The Remarkable Life of Victor Hugo
At the end of the 18th century, a new style of writing began catching flame: romanticism. Authors wanted their writing to be passionate, imaginative, unique, and relatable for the people who read it. Among these authors was Victor Hugo. Hugo played a key role in developing romanticism into the style people know and love today.
Victor Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 in Besancon, France to Sophie Trebuchet and Joseph Leopold Sigisbert Hugo. Growing up, Hugo had a father who was an atheist and a mother who was a devout Catholic. His father supported the republic and the abolition of the monarchy, while his mother remained loyal (Behrent). Their differentiating opinions caused fighting between the couple, and they eventually lived separately. Joseph Hugo lived in Italy and served as a military officer under Napoleon. Victor, his mother, and his older brothers Eugene and Able lived in Paris, France. Their mother’s friend served as their tutor in their younger years, but when Victor was twelve, the three brothers were sent to a school where they studied sciences, poetry, and plays. Victor had an amazing aptitude for poetry; he won two awards for his work at ages 15 and 16 (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). His reputation as a poet began spreading. In 1821, at age nineteen, Hugo published his first book of poetry, Odes et poesies diverses (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). His group of young romantic followers called Hugo the “Prince of Poets” (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). At age twenty, he was given pension by Louis the Eighteenth for his breathtaking poems (“Victor Hugo Biography” TheFamousPeople.com).
Victor Hugo had fallen in love with a childhood friend whom he had met in 1808, but the marriage was not supported by his parents. Hugo and Adele Foucher married when his mother Sophie died in 1821 (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). The couple had five children over time, but they all led tragic lives (“Victor Hugo Biography” TheFamousPeople.com). Adele had an affair with his friend ten years after their marriage. Soon after, Hugo fell in love with a young actress named Juliette Drouet (The Original). In 1831, he published another collection of poetry: Les Feuilles d'automne (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). This collection was full of depressing poems, which reflect how betrayed he felt after his wife’s affair (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com) That same year, Hugo published a novel that remains very popular today: Notre Dame de Paris, or Hunchback of Notre Dame (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). During the 1830’s, Victor Hugo became the official poet of France for fifteen years (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). His works were known by everyone in France, and his influence even began spreading over-sea. Hugo was eventually elected into the French Academy, Senate, and was nominated for Chamber of Peers (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com, “Victor Hugo” Wikipedia.org). In 1843, tragedy struck the Hugos. Their daughter, Leopoldine, drowned in the Seine with her husband, and Hugo stopped publishing his work for a while (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). This event had a great impact on the work of Hugo (“Leopoldine”). His daughter and her terrible death at such a young age may have inspired Hugo to think more about death and philosophy.
As a young man, Hugo supported his mother’s monarchist beliefs, but slowly changed his mind about his father and began supporting Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon III declared himself emperor in 1852, Hugo told the people to fight back. Hugo did not agree with the anti-parliamentary constitution Napoleon III created. He was exiled, and left France for Brussels, Belgium. Juliette gave up her acting career to be with Hugo, and she, along with his family, left with him (The Original). Hugo then moved to an island on the British Channel with Juliette and his family. Juliette and Adele got along well together, but family life wasn’t so glamorous (The Original). In England, Hugo’s wife and children became depressed. His daughter, Adele, ran away. Charles, his son, was in a fragile mental state, and his wife left him to live in Brussels, where she died in 1868. Hugo became involved with seances and conducted supernatural experiments. Through everything, Hugo had Juliette. She stayed with him during the seventeen years he spent in England and Brussels (“Victor Hugo Biographies” NotableBiographies.com).
