Though fictional, The Eye of France resonates with 21st-century struggles:

1. Combatting Digital Illusions: “The eye sees only shadows”—critique deepfakes and AI-generated content eroding truth;
2. Ethical Vision: Parallel to Hugo’s Hunchback, advocate for “seeing the unseen” (e.g., refugee crises);
3. Art as Antidote: Poetry and literature counteract attention economy’s fragmentation;
4. Historical Memory: Notre-Dame’s 2019 fire symbolizes fragile cultural vision needing preservation;
5. Long-Term Thinking: Apply “future optics” to AI ethics, ensuring technology aligns with human dignity.
   For instance, the line “Monuments are frozen gazes” mirrors debates on colonial statues—how societies choose to remember shapes collective identity. Prudhomme’s legacy urges: See not just with eyes, but with conscience.