An anon asked me for Erik x Raoul in their masquerade attire. Red Death is surprisingly very easy to draw compared to Raoul’s hussar uniform; my hand is dead from that;(
I haven’t been happy with my linework lately so I used this as an exercise to practice my lines.
Eros, Thanatos and the Underworld - Death symbolism in Leroux
One of the most striking characteristics of Leroux’s Erik is his physical ugliness, which caused him to be rejected and shunned throughout his entire life. But Erik is not „just“ run-of-the-mill ugly, he’s not “just” deformed - he literally looks like Death. And it is this very peculiar brand of ugliness that comes with a deep and rich symbolism attached.
Other characters compare him to a „living corpse“ and a skeleton, and he is described as having a „Death‘s head“ on several occasions. At the masked ball, Erik famously dresses up as the „Red Death“ from Edgar Allan Poe‘s gothic short story - however, it is important to note that in contrast to Poe‘s „Red Death“, Erik is not just an allegory, a personification of Death. He is fundamentally human, and the death symbolism in the story serves not only to evoke horror, but also to expand and enrich the character and the themes connected with him on a deeper level.
Erik is not only strongly associated with death, but also with love and passion. This duality reflects the age-old “Eros and Thanatos” connection, where love/sex and death are perceived as two sides of the same coin. The fascination with themes of love and death obviously predates gothic romanticism, but at the turn of the century, it was very much in vogue in both the arts and sciences, and it has always been present in the world of Opera.
But not only Erik’s physical appearance is laden with death imagery - the death symbolism extends to his entire realm. He sleeps in a coffin, and his room is furnished with funeral-style decor, which forms a stark contrast to the more conventional furniture in the rest of his house. The coffin-bed is also evocative of vampire lore, which many readers associate mainly with another famous gothic classic - Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, which was published in 1897. While Leroux had probably read Stoker, the popularity of vampires in France predates Stoker’s novel. French writer Charles Nodier is credited with introducing gothic romanticism in France. He published a series of novels centering around gothic themes in the 1820s and 1830s - works which influenced Victor Hugo and, in turn, Gaston Leroux. Nodier, through his stage adaptation of Polidori‘s „Le Vampire“, reshaped the traditional concept of vampires being nothing but “living corpses” who fed off the living into the more sophisticated, Byronesque character of Lord Ruthven and thus gave birth to the figure of the Romantic Vampire - a reinterpretation whose repercussions are still alive and well today. “Le Vampire” was wildly popular in France in the first half of the 19th century and sparked a fascination with gothic themes.
Leroux often compares Erik’s abode and the cellars of the Opera to the Underworld, the realm of death in Greek and Roman mythology. “Lake Averne”, the name by which Erik and Christine refer to the lake under the Opera House, is an allusion to the “Lago d’Averno” in Italy, one of the legendary entrances to the Underworld. Christine also compares the lake to the River Styx, and Erik to Charon:
“The souls of the dead couldn’t have felt more anxiety when they came to the River Styx, and Charon couldn’t have been gloomier or more silent than the man who lifted me into the boat.”
The Persian also makes a very similar comparison:
„Except for his golden eyes, he looked like the grim ferryman of the Styx.“
The name of Charon, the ferryman to the Underworld, can be translated as “with glowing/fiery eyes”. Erik’s eyes are also described as “glowing” and are only visible in the dark. Christine’s boat ride resembles the passage into the Hades, leaving behind the world of the living. Charon also moves his boat with a pole - an image that is not used in Leroux (since Erik uses oars), but was frequently used in visual adaptations such as the 1925 movie and the ALW musical.
But Erik is not just the ferryman - he is also the ruler of the underground part of the Opera, as Christine says:
„Everything underground belongs to him!“
She even ascribes almost supernatural powers to him, and suggests that he indeed possesses knowledge of the netherworld:
„He does things that no other man could do, and he knows things that are unknown to the world of the living.“
The famous Underworld myth of Orpheus is also referenced in Leroux. Not only does Christine state that she belonged to “Orpheus’ flock” when she listens to Erik sing, she also breaks the rule of “don’t look” in the unintentionally destructive act of tearing away Erik’s mask, which results in her captivity.