Many of Victor Hugo’s great works were published and written while he was in England. In 1856, Hugo published Les Contemplations, which is a book about emotions and life from birth to death. It was one of many books dedicated to Leopoldine (“Leopoldine”, “Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com) In 1862, Les Miserables was published. Hugo began writing the novel in 1845 but was interrupted by the French Revolution in 1848. The many years of work paid off with Les Miserables’ huge success around in the world. During the American Civil War, troops actually carried the book around in their saddlebags (The Original). Throughout the years, many theater productions and movies have been made. It remains to be one of the best known works of 19th century literature. During Hugo’s stay in England, Napoleon III told him he could return to France, but Hugo declined. He wouldn’t go back until Napoleon’s downfall because he desired freedom to write whatever he wanted (The Original). Hugo finally returns to France in 1870 (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com) After his return, people thought of him as a national hero. His last few years in France weren’t very peaceful, though. He suffered a mild stroke, his two sons died, and his youngest daughter, Adele, was interned to an asylum for her schizophrenia. On his 79th birthday, a giant parade was held in honor of Hugo entering his 80th year. The parade was one of the largest in French history (“Victor Hugo” Wikipedia.org). By her death in 1883, Juliette Drouet had written Hugo over 20,000 letters. She remained loyal and loving to Hugo all her life.
Victor Hugo died in Paris on May 22, 1885 as an honorable poet and author who was known and respected by the whole world (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). His funeral attracted over two million people, which was more than the entire population of Paris at the time. He was an author of poetry, plays, and novels, a politician, an artist, and a photographer (The Original). He impacted democracy in France and surrounding countries (“Victor Hugo” Wikipedia.org). Hugo gave a voice to the oppressed, rose social justice issues, and impacted the world of literature forever. His poetry mixed the beautiful, ugly, good, and displeasing to create something real that everyone could relate to. Victor Hugo created a strong foundation for romanticism, and impacted the way people thought about poetry. Hugo is a true hero.
Works Cited
Behrent, Megan. “The Enduring Relevance of Victor Hugo.” IsReview.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://isreview.org/issue/89/enduring-relevance-victor-hugo>.
“Leopoldine Hugo.” Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opoldine_Hugo>.
The Original Masterwork: Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. Youtube.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ewB8JgktbY>.
“Victor Hugo.” Biography.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/victor-hugo-9346557>.
“Victor Hugo.” Wikipedia.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo#Political_life_and_exile>.
“Victor Hugo Biography.” NotableBiographies.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ho-Jo/Hugo-Victor.html>.
“Victor Hugo Biography.” TheFamousPeople.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/victor-hugo-31.php>.
Victor Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 in Besancon, France to Sophie Trebuchet and Joseph Leopold Sigisbert Hugo. Growing up, Hugo had a father who was an atheist and a mother who was a devout Catholic. His father supported the republic and the abolition of the monarchy, while his mother remained loyal (Behrent). Their differentiating opinions caused fighting between the couple, and they eventually lived separately. Joseph Hugo lived in Italy and served as a military officer under Napoleon. Victor, his mother, and his older brothers Eugene and Able lived in Paris, France. Their mother’s friend served as their tutor in their younger years, but when Victor was twelve, the three brothers were sent to a school where they studied sciences, poetry, and plays. Victor had an amazing aptitude for poetry; he won two awards for his work at ages 15 and 16 (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). His reputation as a poet began spreading. In 1821, at age nineteen, Hugo published his first book of poetry, Odes et poesies diverses (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). His group of young romantic followers called Hugo the “Prince of Poets” (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). At age twenty, he was given pension by Louis the Eighteenth for his breathtaking poems (“Victor Hugo Biography” TheFamousPeople.com).
Victor Hugo had fallen in love with a childhood friend whom he had met in 1808, but the marriage was not supported by his parents. Hugo and Adele Foucher married when his mother Sophie died in 1821 (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). The couple had five children over time, but they all led tragic lives (“Victor Hugo Biography” TheFamousPeople.com). Adele had an affair with his friend ten years after their marriage. Soon after, Hugo fell in love with a young actress named Juliette Drouet (The Original). In 1831, he published another collection of poetry: Les Feuilles d'automne (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). This collection was full of depressing poems, which reflect how betrayed he felt after his wife’s affair (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com) That same year, Hugo published a novel that remains very popular today: Notre Dame de Paris, or Hunchback of Notre Dame (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). During the 1830’s, Victor Hugo became the official poet of France for fifteen years (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). His works were known by everyone in France, and his influence even began spreading over-sea. Hugo was eventually elected into the French Academy, Senate, and was nominated for Chamber of Peers (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com, “Victor Hugo” Wikipedia.org). In 1843, tragedy struck the Hugos. Their daughter, Leopoldine, drowned in the Seine with her husband, and Hugo stopped publishing his work for a while (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com). This event had a great impact on the work of Hugo (“Leopoldine”). His daughter and her terrible death at such a young age may have inspired Hugo to think more about death and philosophy.
