The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
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The Phantom of the Opera: Similes 2 key examples

Definition of Simile

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often... read full definition

Key Examples in The Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—An Angel's Voice :

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? 

Chapter 13
Explanation and Analysis—An Angel's Voice :

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? 

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Chapter 21
Explanation and Analysis—The Flaming Face:

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":

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.

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