The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A teaching material - Essay Example

History is a great weapon for education and a driving force to bring back the humaneness in men. Therefore, stories in whatever form like films, books or those orally translated can be used to further such cause especially in the case of films because the mind is stirred through both the senses of hearing and sight. An example of this would be Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. Other people might argue that this is a story which now just lies in the pages of books coming alive only in movies however; it is a film that touches different kinds of oppression towards and within groups.

The story may be old but the problem on oppression is even older and it still exists to this day. I believe that reviewing history through fiction stories is not a bad idea at all for one to see what he needs to change in himself, be rightly called a human being and not feel guilty about it. The decrease in number of cases regarding this problem should not be an indication for an individual to stop thinking about such things but should become an encouragement that this world could still be a better place, only if we try harder, think more and face the issue with open minds and courage.

Classism, if a person looks around, still exists and there is just no denying it because it is rampant and hierarchical society does exist in a contemporary world. In “Stephen Cruz”, Studs Terkel discussed classism in that, in business, the minority can hardly attain management positions that promise high income and a successful life. He says “The American dream is getting more elusive. The dream is being governed by a few people’s notion of what the dream is” (Studs Terkel,“Stephen Cruz”).

This angle of modern civilization is represented in the aforementioned movie through the characterization of Claude Frollo who feared the enlightenment of the people and the nobles so that he used his power to control the media and the nobles and therefore, other employment that could change the lives of those who dream to have better lives. Racism is another form of oppression represented by Frollo and his soldiers who hated the gypsies, denying them of their rights to live freely in their adopted nation which was executed through their authority.

Racism, institutionalized oppression, sexism, adultism, ageism or whatever term it is called, are all the same and point out to oppression, interlinked with each other so that no one can actually separate them. Looking at the movie, from the start to finish, it exposes the different names of oppression, from one that has the greatest passion to the least noticeable element. Probably racism is greatly exposed in the movie because it represents a larger group, the gypsies as a whole and is the same to the modern world we live in, that where the stronger or larger groups oppressed, the uproar would be greater, louder.

In the article “C.P. Ellis,” the character expressed similar prejudice against the black people. His family was poor and he was shameful of his poverty. Although he worked hard and even did overtime, he could not have enough money rather his life worsened. In this horrible situation, Ellis blamed the Blacks and made them his scapegoat for his unfortunate life. Though his reasons were far different from that of Frollo, Ellis is an evidence that racism has not been eradicated. Ironically, among