Definition of Simile
Key Examples in The Phantom of the Opera
In Chapter 13, Christine tries to describe the indescribable voice of the Phantom. She uses a simile that compares his voice to that of an angel:
I could not hear the voice outside my door, whereas inside the singing continued. And not only did the voice sing, it also spoke to me: it answered my questions, like the voice of a real man, with this difference: it was as beautiful as an angel’s voice. How could I explain so unbelievable a phenomenon?
In Chapter 13, Christine tries to describe the indescribable voice of the Phantom. She uses a simile that compares his voice to that of an angel:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I could not hear the voice outside my door, whereas inside the singing continued. And not only did the voice sing, it also spoke to me: it answered my questions, like the voice of a real man, with this difference: it was as beautiful as an angel’s voice. How could I explain so unbelievable a phenomenon?
The narrator uses a simile to compare the Phantom's yellow eyes to candles, which adds to his otherworldly aura. In Chapter 21, he also notes that the Phantom's head looked as if it were "ablaze...like a flame":
Unlock with LitCharts A+it was a face … a head, not just two eyes shining in the dark! Yes, a luminous head was coming towards them, a head of fire, at a man’s height from the ground, but with no body attached. It was ablaze and, in the darkness, looked like a flame with the features of a man.