Phantom Of The Opera ***

[Strife]

I'm trying to figure out where these themes are presented in the novel.

Themes:
- The imporant things in life are only visible to the heart
- Self sacrifice and love can make a difference
- Man's struggle between good and evil
- Loss of innocence

Can any of you give me some thoughts or hints that might lead me into finding where these are presented?

 

[Martin]

As would your teacher, I asume.

Cheers, martin

 

[Ashlea]

It's been awhile since I read it, but it's really a bit of a trick question as you can probably assign any of those themes to each section and it will work. Just pick what makes sense to you, as long as you explain it, it'll all work out OK. In literature class, it's not what you say but how you support it that counts. Oh, and grammar.

 

[Strife]

Thanks for replying Ashlea. That's the problem. I'm not exactly sure how any of those would fit. Maybe I'm not looking far enough into the book?

 

[Ashlea]

Try looking at it from the character's viewpoints. Christine obviously experiences some of those at certain points in the story, or you can look at the Phantom for some of them, or you can look at the development of the different relationships (Christine/Phantom; Christine/Raoul' Christine/her memories of her father) and how those changing relationships affect the reader's views on the characters, the Phantom especially. Have you finished reading the whole book yet?

 

[Strife]

Here's the best of what I've decided. Loss of Innocence can be applied to the rooftop confession when Christine explained how she found out the 'Angel of Music' she believed in so much as a child up until she found out he was actually Erik, and self-sacrifice and love can make a difference theme to Erik's release of Christine.

Sound like I'm on the right track?

 

[Ashlea]

Sounds good to me so far. The other two seem to me to be more Phantom oriented - Erik is misshapen but still has good qualities, and his struggle between good and evil are the most compelling.