What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Frollo is a threatening bad guy who fights with swords and ogles over the suggestively dressed gypsy Esmeralda; he sings a song of desire about her and asks for her destruction -- or possession. Naturally deformities are addressed because the main character has a hunchback. Also, since this story does take place in Notre Dame Cathedral, religious symbols, icons, and religious themes abound.
- Families can talk about what it means to be different from the norm. Who were the gypsies?
- Why were they considered outcasts?
- What would it feel like to be Quasimodo?
- What does sanctuary mean? Why do people seek sanctuary?
- What other versions of this story do you know? Which one do you like best?