Rereading '93 in '21

The rigidly polarized political landscape introduced in this opening scene—and that occupies most of the novel—concerns the rivalry between Cimourdain, a former priest and Revolutionary leader, and Lantenac, a noble Breton chief of the Counterrevolution. Over the course of several chapters, the central drive of the Revolution itself is made clear: to replace allegiance to one person (the king, in this instance) with the rule of law. With only slight changes in vocabulary, scenarios in Hugo's novel such as these and many others echo debates being played out in the 2021 United States and elsewhere: about incitements to extreme political polarization, attacks on intellectuals and the press, disregard of human needs and trampling of rights, and a battle to the death between a personality cult and the rule of law. [...]Hugo made moody and detailed ink drawings to illustrate some of his writings.