Victor Hugo (l802～1885)

Famous quote:

The widest thing in the world is the ocean, and wider than the ocean is the sky. What is broader than the sky is the human mind.

The future will belong to two types of people: people who think and people who work. In fact, these two people are the same person, because thinking is also labor.

Beyond the absolutely correct revolution, there is also an absolutely correct humanitarianism.

Human wisdom holds three keys, one for numbers, one for letters, and one for notes. Knowledge, thoughts, fantasies are there.

What the world lacks is perseverance, not strength.

What the world lacks is perseverance, not strength.

Boldness is the price of progress.

You should believe that you are the strong one in life.

The road to art is full of thorns, which is also a good thing. Most people are afraid of it, except those with strong will.

Whoever wastes their years will lose their youth and life will abandon them.

Laughter is like sunshine, driving away the winter on people’s faces.

It is better to reluctantly agree than to refuse frankly.

It is the human heart that releases infinite light, and it is the human heart that creates boundless darkness.

Books are tools for building the soul.

People can survive only if they have material things; people can live life only if they have ideals.

Where the feet cannot reach, the eyes can reach; where the eyes cannot reach, the spirit can fly.

One more school means one less prison.

Life is about facing a smile.

Of two human ears, one hears the voice of God and the other hears the voice of the devil.

I would rather rely on my own strength to open up my future than ask for the favor of a powerful person.

The first hunger of mankind is ignorance.

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About the author:

Victor Hugo is the leader of the French Romanticism movement and one of the greatest writers in the history of French literature. His life spanned almost the entire 19th century, his literary career lasted for 60 years, and his creative power is enduring. His romanticism

The novels are exciting, powerful, and have a lasting charm on readers.

Hugo was born in 1802 in Chanson, southern France. His grandfather was a carpenter, and his father was an officer in the French Army. He was awarded the rank of general by Napoleon's brother, King Joseph Bonaparte of Spain, and was a close confidant of the king.

Hugo was talented and started writing poetry at the age of 9. When he was 15 years old, he wrote "The Joy of Reading" and was awarded by the French Academy; when he was 20 years old, he published the collection of poems "Odes and Miscellaneous Poems", and King Louis XVIII gave him an annuity.

In 1827, Hugo published the script "Cromwell" and its preface. Although the script was not performed, the preface was considered a declaration of French Romanticism and became an epoch-making document in the history of literature. It played a great role in promoting the development of French romantic literature.

In 1830, Victor Hugo's play "Onani" was performed at the Grand Theater of the French Academy, which had a huge impact and established the dominant position of Romanticism in the French literary world.

"Onani" tells the story of Onani, a robber from a noble family in Spain who rebelled against the king in the 16th century. Hugo praised the robber's chivalry and nobility and showed a strong anti-feudal tendency.

In July 1830, the "July Revolution" occurred in France, and the feudal restoration dynasty was overthrown. Hugo enthusiastically praised the revolution, praised those revolutionaries, and wrote poems to mourn those heroes who died in street fighting.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" published in 1831 is Hugo's most romantic novel. The plot of the novel is twists and turns,

tense, vivid, unpredictable, dramatic and legendary.

The story takes place in the Middle Ages. On April Fool's Day, wandering Gypsy entertainers performed songs and dances in the square. A Gypsy girl named Esmeralda attracted passers-by. She was beautiful and danced very gracefully.

At this time, Claude Frollo, the deputy bishop of Notre Dame de Paris, was suddenly fascinated by the beautiful Meralda. The fire of lust burned in his heart and he fell madly in love with her. So he ordered the church bell ringer, the extremely ugly Quasimodo, to snatch Esmeralda away. As a result, Fabi, the French king's archer captain, rescued Esmeralda and captured Quasimodo. He took the bell ringer to the square to be whipped. The kind-hearted Gypsy girl did not care about the past grudge, but gave Quasimo more water to drink.

Although the bell ringer looks ugly, he is pure and noble in his heart. He is very grateful to Esmeralda and falls in love with her. The innocent Esmeralda fell in love with Fabi at first sight. When they were dating, Frollo followed quietly. Out of jealousy, he stabbed Fabi with a knife and ran away. Emeslada was sentenced to death for murder. Quasimodo snatched Esmeralda from the gallows and hid it in Notre Dame de Paris. Frollo took the opportunity to threaten the gypsy girl and asked her to satisfy his lust. After being refused, he handed her over to the king. The army, the innocent girl was hanged. Quasimodo angrily pushed Frollo off the church and fell to death. He hugged Esmeralda's body and died.

The novel shows Hugo's strong hatred for the feudal government and the church, and also reflects his deep sympathy for the lower class people.

After the "July Revolution", France established the "July Dynasty

ruled by the big bourgeoisie headed by the financier Louis Philippe." The July Dynasty continued to challenge the Hugo tried to win over him, and in 1841 Hugo was elected to the French Academy. In 1845, Louis Philippe made him the Minister of the French Nobility, and he also became a member of the House of Nobles. Hugo's passion for struggle in his creation weakened. In 1843, he wrote a mystical play "The Garrison", which was booed by the audience when it was performed and failed. Hugo remained silent for nearly 10 years without writing.

In June 1848, the people of Paris held a revolution, overthrew the July Dynasty and established the French Republic. At first Hugo did not understand revolution, but when the big bourgeoisie conspired to destroy the Republic of China, Hugo became a staunch pacifist. In December 1851, Louis Bonaparte launched a coup, and Hugo participated in the anti-coup uprising organized by the Communist Party. After Louis Bonaparte came to power, he established the Second French Empire. He implemented a policy of terror and ruthlessly suppressed those who resisted. Hugo was also persecuted and had to go into exile.