In addition to Orpheus, “The Phantom of the Opera” can also be seen as a variation on the mythological story of Hades and Persephone. Hades, the god of the Underworld, fell in love with the young and beautiful Persephone, the goddess of spring, and wanted to marry her, but she wasn’t willing to abandon the world above and go to live in the Underworld. Therefore Hades abducted her, she finally consented to marry him and became queen of the Underworld, ultimately dividing her time between both worlds. The 1858 satirical opera “Orfée aux enfers” by Jacques Offenbach, in addition to parodying the society of the Third Empire, also constituted a crossover between the two legends by having Pluto/Hades abduct Eurydike after starting an affair with her in disguise, and Jupiter leading Orpheus into the Underworld to retrieve his wife, but then tricking him into looking at her.
Although Christine never becomes queen of Erik’s Underworld, she is clearly torn between finding his world both fascinating and terrifying.
Erik and Christine can also be seen as a literal expression of the artistic topos „death and the maiden“, which especially towards the end of the 19th century associated death very strongly with the erotic (see https://eclecticlight.co/2020/01/05/paintings-for-our-time-death-and-the-maiden/ for a very good overview of the evolution of the motif). Here, Death is usually represented as either a skeleton or corpse, or as an angel - which is very much in line with Leroux’s Erik, who also embodies both. Erik‘s music creates feelings of passion, rapture and ecstasy in Christine, and combined with the fact that Erik’s entire existence is a transgression of everything that is socially accepted, it is not a big stretch to conclude that Erik is associated not only with death, but also with sexuality. The perception of sex as both a life-creating and life-threatening force was especially prevalent at the turn of the century, expressed in works such as Edvard Munch’s 1894 painting “Girl and Death” (https://www.edvard-munch.org/girl-and-death/) or the very similar but more explicit “Life and Death“:
Death is seen as intricately tied to love and the darker feelings of passion and desire. Erik identifying with the character of “Don Juan” further accentuates his “Eros” side, while the fact that he is threatening to blow up the Opera house - and thus constituting a threat to all of society very much like Poe’s Red Death - clearly play up the “Thanatos” aspect of his character. Music in the novel also serves as a metaphor for romantic love and sex, as it is connotated with “passion”, “fire”, “ecstasy” and “rapture” throughout - and no character in it is more strongly connected to music than Erik. Erik’s teaching awakens “an ardent, voracious and sublime life” in Christine, symbolising the burgeoning romantic feelings in the young woman. She is terrified with the changes going on in her, which is also in line with how „Eros“ was originally viewed: as a frightening loss of control.
Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s musical adaptation of the original Phantom story recognized this strongly erotic undercurrent in the story and aptly translated it into songs such as „Music of the night“ or „Point of no return“. But he did not put it there - the themes were always present, and paradoxically, they have always been strongly connected to the aspect that some modern readers now perceive only as “horror” - Erik’s death-like appearance.
All quotes were taken from the translation by Lowell Bair.
Ever since I first saw (and then read) “Phantom”, I - like many others - have been fascinated by the relationship between Erik and Christine. There was something incredibly touching, moving, earth-shattering about them in both their ALW and Leroux portrayals. Both narratives are comparable in the degree of ambiguity they afford to their relationship. But why exactly are Erik and Christine so compelling as a couple? They probably mean different things to everyone, but I have tried digging a bit more into the reasons why I personally love this tragic pair so much…
One of the reasons their relationship holds such a huge appeal for me lies in the deep symbolism it carries. Throughout the narrative, Erik and Christine are presented as opposites - angel and demon, black and white, beauty and ugliness, underground and aboveground. They represent the dualism of the human condition, embodying extremes that complement each other. Just as there is no light without darkness, either is incomplete without the other. That symbolism brings a universal, almost transcendental quality to their relationship. Visually, the „yin and yang“ symbol sums them up perfectly:
They are not only opposites - they also mirror each other. It is no surprise that the mirror is such an important symbol in their story, literally turning them into mirror images of each other. They are two sides of the same coin, both representing a part of dualistic world. And just as Erik shows Christine her own darkness, she brings out the light in his soul.
They also have quite a few features in common: Both have a past of being travelling performers. Both are each other’s „angels“. They are also both enormously talented and passionate musicians. The soul-deep connection they share through music is incredibly intimate, passionate and spiritually erotic - and it is the core that lends an almost otherworldly quality to their relationship. Through music, Erik and Christine seem to unite as one being, creating their private world where nothing matters but their hearts and souls:
„Music has the power to abolish everything in the world except its sounds, which go straight to the heart.“ (Christine Daaé)
Emotions are heightened and pushed to the limits here, resulting in what Christine repeatedly describes as „ecstasy“. This transcendental experience of going „beyond themselves“, of transcending the limits of their own being to connect with another, is a deeply Romantic concept. But just as too much passion can become overwhelming and consuming, resulting in a loss of control, Christine’s connection to Erik becomes both necessary and terrifying as she fears losing herself in it, both fascinated by him and equally afraid of his potentially destructive power. Erik and Christine are in equal parts moth and flame to each other. They are helplessly drawn to each other despite knowing that the other holds the power to destroy them.
