The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Book 8, Chapter 5 summary
Book 8, Chapter 5 of 60 · 7 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 5, Paquette la Chantefleurie mourns her lost daughter over a tiny shoe, begging heaven to restore the child after fifteen years of grief. When the Archdeacon of Josas identifies the gypsy awaiting execution as the young woman she especially hates, her despair turns into fierce joy.
What happens
- The narrator contrasts the pleasure a mother finds in a child's shoe with the suffering it causes after loss.
- Inside the Tour-Roland, Paquette prays over her daughter's shoe and demands that God return her child.
- Children announce a gypsy's execution, drawing Paquette to her window, where she sees preparations at the gallows.
- Paquette questions the Archdeacon of Josas and accuses gypsies of stealing and devouring her daughter.
- The priest identifies the condemned woman as the young gypsy Paquette hates, and Paquette celebrates.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Paquette rejects heavenly consolation because she wants her daughter physically restored. The demand shows how completely her loss governs her faith and desires.
Quick check
What makes Paquette rejoice at the end?
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