The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick (2007)
“An orphan hiding inside the walls of a Paris train station repairs a mechanical man — and unlocks the forgotten history of cinema itself.”
Characters in The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick · 2007 · 7 characters analyzed
Cast: Hugo Cabret, Isabelle, Papa Georges (Georges Méliès), Mama Jeanne, René Tabard, The Station Master, The Automaton.
Character Analysis
Hugo sees the world as a machine where every part has a purpose, which is both his philosophy and his hope — if nothing in a machine is extra, then he isn't extra either. His mechanical skills are real and useful, but they're also a metaphor for his approach to life: fix what's broken, maintain what works, and believe that everything connects to everything else.
Mechanical vocabulary, direct statements, few social niceties — speaks like someone who has spent more time with machines than people.