But perhaps the most important reason why I love Erik and Christine together is the fact that Erik is so utterly, completely, head over ears in love with her. What might appear as just an obsession at first glance is proven to be the truest kind of love in the end - a selfless love that puts Christine’s needs first and makes Erik sacrifice everything for her, “calmly cutting his own heart to pieces”. His love is like a searing light in the darkness, beautiful and pure. In the end, it does not even matter if Christine returns it because his love for her is so powerful that it alone redeems him. It also helps him grow and become a better person. He recognizes that his behaviour has been wrong, that love mustn’t be forced, and that he must give her up if he really loves her:
„In the end, most of the Phantoms, including Leroux’s, sacrifice their desires for a woman‘s and honor her choice. […] This sacrifice is the true aphrodisiac of most Phantom narratives: women‘s desires are upheld, no matter how conventional. It is this moment that earns the Phantom narrative its audience‘s loyalty, not the unseen „happily ever after“ promised to Christine by her conventional Raoul.“ (Ann C. Hall, “Phantom Variations”).
It is not certain though just how happy the „happily ever after“ will turn out for Raoul and Christine because we never even get to see it. Both Leroux (with his allusion to Christine’s „solitary singing“ and her return of the wedding ring to him) and ALW (implying that a solitary Raoul seeks closure by buying the Phantom‘s music box for Christine as an old man) insinuate that the loss of Christine’s almost symbiotic artistic relationship with Erik means that her soul will be missing an important piece for the rest of her life. And this is the extended tragedy of it, because Raoul also really loves Christine and would be willing to give up his life for her - the difference between him and Erik being mostly that Raoul is never required to go through with that sacrifice.
And even if Erik‘s love for Christine might not be entirely unrequited, it still remains unfulfilled in life. It is no surprise that Leroux links them to Romeo and Juliet - they are, in a sense, also star-crossed lovers whose love is doomed, both by wrong choices and by circumstances outside their control. Raoul, who is quite perceptive, sums it up in his fateful question in „Apollo‘s Lyre“:
„If Erik were handsome, would you love me?“
Christine’s reply of „ Why tempt fate? Why ask me about things I hide deep within my conscience, the way one would hide a sin?“ was not included in the widespread de Mattos translation - possibly because it is the most telling expression of her harbouring deeper, forbidden feelings for Erik that she can’t admit, since she is clearly unwilling to answer Raoul’s question. In Leroux, the narrator also implies that after Erik‘s death, Christine returned to him and put the gold wedding ring he had given her on his finger, ultimately fulfilling their impossible love in death.
If things were different, if Erik had been born with a normal face and lived a different life because of it, Erik and Christine might have had a chance at happiness. But this is left to the audience‘s imagination and wishful thinking, perpetuating the fascination with their tragic tale of unfulfilled love.
I have marked some of the most important locations mentioned in the Leroux novel on this 19th century map of Paris:
Erik’s home, the Palais Garnier
Christine’s flat in the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires (no specific number)
The Persian’s flat in the Rue de Rivoli (presumably at no. 204, where the real Persian lived)
The Madeleine Church, where Erik was planning to marry Christine
Raoul’s home in the Faubourg St. Germain is only marked as an approximation, as most of the Faubourg isn’t even on this map, since it is located on the other side of the Seine.
A random collection of facts about our favourite Opera Ghost ❤️
His eyes are golden and glow in the dark.
He is fond of good wine.
When he goes out to run errands, instead of his usual black silk mask, he uses a papier-mâché nose with a moustache attached to it.
He has hot and cold running water in his house (which was very advanced for the time).
He invented electric heating.
He plays not only the organ, the piano and the violin, but also the harp (he‘s an angel, after all!).
He sleeps in a coffin and loves gothic room decor.
His handwriting is clumsy, childlike and looks as if he uses matchsticks to write. He prefers red ink.
He only gave lessons to Christine for three months.
He returned all of the money that he had extorted from the new managers.
