Plot Summary

This story is about a boy named Hugo Cabret. Hugo steals a blue wind-up mouse from the toy booth run by Georges Melies. He steals the mouse because he needs the parts to fix his automaton. Hugo then works for the Georges to pay off his debt for all of the toys he has taken over some period of time. After Hugo finished fixing the automaton he noticed Isabelle was wearing a key that would fit into the back of the automaton to make it work. He takes the key from her and that leads her to find out his secret of his automaton. Hugo and Isabelle are both together when Hugo turns the key and they find out what the automaton was meant to draw. When it is done drawing it signs with Papa Georges name. Isabelle then steals the drawing to show Mama Jeanne and to confront Papa Georges on it. Shortly after Rene Tabard and Etienne show up at Georges house to reconnect him with his past. Georges sends Hugo to go and retrieve the automaton from the train station but is captured by the Station Inspector. Georges and Isabelle come and retrieve him from the cell in the Station Inspector's office and they decide to adopt him. 

Conflict

• Man vs. Self- This is a form of conflict in this story because Hugo fights internally with himself with whether to trust Isabelle or not. He also fights with himself on whether Isabelle is 'worthy' enough to know his secret he's kept for so long.
• Man vs. Man- This is another form of conflict in the story because Hugo fights with Georges for most of the story. This happens because Hugo has stolen many parts from his booth to fix his automaton that means so much to him. 

Theme and Tone

The theme of the story is anything is possible. This is the theme because throughout the story there are many forms of it. For instance, Hugo getting the automaton fixed and Georges Melies because he enabled himself to reconnect with his past. The tone is saddening then shifts to cheerful at the very end. It is sad because you learn of Hugo's story and what happens to him but then turns to cheerful because he has found a new family to belong to.

Characters

• Hugo Cabret- Hugo is an orphaned boy who lives in an air vent within the train station. 
• Papa Georges Melies- He is referred to as the old man who owns the toy booth until the end of the story. He is married to Mama Jeanne and is Isabelle's godfather with whom she lives with. 
• Isabelle- She is a little girl who befriends Hugo and introduces him to Etienne. She is the goddaughter of Georges Melies and Mama Jeanne.
• Mama Jeanne- She is Georges beloved wife and is Isabelle's godmother.
• Etienne- Isabelle's long time friend and student to Rene Tabard. 
• Rene Tabard- He is Etienne's teacher and the one to help connect Georges with his forgotten past.

Figurative Language

"... slither through an opening..." - metaphor. 76
"... disappeared into the floor..." - imagery. 77
"... using all of his strength..." - hyperbole. 77
"... emerged through the golden doors..." - imagery. 82
"... chipped green door with a large key." - imagery. 94

Critical Response

I definitely thought that Brian Selznick's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret was fantastic! His story of Hugo Cabret and his automaton is amazing . The main theme of anything is possible makes me feel happy i read this book. Selznick's use of hyperbole on page 77 "...using all of his strength..." supports that theme by telling how using all of his strength to get what he wants. The tone throughout the book is sad three quarters of the way through the book but shifts at the end. It makes the reader feel satisfied with how the book ends.