As a young man, Hugo supported his mother’s monarchist beliefs, but slowly changed his mind about his father and began supporting Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon III declared himself emperor in 1852, Hugo told the people to fight back. Hugo did not agree with the anti-parliamentary constitution Napoleon III created. He was exiled, and left France for Brussels, Belgium. Juliette gave up her acting career to be with Hugo, and she, along with his family, left with him (The Original). Hugo then moved to an island on the British Channel with Juliette and his family. Juliette and Adele got along well together, but family life wasn’t so glamorous (The Original). In England, Hugo’s wife and children became depressed. His daughter, Adele, ran away. Charles, his son, was in a fragile mental state, and his wife left him to live in Brussels, where she died in 1868. Hugo became involved with seances and conducted supernatural experiments. Through everything, Hugo had Juliette. She stayed with him during the seventeen years he spent in England and Brussels (“Victor Hugo Biographies” NotableBiographies.com).
Many of Victor Hugo’s great works were published and written while he was in England. In 1856, Hugo published Les Contemplations, which is a book about emotions and life from birth to death. It was one of many books dedicated to Leopoldine (“Leopoldine”, “Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com) In 1862, Les Miserables was published. Hugo began writing the novel in 1845 but was interrupted by the French Revolution in 1848. The many years of work paid off with Les Miserables’ huge success around in the world. During the American Civil War, troops actually carried the book around in their saddlebags (The Original). Throughout the years, many theater productions and movies have been made. It remains to be one of the best known works of 19th century literature. During Hugo’s stay in England, Napoleon III told him he could return to France, but Hugo declined. He wouldn’t go back until Napoleon’s downfall because he desired freedom to write whatever he wanted (The Original). Hugo finally returns to France in 1870 (“Victor Hugo” Biography.com) After his return, people thought of him as a national hero. His last few years in France weren’t very peaceful, though. He suffered a mild stroke, his two sons died, and his youngest daughter, Adele, was interned to an asylum for her schizophrenia. On his 79th birthday, a giant parade was held in honor of Hugo entering his 80th year. The parade was one of the largest in French history (“Victor Hugo” Wikipedia.org). By her death in 1883, Juliette Drouet had written Hugo over 20,000 letters. She remained loyal and loving to Hugo all her life.
Victor Hugo died in Paris on May 22, 1885 as an honorable poet and author who was known and respected by the whole world (“Victor Hugo Biography” NotableBiographies.com). His funeral attracted over two million people, which was more than the entire population of Paris at the time. He was an author of poetry, plays, and novels, a politician, an artist, and a photographer (The Original). He impacted democracy in France and surrounding countries (“Victor Hugo” Wikipedia.org). Hugo gave a voice to the oppressed, rose social justice issues, and impacted the world of literature forever. His poetry mixed the beautiful, ugly, good, and displeasing to create something real that everyone could relate to. Victor Hugo created a strong foundation for romanticism, and impacted the way people thought about poetry. Hugo is a true hero.
Works Cited
Behrent, Megan. “The Enduring Relevance of Victor Hugo.” IsReview.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://isreview.org/issue/89/enduring-relevance-victor-hugo>.
“Leopoldine Hugo.” Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opoldine_Hugo>.
The Original Masterwork: Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. Youtube.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ewB8JgktbY>.
“Victor Hugo.” Biography.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/victor-hugo-9346557>.
“Victor Hugo.” Wikipedia.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo#Political_life_and_exile>.
“Victor Hugo Biography.” NotableBiographies.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ho-Jo/Hugo-Victor.html>.
“Victor Hugo Biography.” TheFamousPeople.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/victor-hugo-31.php>.