His house is not located in the sewers or catacombs, but between the inner and outer wall of the tank built to contain the groundwater in the foundations of the opera house.
He spent more than 20 years working on „Don Juan Triumphant“.
The order of events in the Leroux novel can be a bit confusing due to the “puzzle“ style of the narrative, so I‘ve tried and listed everything with a chronological indication in the (hopefully) correct order and timeframe. Piecing everything together, it is quite amazing how quickly things happened…
Beginning of November, possibly late October (“a good 3 months” before Christine‘s first disappearance): Erik and Christine meet, Erik starts teaching Christine. Talk of the “Opera Ghost” also arises “several months” before the gala, so probably around the same time.
January 10:Gala night featuring Christine, departure of Debienne and Poligny, Buquet’s body is found, Moncharmin and Richard learn about the ghost. Raoul hears Erik‘s voice in Christine’s dressing room.
The anniversary of Christine’s father’s death and her trip to Perros take place at some point later in January.
January 25: a note from the opera ghost arrives, claiming Box 5. M and R reserve Box 5 for Debienne and Poligny, so it remains empty.
January 26: Thank-you note from the ghost arrives, Box 5 sold to the public, occupants thrown out. Erik‘s note also states that he will write to them soon concerning the payment of his salary.
January 27: Mme Giry interrogated
The Saturday after: Faust performance where chandelier falls.Erik brings Christine to his house, where she stays for 2 weeks.
2 weeks later (mid-February): Christine and Erik go to the Masked Ball. Christine meets Raoul and later returns to Erik for the night. He gives her the wedding ring and she returns home the next morning.
Next day: Raoul visits Christine at home and sees the gold ring.
Next day: Raoul sees Christine at the Opera and tells her that he will be leaving in 3 or 4 weeks for the North Pole. The engagement gamebegins.
1 week later: Christine runs off to Erik.
2 days later: Christine reappears in “La Juive”
The following days are not stated, but it seems to be about another week, possibly, until the rooftop scene. Maximum duration of the entire engagement episode: 3-4 weeks, so no later than mid-march. The evening of Christine‘s abduction coincides with the payment of the Opera Ghost‘s monthly salary.
Rooftop scene evening: Raoul shoots Erik on the balcony. Raoul and Philippe quarrel.
Next day: The supposed engagement of Raoul and Christine is announced in the newspaper. Raoul prepares elopement and goes to the opera house at 9 pm. Christine is abducted from the stage. Erik sets her an ultimatum until 11 pm the following night (24 hours). Second payment collected. Past midnight, Raoul and the Persian go off in search of Christine and fall into the torture chamber.
Next day, 11 pm: Ultimatum runs out. Christine turns scorpion. Raoul and the Persian almost drown, but are recovered by Erik and Christine.
The Persian is delivered back to his apartment probably 1-2 days later, depending on how long he slept. Erik lets Christine and Raoul go.
Shortly after: Erik comes to visit the Persian.
3 weeks later:Erik dies(end of March to possibly mid-April).
So Erik met Christine (and most likely started masquerading as the opera ghost) at the beginning of November, and died the following spring at the end of march, maybe mid-April at the latest. This means that the entire plot, from Erik‘s and Christine’s first meeting to his death, spans only 5 to 5 ½ months in total. Therefore, they knew each other for a much shorter time than commonly assumed, especially within the context of the ALW musical.
One of the many mysteries in “The Phantom of the Opera” is our title hero’s age. Unlike Raoul’s age, Erik’s age is never explicitely stated despite the rather extensive background for him which Leroux put down in the Epilogue. But even though Leroux does not give conclusive information about Erik‘s age, there are some fixed points from which we can deduce a likely age range for him.
To determine when Erik was born, the most important clue is the Louis-Philippe furniture that he inherited from his mother. Louis-Philippe became king in 1830, so any furniture that would be labelled „Louis-Philippe“ would be from a year later than 1830. We do not know when his mother acquired the furniture, but by far the most likely occasion at that time would be her marriage. Leroux does not mention any irregularities concerning Erik’s birth, so I assume he was born after his parents‘ wedding - therefore, no earlier than 1830, and probably a couple of years later.
