55 pages • 1 hour read
Brian SelznickThe Invention of Hugo Cabret
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Discuss Selznick’s use of illustrations. How do they add meaning to the novel, and how do they function in the plot? Why would Selznick incorporate illustrations in this way?
What message does the novel teach about technology? Does it play a positive or negative role in the story? Include examples from the text.
The Station Inspector doesn’t play a prominent role as a character, only appearing at a few specific moments. What do you think he symbolizes for Hugo?
Hugo feels he must steal to survive, but he “[tries] not to steal anything he [thinks] people [need]” (143). The exception to this is the parts for the automaton. How would the story have changed if Hugo had not stolen from Georges?
Discuss the role of secrets in the story. Who has secrets, and what are they? How do these secrets impact the story?
Discuss Georges Méliès’ character. Why does he try so hard to forget the past, and what effect does this have on him? How is Georges able to overcome the pain of loss?
What role does each minor character (Isabelle, Jeanne, and Etienne) play in resolving the conflict between Hugo and Georges?
How does Selznick use metaphor to connect Hugo to his passions and livelihood? How does this connect to the theme of Invention, Technology, and Magic? Provide examples from the text.
The novel’s final chapter shifts in perspective. Why does Selznick make this shift, and how does it affect the story? Who is speaking in this final chapter, and who writes the story?
Discuss the meaning behind the novel’s title. What did Hugo invent?
