# Good Souls explained — Notre-Dame de Paris

> Chapter companion for Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo.

## What happens

On Quasimodo Sunday in 1467, a deformed foundling is left on the wooden bed at Notre-Dame. A crowd of old women, including four Haudriettes, debates the nature of the creature, with some calling it a monster or a demon. The king's protonotary, Robert Mistricolle, predicts misfortunes. The young priest Claude Frollo silences the crowd, adopts the child, and carries him away, leading to whispers that he is a sorcerer.

## Themes in this chapter

### Appearance and Identity

The foundling's deformed appearance is immediately judged by the crowd, who label him a monster or demon, highlighting how physical appearance shapes identity and social perception.

### Religion and Hypocrisy

The devout Haudriettes and the protonotary Robert Mistricolle, despite their religious piety, call for the child to be burned, revealing hypocrisy beneath their faith.

### Social Injustice and Class

The foundling, a poor and abandoned creature, is dehumanized by the crowd, while the noble Dame Aloïse de Gondelaurier dismisses him with a coin, illustrating class-based indifference.

## Character check-ins

### Dom Claude Frollo

The young priest who adopts the deformed foundling, silencing the crowd and carrying the child away.

### Agnès la Herme

One of the four Haudriettes who speculates that the foundling is a beast or the fruit of a Jew and a sow.

### Jehanne de la Tarme

A Haudriette who suggests the foundling is a monster of abomination and later whispers that Claude Frollo is a sorcerer.

### Henriette la Gaultière

A Haudriette who calls the foundling a miracle and hopes no one will apply for it.

### Gauchère la Violette

A Haudriette who remarks that the foundling is an abortion of a monkey.

### Madame Aloïse de Gondelaurier

A rich noblewoman who passes by with her daughter Fleur-de-Lys and tosses a silver florin into the alms basin.

## Key lines

> I adopt this child.

Claude Frollo declares he will take the foundling as his own.

_This moment marks the beginning of Quasimodo's life under Frollo's care._

> I told you so, sister—that young clerk, Monsieur Claude Frollo, is a sorcerer.

Jehanne de la Tarme whispers that Claude Frollo must be a sorcerer for taking the child.

_The crowd's superstition frames Frollo's act of compassion as dark magic._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/notre_dame_de_paris_se/chapters/i-good-souls
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/notre_dame_de_paris_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/notre_dame_de_paris_se/chapters