The next fixed point in time is Erik‘s stay in Persia. Leroux mentions the Emir of Afghanistan „at war with the Empire“, which would pinpoint this period as the time of the Anglo-Persian war from 1856-57. Shortly before he goes to Persia, Leroux states that Erik „already sang like no one else had ever sung“ - the „already“ indicating that he was still quite young at that point. Considering what he accomplished in Persia, I don‘t think it likely that he was any younger than 17 in 1857. My personal guess is that he was between 20 and 25.
So, how old was he by the time the events of the novel occurred? We do not know when exactly the story is meant to take place, but again, we can confine it within a certain range. Erik prophecies that Meg Giry will be Empress by 1885 - which suggests 1884/85 as the latest possible year. „Le roi de Lahore“ premiered in 1877, making 1877/78 the earliest possibility. According to Leroux, the events took place „not more than 30 years ago“. Counting from 1909, the year of publication, this would put a limit on 1879, but if we consider 30 years from the time of Leroux actually researching and writing the story, 1877/78 is possible.
Taking this into consideration, Erik is not older than 54, and not younger than 37 at the start of the novel. I assume that Erik was probably in his mid-fourties - also because he was obviously still fit enough for stunts such as climbing up to the Apollo statue, which „is not easy“ according to Christine.
I’ve finally managed to locate an image of the „pipe organ“ lighting system for the stage of the Palais Garnier, which is mentioned in the Leroux novel. It was nicknamed the „pipe organ“ because of the multitude of pipes that transported the gas to the stage lights. With this centralized system, the stage lights could be turned on or off, both gradually and suddenly depending on the requirements of the staging. It was also possible to plunge the entire stage into darkness, or just a part of it.
Erik, resident pipe organ virtuoso, used this control system to switch off the lights so that he could abduct Christine from the stage during the performance of „Faust“. The niche which was reserved for the lighting chief is also mentioned, although not pictured.
Notes on Gaston Leroux‘s „The Phantom of the Opera“ - Bonus Chapter: „The Magic Envelope“
Inside Box Five at the Opéra Garnier
This „lost“ chapter was originally included in the „Le Gaulois“ serialization, but was cut when „The Phantom of the Opera“ was published as a novel. In the original order of chapters, it came between „At the Masked Ball“ and „You Must Forget the Name of ‚the Man‘s voice‘“, and while it is not essential to the plot, it adds some rather interesting details. It was translated by @fdelopera and is also available in full on her blog.
„The Magic envelope“ picks up after the chandelier accident, when Moncharmin and Richard find themselves forced to surrender to the Ghost‘s wishes. They are also very adamant about making it known that they had absolutely not witnessed anything out of the ordinary that fateful evening while they were sitting in Box 5. They also pay Carlotta a visit, finding her sick in bed and unable to recover, and have a thorough inspection conducted of the chandelier‘s means of suspension, which resulted inconclusive. Therefore, seeing themselves up against such a formidable adversary, they reinstate Madame Giry with an apology and decide to enter into negotiations with the O.G., thinking this the best way to get a hold of him. They no longer regard him as a harmless prankster, but instead a „crook of outrageous audacity“ (which is probably closer to the truth, since Erik is never afraid of making bold moves). On a side note, we also learn that Gabriel is the confidant of Richard, and Mercier is the confidant of Moncharmin.
Madame Giry resumes her duties without demonstrating any resentment towards the managers for the treatment she was given previously. Moncharmin hands her a letter for the Ghost, to be handed over to him that evening. She puts the letter into the basket she carries most of the time. Erik‘s reply is delivered the following day by the post office. Herein, he informs them that he will shortly send them more instructions regarding the payment of his salary, and informs them that Christine Daaé is unwell and in need of rest, and that they need not worry if they do not see her these days. Moncharmin remarks drily that the Phantom „has every appearance of ruining women‘s reputations“, but they chose not to investigate any further into this „mysterious relationship“.
On the morning of the masked ball, approximately 2 weeks later, Moncharmin and Richard both receive a private letter from the O.G., without knowing that the other has also received a letter. Erik instructs the recipient of each letter on how he will meet him at the ball that evening to discuss the payment of his monthly salary „without any risk, either to it or to me“. He also states that he has decided to confer only with him, flattering him as „a shrewd judge of character, and a person of the highest intellect, qualities that are greatly appreciated, and that I would be at pains to find in your unfortunate colleague“. Erik has a rather mischievous way of exploiting people‘s weaknesses - in this case, the vanity of Moncharmin and Richard - and using them against them, which is not charm.
