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The Hunchback and The Christ
Parallel's in their stories.

While the children are watching Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame" for the tenth time in two weeks since we bought it, I started to see a parallel. True, this parallel is based on the Disney version of the story, but that does not diminish the value of the similarities in the stories:

• The Hunchback, at the top of the church, looks down at people and yearns to spend a little bit of time with them. He is warned that he will be tormented and rejected. Still he yearns to be able to spend even a short amount of time with normal people. So did Jesus.
• The Hunchback is to be rejected for his appearance, for what people see when they look at him. Jesus gets rejected because He has no status, no religious training, no formal schooling. Jesus also gets rejected for what He sees in people.
• The Hunchback does descend, is ridiculed, mockingly crowned king, then tortured. He does develop a friendship in the midst of the pain. Yet, when he asked him for help, his mentor turns his head away, magnifying the loneliness, the rejection. That also happened to Jesus. He developed friendships with the disciples, He cried out on the cross, "Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?!
• The Hunchback helps Esmerelda, a woman of ill repute. She befriends him, and helps him with his pain, later. The same is true of Jesus and Mary Magdelane.
• The Hunchback, in his part of the story after the crowning and release from the crowd, while accepted and trusted by only a few, is shown to be very loving. So was Jesus, after his crowning, death and release.
• The Hunchback is accepted at the end, first by a child, then by the crowd. Jesus tells us of a child-like faith that can accept him, and when he returns, he'll be accepted, too.
• Oh, back at the start, when they were born, their mothers were pursued, and in both cases there was an attempt to kill the baby. Who wanted to kill the baby? A combination of government and religion!

Was Victor Hugo a closet admirer of Jesus Christ? I am not so sure, but he may have been influenced by the Christian saga more than we have been led to believe!

Movies and Books Reviewed:

• Harry Potter
  Yes, I am a Christian who loves using Harry Potter to spread the Gospel!
• Pokemon
  As above, I have found this very useful for pre-teens!
• The Lord of the Rings
  The books are classics, and the movies are well done!
• The Princess Diaries
  My daughter and I watch this over and over together!
• Vampire Movies
  These are popular, and in a spiritual way, we are all vampires!
• Saints of Virtue
  This is a computer game that my children and I love to play!
• E. T.
  What a great, super-popular movie and Steven Spielberg had a surprise!
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  This is amazing in how it tells the gospel story, too!
• Spider-man
  This movie has so much to offer, here's why!
• Willow
  In so many ways, this movie reflects my walk with the Lord!
• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
  The urge for freedom, the beauty of servitude.
• Star Wars (coming soon)
  So many religions are reflected here, especially Judeo-Christianity!