket ship. It was the cape from A Trip to the Moon, and Georges Méliès was wearing it.

Related Characters: The Station Inspector, Georges Méliès, Hugo Cabret, Isabelle

Page Number and Citation: 478

Explanation and Analysis:

Isabelle Character Timeline in The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The timeline below shows where the character Isabelle appears in The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The boy—whose name is Hugo—watches as a young girl , approximately his age, walks up to the old man and talks to him. Hugo... (full context)

...toys and plans to continue stealing them. Soon, the argument between the old man and the girl ends, and the girl runs off. Immediately afterward, the old man closes his eyes, much... (full context)

...Hugo grabs a stone and throws it at one of the building’s windows. Seconds later, the young girl Hugo saw at the toy shop peeks her head out the window. (full context)

Friendship, Honesty, and Vulnerability Theme Icon

Before Hugo can say anything, the girl makes a series of gestures to tell him to be quiet and wait for her... (full context)

Hugo asks the girl if she will let him inside, but she refuses. Hugo tells her that he will... (full context)

Realizing what Hugo is attempting, the girl —who is slightly bigger than him—pushes him to the ground and holds him there. She... (full context)

...person Hugo notices in the shop is the clerk. However, on further inspection, he sees the young girl he met a few nights ago. The young girl tells him that Georges did not... (full context)

...though he would never admit it. Later in the day, Georges takes a nap and the young girl Hugo talked to at the bookstore shows up. She knows Georges does not want her... (full context)

A few minutes later, Hugo goes to the bookstore. There, the young girl tells Hugo that she has been looking for his notebook but hasn’t found it yet.... (full context)

...bookstore. The young girl recognizes him and greets him as “Etienne.” Etienne responds with, “Hello, Isabelle,” so Hugo finally has a name for his young friend. Isabelle introduces Hugo to Etienne... (full context)

Etienne tells Isabelle and Hugo to come by the movie theater next Tuesday so he can sneak them... (full context)

Isabelle leaves and Etienne begins wandering around the bookstore. Hugo decides to look around as well;... (full context)

...through his new book and practices some tricks. As he does so, he thinks about Isabelle and how she referred to him as her “friend” when speaking with Etienne. He wonders... (full context)

...on the automaton. However, when Tuesday arrives, he does make some time to go see Isabelle and Etienne at the movie theater. When Isabelle sees Hugo, she tells him that she... (full context)

Instead, Hugo asks Isabelle why Georges doesn’t let her watch movies. Isabelle says she doesn’t know but thinks her... (full context)

...children sneak into the theater. Then, he gives Hugo an accusatory look. Hugo returns to Isabelle and reports what he learned from the manager. Annoyed, Isabelle takes a bobby pin out... (full context)

However, Hugo and Isabelle don’t get to look at the posters for long because Isabelle hears the manager coming.... (full context)

...and is sad when it comes to an end. As everyone else leaves, Hugo and Isabelle sit in the theater, soaking up every last moment of the experience. (full context)

...manager appears behind them and throws them out. He warns them not to come back. Isabelle and Hugo walk together, as Isabelle tells Hugo about other films she’s seen. She mentions... (full context)

Eventually, Isabelle and Hugo return to the train station where they run into the Station Inspector. Hugo... (full context)

Isabelle chases after Hugo in the crowded station. However, before long, she collides with an adult... (full context)

Neither is willing to answer, so Isabelle gets up and runs away. Hugo follows her to a café in the train station.... (full context)

As Hugo starts to leave, he sees Isabelle behind the shop’s counter with the notebook in her hand. Hugo approaches Isabelle and she... (full context)

Hugo unclenches his hand, which is holding the key Isabelle was wearing around her neck. He stole it from her when he gave her a... (full context)

...will get to see the automaton’s message. However, just before he can turn the key, Isabelle bursts into his room and yells at him for stealing it. Isabelle is angry at... (full context)

Isabelle refuses to go anywhere and fights back. Eventually, she pins Hugo to the ground and... (full context)

Both Isabelle and Hugo are confused about why Isabelle’s key fits the automaton. Curious, Isabelle asks Hugo... (full context)

...markings all over the page. Thinking himself a failure, Hugo gets upset and demands that Isabelle return his notebook. Isabelle does as he asks, and Hugo begins to compare his work... (full context)

...his hands. However, the automaton continues drawing and making more marks all across the paper. Isabelle continues watching and, after some time, gasps audibly. Hugo runs over to see what she... (full context)

...stops after it signs the name “Georges Méliès” at the bottom of the drawing. Confused, Isabelle tells Hugo that Georges Méliès is Georges’s full name. Then, she gets angry at Hugo... (full context)

Hugo is confused; he tells Isabelle that the machine belonged to his father, and he does not know why it signed... (full context)

Isabelle asks Hugo not to follow her, but he runs after her anyway. Isabelle makes her... (full context)

