The Natural vs. the Supernatural
Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera, follows a series of mysterious events that took place at the Paris Opera House in the 1880s and were popularly attributed to the actions of a ghost. As the narrator investigates occurrences such as the death of chief stage machinist Joseph Buquet and the musical transformation of young Swedish soprano Christine Daaé, he uncovers a surprising truth: these strange events do derive from the…
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Love vs. Jealousy
Admired by both her childhood friend the Viscount Raoul de Chagny and by the mysterious “Phantom” Erik, opera singer Christine Daaé soon finds herself stuck in a love triangle. However, despite each character’s frequent professions of love, no character proves perfectly trustworthy or upright in their romantic pursuits: Erik strives to control Christine through violent domination, Raoul often doubts of innocent Christine’s honesty and chastity, and Christine proves partially unwilling to leave her violent…
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Violence, Revenge, and Redemption
The narrative of The Phantom of the Opera is driven by the “Phantom” Erik’s misdeeds, which range from intimidation and blackmail to abduction and murder. Erik’s past as an assassin in Persia puts these crimes in context, portraying Erik as a callous individual whose life work centers around violence. At the same time, Erik’s difficult childhood and his history of rejection also reveal his vulnerability, suggesting that his violent deeds might be an expression…
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Beauty vs. Ugliness
The “Phantom” Erik’s tragic situation as a man forced to live in a cave derives from his repulsive, skeleton-like appearance, which proves too horrific for others to witness. Although the novel takes pity on Erik’s circumstances, highlighting the injustice of being forced to live in solitude, it also offers no viable alternative: Erik is forced to accept that his talents as a singer will never come to light, and that he will never be…
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