The story focuses on heteronormative romantic tensions and obsessive desire. It lacks non-cisnormative identities or narratives that challenge traditional romantic pursuits.

Esmeralda disrupts hierarchies through her high agency and fearlessness. The film also deconstructs masculinity by framing the authoritative Frollo as a moral failure.

Esmeralda provides a lens into ethnic marginalization and systemic prejudice. The film depicts a vibrant community of outcasts that counters the era's homogeneous power structures.

The narrative critiques Western institutional power by framing the Church and State as potentially corrupt. It uses religious dogma to explore how authority can justify oppression.

Quasimodo’s deformity serves as a lens for examining social exclusion rather than a source of mockery. The film focuses on his struggle for dignity and lived experience.