The Early Transformation of Victor Hugo

By Heather Stout

There is often a sense of mistrust and confusion surrounding individuals who are quick to change their political leanings. From the outside, these changes can seem to be only surface level and so disingenuous. But what about from the inside? Victor Hugo’s thinking and politics changed dramatically over his lifetime as he went from being a conservative monarchist to a supporter of the common people and fighter for the common good. How did that happen? I want to trace that story by focusing on his early life.

Notre-Dame from Oeuvres illustrées de Victor Hugo, 1853.  Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When you hear the name Victor Hugo, you might immediately think of a certain hunchback who has captured the imagination. One of Hugo’s most famous works, Notre-Dame de Paris or The Hunchback of Notre-Dame was written in 1831, when he 29 years old. The building itself had been attacked during the French Revolution and then had lost a strong sense of purpose. It was handed back to the Catholic church in 1802, the year of Hugo’s birth. And a few years later, Catholicism would see a full restoration under Napoleon. This was the tumultuous environment into which Hugo was born. 

The youngest of three boys, Victor-Marie Hugo was born in Besançon, France and would spend much of his time growing up in Paris. His father, Joseph-Léopold-Sigisbert Hugo, was a merchant and a Republican – that is, a supporter of the Revolution - and then a Major in Napoleon’s army. His mother, Sophie Trebuchet, is a more complicated figure. According to some accounts she was a strong Catholic and a supporter of the monarchy, but according to others she was liberated and non-religious with anti-church ideas. In keeping with that uncertainty, they were either in a church ceremony or in a civil union without a priest on November 15, 1797.

Portrait of Sophie Trébuchet.  Hauteville House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

What is clear about Hugo’s mother is that she had a strong influence on her all of her sons. She wished them all to have great literary careers. Victor Hugo would spend much of his early life with his mother in various apartments in Paris. His father was not a faithful man and his parents separated temporarily. In 1803, his mother began seeing Victor’s godfather and mentor, General Victor Fanneau de La Horie. In 1812, de La Horie would be executed by firing squad for being part of an attempted coup against the Emperor Napoleon. These childhood experiences would have a dramatic effect on the young Victor. 

Just as there are competing accounts about Hugo’s mother and his parents’ marriage, so there are different reports about the financial well-being of the Hugo family. There are references to them being poor, however, there is also a lot of evidence that the family was better off than many. It could have depended on the year. The fall of Napoleon’s Empire from 1815-1818 would certainly have affected his father’s employment. While the Hugo family was not the richest, they do not seem poor. They had portraits made, moved in elite circles, and attended school. While there are references to young Victor dealing with being poor in school, it may, simply have been that the Hugo family was not as wealthy as other families whose children attended the school. Regardless, at an early age young Hugo was witness to the inequalities of society. 

Achille Devéria, Victor Hugo at 16, 1818.  Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

From a young age Hugo showed incredible skill and promise in prose and writing. During school, with the help of their mother and influential people, the Hugo sons started the magazine, Le Conservateur Littéraire, (December 1819 – March 1821). Victor was still a teenager at the time and his writings were getting noticed by important members of Parisian society. In 1822 his first collection of poems, Odes et poésies diverses, was even noticed by the King, Louis the 18th, and he began to receive a royal pension. This was still a time of great political fluctuation and Hugo was learning how to be on the right side at the right time. He would continue for many years to be close to the Kings of France and support political movements as they ebbed and flowed. He believed that he could influence politics and create change.

1821-22 was also a personal turning point for Hugo. In 1821, the Hugo sons stayed at their mother’s bedside tending to her while she was sick with pneumonia. She died in June. That meant Victor could marry his childhood sweetheart, Adèle Foucher. Adèle was the daughter of his mother’s friend, but she disapproved of their courtship. No one was good enough for her son. They were married in St. Sulpice a year later in 1822. But then things took a turn for the tragic. Hugo Adèle’s first-born son died, his middle brother went mad due to his secret love for Victor’s wife, and Adèle had an affair with his colleague. This led Victor to begin a liaison with the actress, Juliette Prouet. She would be with him secretly throughout her life. 

Léon Noël, Portrait of Victor Hugo published in L'Artiste, Paris 1832.  Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It is nearly impossible to sum up the events in a person’s life in a matter of a few paragraphs. History reduces the lives of individuals and their choices to a handful of impactful moments. Victor Hugo’s life was rich with people and impactful events. He lived during a tumultuous time in France. It was a time that leadership could change in a very short period and often did. If you fell into the wrong side at the wrong time, it led to being locked up, exiled, or publicly executed. If you were with the side that came into power, you rose with them. Shifting in favor of the elite class of people and leaders helped propel Hugo’s career, which in turn gave way for a working-class movement influenced by Hugo. France was finding her way and Hugo was helping lead the course.

He may have been scripted as a conservative early in life and seemed to have a dramatic shift in personal perspective. However, after stepping out from under the wings of our parents, we make our way from whatever life experiences we carry. For Victor Hugo, he may have seemed to have extraordinary luck and charisma. He also had real life heartbreaking and monumental experiences. He would go on to lose his other four beloved children prematurely and experience many other moments of intense sorrow. He was a deep observer of the world in which he lived, often sketching its details. These thoughts were read and loved by the masses. A likeable man, his trust with the people grew stronger. When his ideals and influence no longer was supported by French leaders and politicians, the people still followed. We then see Victor Hugo powerful in protest and exile. That is for another story and chapter in time.

Sources:

Megan Behrent. “The enduring relevanceof Victor Hugo.” International Socialist Review, Issue #89.

Jean-Marc Hovasse. "On Writing Victor Hugo's Biography." Indian Literature 48, no. 1 (219) (2004): 149-55. Accessed March 19, 2021.

H. C. O Huss, Adolphe Cohn, Alcée Fortier, Ch. F. Kroeh, and Samuel Garner. "Victor Hugo's Religion as Drawn from His Writings." Transactions and Proceedings of the Modern Language Association of America 2 (1886): Viii-Xv. Accessed March 10, 2021. doi:10.2307/456032.

Olin H. Moore. "How Victor Hugo Created the Characters of Notre-Dame De Paris." PMLA 57, no. 1 (1942): 255-74. Accessed March 26, 2021. doi:10.2307/458819.

T. C. "Victor Hugo as an Artist." The Art Amateur 13, no. 3 (1885): 50-52. Accessed March 10, 2021.