Grade 10 - Blog Post Four

Phantom of The Opera

(Leroux, Gaston, Phantom Of The Opera, HarperPerennial, 1987 )

The newest book I have started on recently is the book "Phantom of the Opera". This book is about an opera "ghost" / phantom, who lives in the basement of the Opera. He takes a liking to the young Christine Dae, and disguises himself as her Angel of Music and tries to help her gain her popularity and love, no matter what it takes. With all of the chaos happening around her, Christine has no idea what to believe. Is she to believe in her angel of music or her childhood friend and lover Raoul?

A. This week I want you to identify two significant elements from the book you are currently reading. You may choose an element of setting, a character, an event, a quotation or really anything 'important' in the text thus far.

From the book I am reading, I am identifying the significance of setting and a character. The first element I am going to start of with is Character. The character I think is significant is Erik, the Phantom of the Opera. I believe he is a significant element from the story because he is something unique and different. Rather than your normal bad guy, he is a genius, mischievous and stunning. The things the phantom does is something questionable and very different. He lives under the Opera, and yet he has everyone at his feet. Fearing him, paying him and maybe even respecting. A quote to support this is "The ghost! Suppose, all the same, it were a ghost who puts the magic envelopes on the table... Who talks in Box five... Who killed Joseph Buquet... Who unhooked the chandeler... and robs us!" (Gaston, 227). The phantom is significant to the story because he is the antagonist of the story, he himself, creates the whole story. He controls how the story is to go since he knows his way around the opera house, and he has everyone pretty much obeying him. Without him, there would be no story and if he weren't trying to win over Christine forcibly or willingly, there would be no conflicts.

I also think the setting is significant to the story because of how many places the Phantom could hide in. He lives in the Opera house and he knows his ways around and can easily plot his attacks and traps. The quote to support this is "You have shown me over the upper part of your empire, Christine, but there are strange stories told of the lower part. Shall we go down?" She caught him in her arms, as though she feared to see him dissapear down the black hole and, in a trembling voice, whispered: "Never! ... I will not have you go there! Besides, it's not mine... everything that is underground belongs to him!"" (Gaston,147). This quote relates because it indirectly explains how the Phantom owns the lower half of the Opera house. They are fearsome of the Phantom. Also, if he wasnt living in the Opera house and say, somewhere more simple, It would be harder to pull tricks and attacks on your victims.