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Victor Hugo Research Paper

1605 Words7 Pages

Lo 1 Love can be a complex matter, but those who write about it must truly have been inflicted by it in some way. Victor Hugo was a Romantic writer during the Romantic period, therefore meaning that his written works of literature would often portray his attitude towards love and other emotions. He entertained the reader with tales of sorrow and despair, and especially tales involving passion between characters. His works often reflected his belief that love can happen between any two people, whether hideous or beautiful, and whether gypsy or a priest. Victor Hugo’s problematic love life can also be reflected in his works of literature, as he was involved in several strenuous affairs that led to the description of distraught relationships …show more content…

After Hugo discovered his wife was having an affair, he became very well acquainted with a woman named Juliette. So much so, that he soon began having an affair with her and she became his mistress, even though she was of a low class. In fact, “Hugo describes feeling a sensation of rebirth, an emergence of a new Victor Hugo because of his new love for Juliette,” (Shwartz 2). Romanticism is all about rebirth and renewal, and Hugo certainly felt a renewal of love in his lifetime when he met Juliette. His renewed feelings of affection are replicated in his works as his characters’ relationships change gradually over time. Social divides are often prominent in many Romantic writers’ works, as it is a popular theme. There was further emphasis on Romantic ideals such as the personalities that make each individual unique, or …show more content…

You can see how the viewpoint of the reader goes from far away to very close, offering an interesting landscape for the reader to experience. Besides the technique of changing the viewpoint for the reader, it is important to note that Hugo clearly employs the use of appearances in his novel. The two characters, Esmeralda and Quasimodo, are stark contrasts of each other. However, Esmeralda is never able to get over Quasimodo’s frightful appearance, and only when both characters are dead Quasimodo is with her. Only in death the two could be together, which was an incredibly grim thought. The tragic ending of such a relationship relates to the unsuccessful relationship Hugo had with his wife, and the amount of affairs that occurred. He’s dealt with unrequited love before, and so this unrequited love is shown through the relationships between his

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