His presence also brings the cathedral to life for the inhabitants of Paris, who associate Notre Dame with Quasimodo and see them as one and the same: Quasimodo is the spirit of the church. Furthermore, his presence “seems to infuse the whole building” with life. He is so familiar with the building that he feels that Notre Dame is alive. Due to his deformity, which leaves him an outcast from society, Quasimodo has spent most of his life inside the cathedral. Hugo argues that architecture is something vital and alive. This is most clearly demonstrated through the relationship between Quasimodo and Notre Dame. Hugo suggests that Gothic architecture is a collective artform, reflecting the experience of humanity as it develops over time and across different historical periods. The constant presence of Notre Dame in the novel, especially combined with the lengthy descriptions of Gothic architecture elsewhere in Paris, suggest that, although Gothic architecture was no longer fashionable in the 1800s, Hugo believed that it was an artform which should be preserved and appreciated, despite its often grotesque appearance. Gothic architecture was largely replaced by neo-classicist architecture (which favored round shapes and harmony over the extremes of the Gothic) during the Renaissance (a period of intensive scientific and philosophical enlightenment in Europe), which would arrive in France soon after the years in which the novel is set.
The cathedral is an example of Gothic architecture (recognizable by its pointed spires, great height, and decorative gargoyles), which was popular during the medieval period. Hugo’s novel was written in the 1800s but is set during the medieval period (specifically the 1400s), when Notre Dame was still relatively new.
The novel documents the lives of several characters who live in and around Notre Dame, including Quasimodo, the titular “hunchback” who lives in isolation in the cathedral.
The Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame, in Paris, is a central motif in Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
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