Abstract
The article presents a comparative analysis of plot parallels in Victor Hugo’s “Notre-Dame de Paris” and Gaston Leroux’s “The Phantom of the Opera”. The study examines the main characters, themes of loneliness, love, and revenge, as well as the symbolism of architectural spaces. The aim of the article is to identify and analyze the plot parallels between these novels, with a focus on the similarities in the characters, themes, and symbolism. The analysis highlights similarities and differences in the authors’ approaches to depicting outcasts in different historical periods and literary genres. Special attention is given to architectural spaces as metaphors for the characters’ inner worlds and to symbolic elements that intensify the dramatic nature of their stories.