April 16, 2007
Leroux's original 1910 novel...
The Phantom of the Opera is set in late 19th century Paris at the Opera Garnier, which was being built between 1857 and 1874. During building, it became necessary to pump underground water from the foundation pit of the building, creating a huge subterranean lake. The employees claim that the opera house is haunted by a mysterious ghost who wreaks chaos and destruction when displeased. Erik, a horribly disfigured musical genius known as the "Phantom of the Opera", uses this facadeto send the managers of the Opera Garnier repeated threats of catastrophe should they not pay him a monthly salary of 20,000 francs and perpetually reserve Box Five for him at every show. This arrangement, unbroken during the many years of the manager's tenure, is abruptly terminated when two proprietors, Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard, take over the opera house and refuse to give in to what they view as empty threats, thinking that it was a practical joke by former managers.
Meanwhile, Erik has taken on a protegee, Christian Daae. He explains to her that he is the "Angel of Music", a heavenly spirit sent by her dead father to help her, and proceeds to give her regular voice lessons through the wall of her remote dressing room. Under the tutelage of her new teacher, Christine makes rapid progress in her vocal studies and mysteriously achieves sudden prominence on stage when she is selected to replace the current prima donna Carlotta, whose act is sabotaged by the Phantom. Christine out-sings Carlotta in her featured debut and immediately wins the heart of her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny.
Erik becomes envious of Christine's relationship with Raoul and finally appears to he rin person, wearing a mask to hide his features. He takes her to his dark world beneath the opera house. Christine quickly finds that there is nothing angelic about Erik; she learns with disappointment that he and the ghost are one and the same. She is infuriated at having been deceived and demands to be set free. Erik promises to release her after five days. After some awkward moments, Erik and Christine eventually begin a duet from Othello, and Christine rips off his mask, dying off curiosity. "If I live to be one hundred, I should always here the superhuman cry of grief and rage which he uttered before that terrible sight reached my eyes", Christine later tells Raoul. The Phantom is furious at having his deformity exposed to someone who he thought could love him. He threatens to keep her in his lair forever, but later he changes his mind. Christine is released, but only after promising to return at her own will, and swearing never to give her love to someone else. Christine does return out of pity and fear.
But Erik isn't the only one envious. After Christine's debut performance, Raoul overhears her succumbing to a tyrannical, disembodied voice in her dressing room (Erik). he becomes suspicious that another man is taking advantage of her innocent beleif in an "Angel of Music" in order to seduce her. He starts spying on her in an attemptto find the mysterious seducer. Christine suddenly becomes aware of this an dis very angry, but after ERik reveals himself to be the Ghost, she decides to tell Raoul, on the roof of the Opera Garnier, everything that has happened between her and Erik. The two of them plan to run away from Paris and Erik.
Erik eavesdrops on their conversation, and comes up with another one of his ingenious plans of action. He abducts Christine from the stage during her final performance at the Opera Garnier as Margarita in Gounod's Faust, at the point where Christine, as Margarita, is appealing to the angels to carry her soul to heaven. Raoul follows them down into the depths of the cavern beneath the opera house, and is guided to Erik's home by a character knows as the Persian. Unfortunately for both of them, the route they take to Erik's house leads instead to a torture chamber, where they are captured by Erik. Raoul and the Persian listen helplessly as Erik rages at Christine, accusin her of lying to him and betraying him. He threatens that should Christine not marry him, he will explode the Opera Garnier. Christine already on the brink of suicide sadly accepts his proposal.
Eventually, Christine shows Erik genuine sympathy and displays her love for him by crying with him, not running away when he takes off his mask, and even kisses him on the forehead. This granted Erik a happiness he never thought possible. In despair, Erik releases Raoul and Christine and gives them his blessings to marry. He only asks that Christine comes back after his death, and bury him with the ring he gave her. Erik dies three weeks after he lets Christine and Raoul go.
Right before his death, Erik delivers a damatic monologue expressing his grief (possibly Don Juan triumphant), in which he describes how Cristine was the only woman to let him kiss her. His brief euphoria when she kissed him. His deapair at havin his love of his life bethrothed to another, and his gratitude to the Persian Daroga Nadir, who once saved his life. Labels: ...original summary
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