The Phantom of the Opera

Describe Christine’s complicated relationship with Erik. Why does Christine feel bound to obey him and return to him even though she is afraid of him? How does Erik manipulate Christine to keep her obedient? Use passages from the text to support your views.

In the Epilogue, the narrator asserts that the reader should pity Erik. How is Erik a tragic figure? How does the text attempt to humanize “the monster” and his goals of a normal life? Cite quotations from the novel to illustrate your argument.

How do legends, folktales, and superstition influence both those who believe and don’t believe in their truth? Are any mysterious events left unexplained? Identify passages from The Phantom of the Opera to explain your views.

Raoul and Erik’s shared love for Christine establishes them as character foils. Compare the two lovers. How is their obsessive love for Christine similar and different? How do the actions of one help the reader understand the actions of the other? Provide quotations from each character to compare their traits.

How do masks operate as a symbol within the text? How do masks allow the characters to both reveal and conceal things about themselves? Outline the evolution of masks within the narrative to frame your argument.

How do the allusions to real operas like Faust, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and more help foreshadow and explain events of the story? What is the significance of Erik’s fictional opera, Don Juan Triumphant? Does this opera have a similar symbolic function? Choose one opera to thoroughly research and demonstrate its significance within the story.

How does the Opera House act as an extension of Erik’s character? How is Christine and Raoul’s experience of the upper Opera House different than Erik’s? How does the setting of the Opera contribute to the story’s Gothic genre? Provide specific examples from the text to connect the three concepts.

How does class complicate Raoul and Christine’s relationship? Do class divisions create other tensions in the story? Show how class impacts the narrative by highlighting passages from the novel.