Now, the most ingenious part of Erik’s plan is that he has sent the exact same letterto both managers, essentially pitting them against each other. He tells them that he will come to the ball dressed as a Capuchin friar, and asks both managers to come wearing the exact same costume. They are supposed to meet him shortly after midnight in the box located directly below the so-called „Box of the Blind“.
Christine casually refers to the „Box of the Blind“ in the previous chapter, but it is only explained here what the „Box of the Blind“ is. It‘s a spacious box in the top tier that offers no view at all, and is reserved for the institutions of the blind who come here to enjoy the music. This means that the box which Erik is sending the managers is located in the third tier.
The managers do exactly as they have been told and come to the appointment both dressed as monks with masks. They come face to face with each other, but since they are both in disguise, each believes that he is actually face to face with the Opera Ghost. Then Erik speaks (probably from the box above) and suggests they go to the office instead, and both managers think that they have heard the other speak. In the previous chapter „At the Masked Ball“, we have seen Christine and Raoul, who are also meeting in a third-tier box, observe Erik ascend and then descend the staircase. Without the context of the lost chapter, we are led to believe that Erik is coming after Raoul and Christine, but this chapter suggests that he is actually just going to his appointed meeting with the managers. This would also explain why, even though they can see him, he does not seem to take note of their presence. Considering how adamant Christine was about keeping Raoul from leaving the box, I also wonder if she was perhaps aware of Erik‘s plan and didn‘t want Raoul to interfere (Raoul feels that she wants to give the „Red Death“ time to escape, and Christine probably doesn‘t want him to endanger himself either).
Richard leaves the box first, thinking he is leading the way for the Ghost, while Moncharmin, who is following him, reflects on how familiar the Ghost is with the way to their office. Once they arrive in their office, they wait for the Ghost to speak, but they don’t hear any more from him. Richard loses his patience and speaks. Moncharmin immediately realizes how they have been played, and is convinced that Richard is pranking him. But as Richard is genuinely angry at being suspected, Moncharmin shows him the letter, and they both realize that they have received the same instructions from the Ghost. But Moncharmin still remains distrustful of Richard, which we also see in the later chapters.
End of Section 1
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Suddenly, they hear three ghostly knocks, seemingly coming from inside the desk, and notice an envelope addressed to them in red ink lying there. Richard finally dares to open it, and the content shows that Erik has staged this little charade as a warning not to involve the police in the future, demonstrating that in case they had decided to call them, the police would have arrested the managers instead of the Ghost, which - according to Erik - would have been „quite entertaining“. Furthermore, he now gives them more precise instructions for the payment of his salary: the managers are to put 20 1,000 franc notes into the envelope (addressed to „Monsieur Fantôme de l‘Opéra“) that he has enclosed, seal it and then give it to Madame Giry half an hour before the next performance.
The next evening, Madame Giry is summoned to Richard‘s office. On her way to the backstage area, she comes across Meg playing a prank on a fireman, and slaps her face. This is the only scene where we see Meg Giry apart from the very beginning of the novel. Madame Giry is handed the rather thick envelope and puts it into the basket she carries around with her. Moncharmin asks her how she usually delivers the envelope, and she tells him that she just puts it in the Ghost‘s box. An important bit of information here is the time that Madame Giry has been in the service of the Ghost. The first letter she delivered was only a few days before the departure of Debienne and Poligny, the former managers. According to her, it was much thinner than this one, which is logical considering that they only paid the Ghost for the first 10 days of January, so only a third of the „regular“ salary. Therefore, far from having amassed riches during his time as the Opera Ghost, Erik had only collected one meagre payment of a little less than 7,000 francs until now (still a lot, but nowhere near a substantial fortune). It also shows that his reign as the „Opera Ghost“ was indeed very short-lived and most likely linked to his plans of marrying Christine and needing money for that.
Madame Giry leaves the managers‘ office, and Mercier is right on her heels. When she gets to Box 5, she takes the letter out of the basket and places it on the shelf. While she is inside Box 5, Mercier opens the basket to see what it contains. The contents are indeed interesting, at least for us readers. The translator, Caitlin Freeman aka @fdelopera, suggests that the items in the basket really belong to Erik and not to Madame Giry, and looking at the contents, it seems like this is indeed the Erik edition of „What‘s in your bag?“. Let‘s see what is in there:
Alace handkerchief embroidered with the interwoven initials „F. O.“
Since the monogram contains neither a „G“ or a „J“, it is not likely that it belongs to Madame Giry. The only character we know that would fit „F. O.“ is indeed le „F. de l’O.“, so it probably belongs to Erik. In the next chapter, we see Christine making lace at home in her free time, so it is apparently something that she likes to do. It is therefore possible that this handkerchief was made and given to Erik by Christine during the preceding two weeks that she stayed with him. She probably thought even Opera Ghosts need decent handkerchiefs.
