Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Phantom of the Opera, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Natural vs. the Supernatural
Love vs. Jealousy
Violence, Revenge, and Redemption
Beauty vs. Ugliness
Summary
Analysis
After telling the end of the story of the Phantom of the Opera, the narrator concludes that it should be sufficient to prove the Phantom’s existence and his role in the tragic events of that time. Although people have often mused about Christine’s disappearance, the narrator notes that no one ever suspected that she had run away with her fiancé Raoul. He says that he might one day go in search of them and hear Christine sing. He also notes that Mme Valerius disappeared around the same time.
Although the narrator insists that his narrative is truthful, he admits that he has no concrete proof that Christine and Raoul are still alive. His mention of Mme Valerius’s disappearance suggests that she probably followed the happy couple to a peaceful place far from Paris, but it does not serve as unequivocal proof. In the end, it is up to the reader to decide whether or not to trust Erik’s narrative and the Persian’s rendition of it.
Themes
Reading Moncharmin’s Memoirs, the narrator also learned that the Phantom ultimately returned all the money he had ever received from Richard and Moncharmin. This convinced Moncharmin that they were indeed the victims of a prank, and that the Phantom did not necessarily exist.
Richard and Moncharmin’s skepticism lasts until the end, since even the variety of mysterious events they have witnessed at the Opera keeps them from questioning their own certainties. However, the Phantom’s decision to give the money back suggests that he might indeed have changed for the better thanks to Christine’s kindness.
Themes
The narrator notes that he will leave the corroborating evidence he has found about the Phantom’s deeds in the archives of the Paris Opera House. He tells readers to enter Box Five and tap the pillar there. This will allow them to realize that it is hollow, and thus big enough to fit a grown man such as Erik, who could then project his voice anywhere in the room.
Unlike the Opera directors and the authorities, the narrator makes his depiction of events all the more credible because his detailed analysis explains every single mysterious event that took place at the Opera, and does not depend on mere hypotheses or incomplete information, but on concrete facts, visible in the building itself.
Themes
Literary Devices
The narrator also found a trap by the desk chair in the directors’ room, big enough for a hand to fit in. This, the narrator concludes, must explain how the Phantom could steal from Richard’s coat. When he asked the Persian about Erik’s financial motives, Daroga simply explained that Erik probably needed money, and used his tricks to obtain it, since he could never use his talents in ordinary society in any profitable way. When his marriage with Christine dissolved, however, he must have realized that he no longer needed so much money.
Erik’s decision to give the directors their money back suggests that he is not always cruel, and adopts a practical attitude in all of his misdeeds. His behavior also suggests that he has indeed changed by the novel’s end, as he claims to have been transformed by Christine’s compassion for him. Once again, the narrator bases his analysis on concrete evidence, thus proving that he is correct in affirming that Erik is not a ghost but a cunning human being.
Themes
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The Persian explained to the narrator that Erik grew up near Rouen but soon ran away from his parents, who were horrified by him and did not treat him well. After being exhibited in fairs as a “living corpse,” Erik lived with gypsies before reaching the Mazenderan Palace in Persia where, once people discovered his talents, he became popular in court. Following Erik’s instructions, the Shah built his palace as a building full of tricks. However, concluding that Erik now knew too much, the Shah resolved to execute him. The Daroga, who enjoyed Erik’s amusements, decided to save his life. Because of this, the Daroga himself was banished from his own country and fled to Paris.
It is only at the end of the novel that the Daroga discloses remaining details about Erik’s life. Erik’s immersion in a world of psychological and physical violence, visible in the way other adults treated him as a mere instrument, gives context to his own callous behavior, in which he is apt to treat others as objects he can discard instead of as full human beings worthy of respect. This personal history highlights the injustice of Erik’s life, as his appearance has kept him from forming deep connections with others.
Themes
Erik then left for Constantinople, where he entertained the Sultan. However, like the Shah, the Sultan also ultimately threatened his life, saying that he knew too much. Tired and longing for an ordinary life, Erik settled in Paris. There, however, he became excited about creating new tricks and illusions and thus became known as the Phantom of the Opera, while hiding from the rest of humanity.
Erik’s inability to live a normal life derives not only from his appearance, which causes revulsion in others, but also in his extraordinary talents, which encourage him to become famous and admired—even if he might never openly be able to disclose his identity beyond his disguise as a ghost.
Themes
The narrator concludes that, despite Erik’s various crimes, everyone should pity him. He argues that Erik suffered from injustice, since he was kept from expressing his artistic talents in any productive manner, instead being forced to develop them in violent, harmful ways. By contrast, if he had been beautiful, he could probably have had a successful career as an extraordinary artist. The narrator prays to God to forgive Erik, since God himself is responsible for giving Erik such a hideous body.
The narrator proposes that Erik is a victim of his circumstances more than a true evil-doer. Furthermore, the narrator argues that the fault lies in society for having strict standards about appearances, which keeps people from loving each other indiscriminately.
Themes
The narrator notes that, when he discovered Erik’s body in the underground section of the Opera, he looked just like any other human corpse—thus finally achieving normality in death. However, the narrator knew it was Erik because of the ring around his finger, which Christine must have put there, as she had promised. The narrator argues that, given Erik’s unique status, his bones should be taken to the archives of the National Academy of Music, instead of being buried in a public grave.
The fact that Erik achieves normality only in death underlines the inherently tragic nature of his life, in which he was doomed to solitude when all he wanted was to be accepted by others. If one is to believe Erik’s final account, Christine’s willingness to put the ring on his finger after his death highlights her honesty and commitment, and her capacity to honor her promise, even if the man she has made it to has harmed her in the past.
Themes
