For many people like me, ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’ is one of the most favorite books. But most people misunderstand the true meaning of the book. They think that the book is about an orphan named Hugo who fixed an automaton and found a long lost movie director Georges Mélès. These are facts but the true meaning hides beneath those facts; the true purpose of the book though, is about finding self-identity.

The meaning of self-identity is a thing or quality that you have. It can be something really special to you or something that you really treasure; it makes you different from others. Brian Selznick, the author inferred that self-identity connects with memories,and strongly depends on the environment around you. If your parents used to talk to other adults fiercely, you would be afraid of adults. If your parents talk to other adults nicely, you wouldn’t be afraid of adults. You see, self-identity could be a memory. It could be a happy or a sad one, but only if it is a strong one, it will be one part of self-identity to that person.

The self-identity of Hugo is a bit different, that he had not only memories with his father, but also dreams that those memories can connect him and his father. Hugo’s dream was that he wanted to fix the automaton to see the message that his father had left for him. Hugo tried his best to achieve his dream. He stole toys from the old man’s toy booth to find some pieces that he could put on the automaton (eventhough stealing wasn’t a good manner); he even risked his life trying to keep the automaton safe from getting crashed by the train that was coming into the station (the dream gave him courage). At last, Hugo achieved his dream; he didn’t just fix the automaton, he ‘fixed’ the movie director Georges Mélès as well.

Hugo, as we already know, is an extraordinary orphan who has self-identity. But usually orphans do not have self-identity. According to Amy Eldridge who is a social worker and the founder of a charity organization, and spends most of her time with orphans, orphans usually do not have dreams. Even though ordinary orphans have dreams, they wouldn’t go out and try their best like Hugo did; they "do not have the luxury of curiosity, nor imagination, they neither dare to ask questions nor want to become an explorer or dream about being a doctor, as they feel small and undeserving, and their basic needs are not being met."  This is what made Hugo so different from other normal orphans.

There are other distinctive orphans like Hugo who have dreams and self-identity. Batman is one of them. His parents died in a fight with murderers, and because of that, Batman decided to revenge for his parents' and destroy the murderers organizations. That is Batman's dream. Harry Potter, another orphan, has a dream to acquaint with this parents. To achieve his dream, Harry had experienced a lot of adventures in order to collect information of his parents.

I think that everyone should read Hugo Cabret and I'm sure if they read it in the right way, the book will inspire us. 

P.S.

I have a dream like Hugo did. I wanted to be a cellist because I love music. Music can also cure people’s feelings, even disabilities and diseases.When I felt sad, I would go to my cello and play several pieces. That would make me happy. When I grow up, I wish I can play music to a guy who is a vegetative being. After several months’ treatment, I wish that the vegetative being could recover.

The happiest memory that I can remember is when I had my first performance, my mum and dad waved to me on the first row of spectator seats and gave me a warm hug when I finished. That memory keeps me  playing cello until now. And it is very important to keep happy memories all the time because it gives me energy to my dream or “the dementors” may get me! (Dementors suck in happy memories, remember?)