Abunch of keys
A bunch of keys can really belong to anyone, so this is not very conclusive. Possibly Madame Giry‘s, since Erik can open „anything he pleases“ anyway.
Abox of matches
A box of matches might also seem random, but in Chapter 3, it is mentioned that Erik‘s handwriting looks as if he had used matchsticks: „except that at the end a paragraph had been added in red ink, in strange, jagged handwriting that looked as if it might have been made with inked matchsticks.“
It is not really explained why he would use matchsticks instead of a regular pen, but there is definitely a connection.
Twelve sous
A bit of small change, also inconclusive.
An „old edition of the Petit Journal, folded to the section of the serialized novel: The Vampire‘s Daughter“
Along with the handkerchief, probably the most suggestive item in the basket. The translator has researched the serialized novels in the Petit Journal during that period, and has found no serialized novel with that title. This means that Leroux invented this novel, and its title can easily be linked to Erik, who clearly has some vampiric references himself, what with sleeping in a coffin and generally looking a little dead. The mention of the Vampire’s daughter could also be an indication that Erik’s dream of a wife and a normal life also included the possibility of having children and becoming a real family. And it also means that Erik’s taste in literature might potentially lean more towards trashy vampire romances than Shakespeare - which somehow really fits Leroux Erik….
During the entire performance, Moncharmin and Richard avidly watch the envelope from the upper tier, and confirm that it has not moved an inch. After the performance they meet Mercier in Box 5, where they open the envelope and find the 20,000 francs still inside. But the bank notes they had placed in it weren‘t real - Moncharmin and Richard had put 20,000 francs in play money into the envelope and thus incurred Erik’s wrath. Therefore, when Moncharmin and Richard return to their office, they find a short note from him there. We are treated to hearing Erik curse here in a very special fashion - Freeman has aptly translated the original curse “Lustre et balustre!” as “candles and chandeliers!” The reference to the chandelier („lustre“) is an unveiled threat and reminder of the previous accident. He also lets them know that the “Bank of Saint Farce is not legal tender in my Empire”, making it the only time that Erik actually refers to his domain in the Opera as his “Empire”.
Richard is furious, and more so because he feels that Moncharmin still suspects him. He sends for Gabriel, his friend. In a private conversation, Richard recounts the whole affair to Gabriel and Mercier. Gabriel advises them to put the real 20,000 francs into the envelope, and not to involve the police.
End of Section 2
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Moncharmin wants to know why Gabriel doesn’t want to involve the police, and Gabriel insists that if the Ghost is real, they can’t outsmart him, and if he is not, they will be ridiculed - so they can’t really win. Mercier suggests that a real Ghost would have no use for 20,000 francs, so if they use 20,000 francs as bait and the Ghost steals them, they will have proof that he is not a real Ghost. The four of them agree to keep watch over the envelope during the next performance two days later.
When Richard arrives in the managers’ office again half an hour before the performance, an envelope addressed to the “F. de l’O. - private” is awaiting him on the desk. Richard is fuming because he cannot figure out how the Ghost could get into the office despite the new security locks that they had put on the doors. After the other men have arrived, Richard puts 20,000 real francs into the Ghost‘s envelope, and hands it to Moncharmin, who brings it to Madame Giry. Madame Giry once again enters the box and leaves the envelope on the shelf. All four men avidly watch the envelope lying there innocently throughout the whole performance. When they retrieve the seemingly unopened envelope up again afterwards and open it, they think at first that they have outsmarted the Ghost, until Moncharmin turns pale and realizes that he is holding the play money instead of the real notes!
For the resolution of the magic trick, see Chapter 17.
PotO locations - The Madeleine church (Erik’s chosen wedding venue)
In Leroux’s novel, Erik plans to marry Christine in the Madeleine church, a catholic church about 10 minutes walking distance from the Opera - so I dedided to let the wedding bells ring a little and pay the Madeleine a visit as well. If you thought that Erik would pick a small neighbourhood church that wouldn’t attract much attention, this couldn’t be much further from the truth because this church is huge. He admits to having a faible for the “grandiose” in the book, and his choice of wedding location totally confirms that. He really wanted to shout it from the rooftops!
