COMPARING THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKS OF VICTOR HUGO NOTRE DAME DE PARIS AND FREDERIC STENDHAL RED AND BLACK

Abstract

This article provides a comparative analysis of Victor Hugo's novels "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and Frédéric Stendhal's "The Red and the Black." It examines the works' artistic nature, their genre characteristics, socio-historical context, types of conflict, protagonists, and the role of fate and social environment. Particular attention is paid to the differences in the artistic methods of Romanticism and Realism, revealing profound differences in the authors' views on humanity and society. The analysis reveals that, despite their temporal proximity and shared European themes, both novels explore the theme of individuality, freedom, and tragic confrontation with the world differently. Hugo strives to depict human destiny within a Romantic model of the world, while Stendhal explores the real social structure and psychological motivations of the protagonist's behavior.