Why do you think Hugo felt compelled to help with his father’s company once his brother, Stéphane, passed away? Do you believe he had any options? What would you have done in his shoes?
This is a tough question where Hugo struggled between family loyalty and his dreams of being a photographer. I think I would have followed my dreams rather than be miserable in the family business.
There is a point in the story where Hugo expresses his feelings that he contributed to Stephane’s death. Between causing his Mother’s decline at the loss of her son and his Father’s disappointment that Hugo just doesn’t match up to his brother, Hugo is somewhat haunted by guilt. There are always options–but he needed to be able to overcome his guilt to persue them. Adding a feeling of abandoning family would be almost insurmountable. It is impossible to know what I would have done in his situation. I’d like to believe I’d go out on my own and make my own life, but what would I lose doing that?
Katherine’s response was spot on. Additionally Hugo’s father would be difficult to break away from.
I think it was guilt and not wanting to disappoint his father.
Katherine- I agree with you.
It is the obligation of family and the guilt that he was alive and his brother was dead. I seem to recall at one point he actually that he should been the ne to die and Stephane should have been the one to live. He felt he was a disappointment to his father and so he tried to be Stephane (and he would have been forever unhappy if he had been able to live Stephane’s life instead of his own). He had options, but guilt kept him from following them.
I think Hugo felt both guilt and an allegiance to his father.
I think he was torn between loyalty to his family and following his own path. His brother’s death made him feel more indebted to his family. I probably would have done the same. I was glad that once he had a reason to stand up to his father, someone to love and want a life with, he did start making a path of his own.
Hugo was torn between his family and the history of the shop. He always knew what the right thing to do was. It took his mother sharing the family secret for him to decide.
As Katherine started the replies… she has brought forth the picture of his guilt at feeling somewhat responsible for his brother’s death and the following demise of his family. Most any son would feel pressure to meet the demands expected by the father in taking his brother’s place. It was a nice ending that he saw the error of his ways but it seemed somewhat unrealistic for him to make the sudden turnabout.
The compulsion between Hugo’s helping his father’s business seem rooted in guilty over Stephane’s death and an inadequacy over not measuring up to his father’s concept of a “good son.” Hugo is torn between love for his mother and familial loyalty to his father. Kind of failing at both.
I agree with everyone. Hugo struggled with a lot of guilt surrounding his brother’s death and family loyalty.
Under the circumstances of Hugo’s upbringing, he had no choice. I’m glad he came around in the end, but tough decision on his part.