Sysoeva D.D.
DUALISM OF ERIK'S CHARACTER IN GASTON LEROUX'S NOVEL «THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA» *
Аннотация:
the article explores the peculiarities of the dualistic character of Erik in Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera." It asserts that the main protagonist of the work embodies both the Angel of Music and the Phantom of the Opera simultaneously, being a genius and a madman. A detailed analysis of the representations of the two masks in the novel is provided
Ключевые слова:
Phantom of the Opera, Erik, Angel of Music, demonic figure, dualism
УДК 82
Sysoeva D.D.
Bachelor's degree student
Belgorod State National Research University
(Belgorod, Russia)
DUALISM OF ERIK'S CHARACTER IN GASTON LEROUX'S NOVEL
«THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA»
Abstract: the article explores the peculiarities of the dualistic character of Erik in Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera." It asserts that the main protagonist of the work embodies both the Angel of Music and the Phantom of the Opera simultaneously, being a genius and a madman. A detailed analysis of the representations of the two masks in the novel is provided.
Keywords: Phantom of the Opera, Erik, Angel of Music, demonic figure, dualism.
Over a hundred years ago, one of the most enigmatic literary characters appeared - Erik from Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera". A mad experimenter, he embodies the terrible, but creates beautiful works of art. The Phantom is often called a genius: "... do not think that he is just a man who takes pleasure in living underground. He does what no one else can do and knows things that are unknown to the world of the living" [1, p.73].
Two opposing principles are combined in the image of Erik. He is embodied as the Angel of Music, about whom legends are told, but at the same time he appears in the guise of a demon who terrifies the entire Grand Opera. It remains an open question to what extent these masks are manifested.
Balonova M.G. in her article "The Motif of Masquerade in Gaston Leroux's Novel The Phantom of the Opera" speaks of Erik as both an Angel and a Demon, a messenger of both the beautiful and the terrible, embodying both the Apollonian and Dionysian elements at the same time. He creates decorations, sets traps, works on the attributes, props, lighting, and sound of this spectacle, creating a special closed world. Erik embodies two masks - the Angel of Music and Death, with which he is associated by most of the novel's characters, and the Phantom easily actualizes one or the other [3, p.2].
From childhood, Christine Daaé listened to her father's stories about the Angel of Music. He appeared to people with pure intentions and brought them gifts, which are commonly referred to as talents. No one had ever seen him, but the chosen ones "... heard heavenly sounds and a divine voice that they remembered for the rest of their lives" [1, p.27]. Daddy Daaé promised to send the Angel of Music to his little daughter when he went to heaven, and Christine believed and waited. Erik became the Angel of Music for her, the heroine explains it like this: "he said that he came down to earth to help me grasp the highest joy of eternal art, and asked for permission to give me singing lessons every day ... You cannot imagine what they were like, even though you heard the Voice yourself..." [1, p.62].
In Skibina U.S.'s article "The Images of Gothic Villain and Heroine in Gaston Leroux's Novel The Phantom of the Opera," the ability of the "Angel's Voice" to immerse people in a state of hypnotic trance is noted. "G. Leroux repeatedly emphasizes Erik's connection with the supernatural - to the heroes, he seems like an angel, a demon, or a devil" [1, p.85]. In Christine, compassion and enchantment with the magical voice of the Angel of Music [2, p.3].
Thus, we can argue that throughout the novel, Erik exhibits different behaviors. However, during his moments of singing, the Angel of Music comes to the forefront, awakening in the characters a desire for the highest joy, namely, the knowledge of art.
He had to either hide his genius or expend it on various tricks, whereas with a normal face, he could have become one of the noblest representatives of the human race. He had a heart big enough to embrace the whole world, but he had to be content with the basement [1, p.139].
From the text of the novel, we can conclude that Erik ran away from his parental home at an early age, where his deformity caused only horror. For some time, he performed at fairs with a showman who presented him as a "living corpse." "Erik was guilty of several terrible crimes because he seemed to have no idea of the difference between justice and injustice" [1, p.138].
Under his mask, Erik hides not only his face but also his demonic essence, but it is incapable of concealing his monstrous deeds, which one after another rain down on the inhabitants of the Grand Opera. Finally, the true face of the Phantom is revealed to us.
Here is what Joseph Buquet (the head stagehand) told about the Phantom: "He is incredibly thin, and the black tails hang loosely on his bony body. His eyes look straight ahead and are set so deeply that they are barely distinguishable. All you really see are two dark cavities like those in a skeleton. His skin is taut like a drum and is not white but unpleasantly yellow. His nose is so small that it is completely invisible from the side, and this lack of a nose produces a terrible impression. There are almost no hairs, only three or four long dark locks hanging from his forehead and behind his ears." [1, p.4] The dancers came to a unanimous opinion that the ghost had several heads and that it changed them as it wished [1, p. 5].
Eric's resemblance to a dead person is noted in the article "Images of Gothic villain and heroine in Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera" by W.S. Skibin: "Eric's hands are icy and smell of death; he does not eat or drink, calls himself a corpse, and sleeps in a coffin. Eric is intelligent, calculating, and cold-blooded; he is prone to fits of jealousy and willing to commit a crime in his desire to win the love of young singer Christine Daae. The Phantom drops a chandelier on the audience, threatens to blow up the Opera, probably kills Count Philippe de Chagny, Raoul's brother. Like many Gothic villains, he places himself above ordinary people - the Phantom tells Pers to that Eric can be held by no one but himself" [3, p. 4].
For many, the Phantom of the Opera is associated with the kidnapping of people (Christine Daae), the capture of Raoul and Pers as hostages, the threat to blow up the Opera, the blackmail of the director and Christine, an attempt at mass murder, and murder with special perversions (torture chamber, Punjabi lasso, etc.).
"He was as terrible as ever, and he dreamed of building himself a house, unknown to the rest of the world, a house that would forever hide him from human eyes" [1, p.139].
Against the negative perception of the Phantom of the Opera, we see Madame Giry's opposite opinion: "It was such a kind, friendly voice that I almost stopped being afraid... it was just as if someone was sitting in this place and talking to me, someone very polite".
The analysis of two images of Eric in the novel showed that the image of the Phantom of the Opera (demonic image) is manifested in the character much brighter than the image of an angel. The dark side is the appearance and devilish deeds, the light side is the voice and the genius of the Phantom. Eric is so talented that he managed to find recognition in the world of art, but so terrible in appearance that society rejects him.
REFERENCES:
Номер журнала Вестник науки №6 (63) том 1
Ссылка для цитирования:
Sysoeva D.D. DUALISM OF ERIK'S CHARACTER IN GASTON LEROUX'S NOVEL «THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA» // Вестник науки №6 (63) том 1. С. 785 - 788. 2023 г. ISSN 2712-8849 // Электронный ресурс: https://www.вестник-науки.рф/article/8675 (дата обращения: 19.05.2024 г.)
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