Hugo Cabret, the novel’s main protagonist, is a 12-year-old boy who lives in a train station in Paris. After the death of his father, Hugo was taken in by his Uncle Claude, the station’s Timekeeper. His uncle neglected and abused Hugo and eventually disappeared, leaving Hugo to survive on his own within the station’s walls. Hugo’s poor living conditions create a great sense of conflict for him, as he dislikes having to steal—especially non-essentials—and he finds his life at the station dismal. Hugo struggles with Overcoming Loss; he pins all of his hopes on a broken automaton his father discovered in a museum attic, believing it is the key to a better life. He blames himself for his father’s death because he is the one who begged his father to repair the automaton, even though his father died in a fire, over which Hugo had no control.

Hugo is very secretive about his situation, as he believes the Station Inspector, the novel’s only concrete antagonist, will send him to prison if he catches Hugo. However, Hugo cannot repair the automaton without the proper parts, and he has no way of cashing his uncle’s paychecks to get the money to buy them.