One of its features is a big and very beautiful pipe organ, so perhaps that is why Erik picked it as the place to play his wedding march…
What better time to explore this question than Dark Week? For context, I write E/C fic and I’m not here to tell anyone that their head canon of Erik is wrong. But I see this question posed often. Even Lindsay Ellis affectionately calls Erik the Incel in the Basement in one of her PotO videos. So, is he? Does he meet the definition?
According to Merriam-Webster:
The term seems to appear on the internet around 1999, so it’s safe to say that neither Leroux nor ALW had this word in mind when writing Erik. But what about the concept itself? When I first read the novel, I found The Scorpion or the Grasshopper chapter absolutely chilling. I could not separate Erik’s threat of mass murder from what we know today about mass shooters and domestic violence, including incels who perpetrate mass violence. A majority of mass shootings are proceeded by a history of domestic or gender-based violence. If this has been true throughout history I do not know. If Leroux knew this about society, it would have been intuitive. He wouldn’t have had research and statistics about this on hand.
What Leroux did have on hand was knowledge of the anarchist terrorism of his time. In 1894, Leroux witnessed and wrote about the trials and executions of three such men. He was likely also inspired by the 1893 anarchist bombing of the Liceu Opera in Barcelona. Rather than ground Erik’s threat to blow up the Garnier in pure misogyny or sexual frustration like a modern incel, Leroux bases it on the words and actions of anarchists. Not that I think Erik has any political agenda, but rather, Leroux has an agenda of using Erik as a parody of both the anarchists and the bourgeoisie who feared them.
Looking back at the definition of incel, Erik expresses extreme resentment and hostility in any adaptation, barring the fluffiest of fluff phic. But what about the celibate part? ALW’s Phantom emits the ultimate incel groan about having been “denied the joys of the flesh” after having just forced Christine into a wedding dress. Feel free to discuss in the notes how this is not incel behavior. But what about Leroux Erik? Is he actually celibate, voluntarily or not? He makes jokes and threats about Don Juan and Blue Beard, implying a past romantic or married life. But it is left vague. He could have been a Don Juan. He could have been married before. He could have killed his wives. He could just be joking - he’s so funny! He could have visited sex workers. He could not care about sex at all, focusing more on the societal benefits a wife might bring him.
Is Erik an incel? It depends on which version of Erik and it depends on your own cultural context and much as Leroux’s or ALW’s. An incel is a modern concept, but they could have existed petulantly throughout history before finally finding each other on the internet.
Please feel free to comment on this post. Opposing opinions are welcome. Incel apologies are not.
I‘ve seen people call Erik an „incel“ before, and while it is most likely true that he is „involuntarily celibate“, I feel that a true incel is quite different from Erik (I‘ll be referring to the Leroux version here). Two key differences that I would associate with incels are:
Asense of entitlement that results in thinking a woman „owes“ them sex, love or whatever. I do not see Erik as feeling entitled to Christine’s love. His undertone is always pleading - he desperately wants to be loved and accepted. There‘s a big difference between a fervent wish and the feeling of being entitled to something.
Alack of actual affection. The ending of PotO makes it clear that Erik loves Christine very deeply. He worships the ground she walks on. He values her happiness more than his own. This, to me, is the opposite of „incel“ behaviour.
So, what about the terrorist threat? To me, this threat is a. primarily suicidal (as he wanted to end his life) and b. directed against society as a whole, probably as an act of revenge for how he was treated all his life. Leroux openly criticized society for shunning people like Erik. Ironically, the Garnier was built to prevent terrorist attacks on the Emperor. Writing a cellar full of gunpowder into the Opera can be interpreted as an extension of that social criticism and warning.
And what about Erik‘s potential previous relationships? I honestly don‘t think there are any - mostly because he says „no woman ever…“ when Christine lets him kiss her. Leroux also doesn‘t mention anything in his biography of Erik. When Christine shows him affection for the first time, he totally breaks down. This indicates that he has no romantic experience at all. There are two scenes where Christine basically expects him to rape her, but he never does. I also don‘t think he would be content with sex only - he wants the full package, including love from a „living wife“.
Another point to consider is that he wants to be married in a catholic church, so he must be a catholic - maybe he believes in „no sex before marriage“?
Christine: if I had a nickel for every time I was gaslighted by an evil guy in a mask I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice
