# III: The Bells explained — Notre-Dame de Paris

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

## What happens

Quasimodo's passion for ringing the bells of Notre-Dame has cooled since his ordeal in the pillory. On the Feast of the Annunciation, he briefly rekindles his joy, animating the bells with fervor. But when he spots a fantastically dressed young girl dancing in the square below with a goat, his enthusiasm abruptly freezes, and he becomes lost in a dreamy, tender gaze.

## Themes in this chapter

### Obsession and Destructive Love

Quasimodo's sudden shift from ecstatic bell-ringing to a dreamy, tender fixation on the dancer foreshadows a consuming attraction that will disrupt his devotion to the bells.

## Character check-ins

### Quasimodo

The bellringer of Notre-Dame, whose ardor for the bells has waned after the pillory. He briefly regains his joy while ringing, but is distracted by the sight of a dancer in the square.

### La Esmeralda

The fantastically dressed young girl who dances in the square with a small goat, capturing Quasimodo's attention and halting his bell-ringing.

## Key lines

> This sight suddenly changed the course of his ideas, and congealed his enthusiasm as a breath of air congeals melted rosin.

The sight of the dancer instantly altered his thoughts and froze his excitement, like a cold breath solidifying liquid resin.

_Illustrates Quasimodo's abrupt emotional shift from joyful absorption to captivated stillness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/notre_dame_de_paris_se/chapters/iii-the-bells
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/notre_dame_de_paris_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/notre_dame_de_paris_se/chapters