I bear the dungeon within me; within me is winter, ice, despair; I have darkness in my soul.
In Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," the character expresses a profound internal struggle and emotional turmoil. The phrase reveals the presence of a deep darkness and despair within, likening his suffering to a dungeon filled with ice and winter. This metaphor illustrates the heavy weight of isolation and anguish he feels, suggesting that such feelings are self-contained and inescapable.
The quote encapsulates a central theme of the novel, highlighting the...