The commotion causes Jeanne to come downstairs. Isabelle feels bad because Hugo starts to cry, so she lets him inside and introduces him... (full context)

...how he got it to draw the picture. When Hugo mentions the key, Jeanne asks Isabelle what key he is referring to. Isabelle gets nervous; she stole the key from Jeanne... (full context)

...him to make sure Georges doesn’t see it. Additionally, she gives the key back to Isabelle and tells her to take good care of it. Hugo begs Jeanne to explain what... (full context)

...the picture. Before she goes to Georges, she glances at an armoire; both Hugo and Isabelle notice the look. When Jeanne has left, Hugo suggests they go check out the armoire... (full context)

Isabelle uses a bobby pin to unlock the armoire, and they look inside. At first, they... (full context)

Seconds later, Jeanne storms into the bedroom and yells at Isabelle. Right behind Jeanne is Georges, whose eyes are on the drawings. Jeanne orders Hugo to... (full context)

...out of the room, but Georges breaks away from her and begins ripping the drawings. Isabelle and Hugo grab Georges’s arms and try to stop him from damaging the pictures. (full context)

...a prisoner! A shell! A windup toy!” As Georges is speaking to Jeanne, Hugo and Isabelle manage to lock the drawings away where Georges cannot get at them. Georges breaks down... (full context)

Hugo and Isabelle exit the bedroom and Hugo gets Isabelle ice for her foot, which she hurt when... (full context)

...down in bed and starts dreaming. His dreams are full of images of clocks, Georges, Isabelle, and the automaton. The last image he remembers before waking up is the Station Inspector’s... (full context)

...asks the shopkeeper if he has any books on movies. The shopkeeper recognizes Hugo as Isabelle’s friend and tells him he would be happy to help. Together, Hugo and the shopkeeper... (full context)

...At first, Etienne laughs, but Hugo assures him it is true, and that Georges is Isabelle’s godfather. (full context)

...the book repeatedly, especially the parts about Georges. While he is looking at the book, Isabelle shows up on crutches. Isabelle apologizes to Hugo for hurting his fingers and not telling... (full context)

Although Hugo feels bad for Isabelle, he thinks he has a way to make everything better. He shows Isabelle the book... (full context)

Then, Isabelle asks Hugo to tell her the full truth about the automaton. For the first time,... (full context)

...to several customers, and he plans to use the money to buy medicine for Georges. Isabelle meets Hugo at the toy shop and spends the day reading from a book of... (full context)

...notices the clocks are not working properly. When he has a free moment, Hugo shows Isabelle the windup toy he repaired. Isabelle tells Hugo that Georges must like him because he... (full context)

Then, Hugo and Isabelle have a conversation about the purpose of machines and humans. They decide all machines have... (full context)

After work, Hugo takes Isabelle up to the top of the train station’s clocktower and they look out over Paris.... (full context)

Hugo and Isabelle make enough money at the toy store to buy medicine for Georges. However, in the... (full context)

The following day, Hugo goes to Georges’s apartment where he meets Monsieur Tabard and Etienne. Isabelle lets them all inside and asks them to wait a moment so she can tell... (full context)

...break down the door to get into the room. After that doesn’t work, Hugo instructs Isabelle to pick the door’s lock with her bobby pin, which she does. Isabelle opens the... (full context)

...a cameraman on Georges’s movies. The only survivor of the car accident was their daughter, Isabelle. To make ends meet, Georges had to sell his movies, many of which a shoe... (full context)

...doing his rounds. Hugo is scared and doesn’t know what to do. He desperately wants Isabelle to show up and pick the cage’s lock. After some time, the Station Inspector returns... (full context)

...he found Georges’s pictures, although at that time he thought it was only a sheet. Isabelle sees Hugo is awake, so she gives him a cup of water. She tells Hugo... (full context)

...worry because, between the two of them, it shouldn’t take long to fix. Then, Georges, Isabelle, and Hugo walk to Georges’s apartment together. George wears the cape all the way home,... (full context)

...Georges’s impact on the film industry. Monsieur Tabard reveals that with the help of Georges, Isabelle, and Hugo, the Film Academy has managed to find and restore 80 of Georges’s films. (full context)

...a giant armored horse. The last film is A Trip to the Moon. Hugo notices Isabelle crying while she watches it. After A Trip to the Moon ends, Georges takes the... (full context)

...Alcofrisbas. Professor Alcofrisbas (aka Hugo) says that in the years after he met Georges and Isabelle, he built an automaton all by himself. It is an incredibly complex machine that can... (full context)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Isabelle Character Analysis

Isabelle Quotes in The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Part 1, Chapter 12: The Message Quotes

Part 2, Chapter 5: Papa Georges Made Movies Quotes

Part 2, Chapter 6: Purpose Quotes

Part 2, Chapter 10: A Train Arrives in the Station Quotes

Isabelle Character Timeline in The Invention of Hugo Cabret