The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

A Brief Summary

The Invention of Hugo Cabret opens in Paris, France in 1931 and the reader is introduced to the title character only through the opening pictures. In fact, the book blends together the narrative with pictures in a way that is seamless. We are introduced to our other characters and the set up of the plot through some of the opening activity, in which Hugo is caught trying to steal a wind-toy from the owner of a toy stand within the station. Through the course of the opening of the narrative the reader is introduced to Hugo and his role at the train station, where he lives with his drunk of an uncle who has gone missing. Hugo runs around the walls of the station, keeping the clocks there in working order so that no one will notice his missing uncle and he will not lose his small living place in the train station and the freedom of coming and going.

For you see, Hugo and his late father before him have possession of an interesting artifact: An automaton with a pen in its hand. Hugo believes that he can repair the machine, so that it can write out its final message from his father (who died in a fire while working on the automaton), and it is this task that brought him to the toy stand, for parts. Hugo is soon indebted to the toy maker and things begin to get exciting as Hugo attempts to learn the secrets of the automaton, to toy maker, and keep some memory of his father alive. All the while, the reader slipping in and out of the narrative and the illustrations that blend together and bring Hugo and his world alive.

Thematic Elements

The Invention of Hugo Cabret has some interesting themes involved, but one of the most powerful (and one of the ones that seems to be the most recurring within young adult literature) is that theme of family. Hugo has lost his father and his uncle has now disappeared too, so he really does not have much in the way of a family, and his interactions with the toy maker Papa Georges and Isabelle—the girl who we first spot at the beginning of the narrative. There is also a theme of hope and reconciliation, with the automaton representing Hugo's fractured life and search for some relief from the pain of the loss of his father.

Analysis

I believe that this text is more than suitable for students in sixth grade and that it continues to be a good choice for independent reading afterward. There is a lot to explore with the structure of the book and how the text and the illustrations work with one another. Teachers should pay special attention to the subtle details of expression and draw attention to it with in-class discussions and assignments.

A Little Something More

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is the closest thing that most school curriculum will come to making use of a graphic novel in their classrooms and that is just a shame; so perhaps that should be rectified. This book fits well into a unit that wants to explore the other forms of literature aside form novels. This book is entirely unique in my experience due to the way it employs its illustrations and it could be connected to more classical uses of illustration (which merely accompanies the text and does not replace it) and with graphic novels that make more use of their art rather than their words to tell a story.