“Pain And Suffering Are Always Inevitable For A Large Intelligence And A Deep Heart.”

Any other lit nerds out there always associate this quote with Erik?

“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.”

Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“‘and now I want to live like everybody else. I want to have a wife like everybody else and to take her out on Sundays. I have invented a mask that makes me look like anybody. People will not even turn round in the streets. You will be the happiest of women. And we will sing, all by ourselves, till we swoon away with delight. You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see! All I wanted was to be loved for myself. If you loved me I should be as gentle as a lamb; and you could do anything with me that you pleased.’”

- The Phantom, The Phantom of the Opera, 1909

Erik, you can't make a love confession less intense by saying:

"I love you. We don't have to talk about it. Actually, I won't talk about it. Don't bring it up. Unless you want to. No, you don't want to. Let's just do music."

One great scene in Phantom of the Opera is in the torture chamber when Raoul and the Daroga hear Erik menacing Christine and first it sounds like she’s crying

- but it’s not her, it’s Erik full-on sobbing while he’s threatening her, and if that doesn’t describe his character perfectly what will

I had to go back.

The angels wept tonight.

"Tonight, I gave you my soul, and I am dead."

"...your soul is a beautiful thing, child. No emperor ever received so fair a gift."

“The Phantom of the Opera really existed…”

The REAL People Behind Phantom of the Opera

I’ve always been into Phantom of the Opera and have always wondered if there was any truth behind Leroux’s story. Well, after some light research, I’ve found the real people who (possibly) inspired the characters in the story.

Christina Nilsson - Christine Daae

Probably the most well known within the phantom community, Christine Nilsson grew up in Sweden. She was born in 1843 and died 1921 and performed from 1860 - 1885. It was said she had a beautiful voice and was known for being “rivals” with Adelina Patti.

Adelina Patti - Carlotta Giudicelli

Adelina Patti was the first inspiration for Carlotta’s character. As stated before, she was the rival of Christina Nilsson. She was born 1843 and died 1919. Patti came from a family of musicians and performers and performed from 1869 - 1914.

Carlotta Patti - Carlotta Giudicelli

Carlotta Patti was the older sister of Adelina Patti and the inspiration for Carlotta Giudicelli’s name. There are various sources for her birthdate, stating it was either 1835, 1840, or 1842. She died in 1889.

Cecile Sorel - Sorelli

Cecile Sorel was born 1873 and died 1966. She began her career in 1899 and continued until 1944. She performed on stage as a comedy actress, but also appeared in a few French films during this time. In 1950 she took vows as a Third-order Franciscan.

Adelaide Valerius-Leuhusen - Mama Valerius

Adelaide was born either 1826 or 1828 and died 1923. She was a painter and concert singer and was also the benefactor of Christina Nilsson, being the first one to introduce her to Paris. In 1870, she became a singing teacher.

Mahomed Ismael-Khan - The Persian/Daroga

Mahomed Ismael-Khan was born somewhere around 1786 and died 1868. He settled in Paris in 1842 and was commonly noticed hanging out around the opera, where he kept the same box for himself. He was nicknamed “the Persian” by local Parisians.

Claude Ambroise Seurat - Erik

Possibly one of the inspirations for the opera ghost himself. Claude Ambroise Seurat was born either 1797 or 1798 and died somewhere around 1833. He toured around Europe and was known as “the living skeleton” or “the anatomical man” due to his very low body weight. People noted he had a parchment-like quality to his skin. His last recorded performance was in 1833, but he may have lived longer.

The Carpentiers de Changy - The Chagnys

The Carpentiers were possible inspirations for the Chagnys. While I wasn’t able to find definitive dates and names, I know a man named Francois was the inspiration for Philippe. Francois had a younger brother named Raoul who inspired… Raoul. There was also a young man a few generations later named Philippe, which is where the name came from.

Oddly enough, there was a young man named Eric Carpentier, though he never had the “de Changy” title. Some sources call him the son of Francois, others say he was born 3 generations after Francois. Either way. Eric was possibly an inspirations for Erik’s name in the novel.

Christine Dahe - Christine Daae

While this one isn’t as clear and is much less well known, there was a woman named Christine Dahe who was born in 1895. While Christina Nilsson was definitely the main inspiration for Christine Daae, you must admit that Dahe and Daae are very similar names, and Dahe may have inspired the name for Leroux’s character. She’s at the end of this list because this may just be a coincidence.

I hope you found this interesting, it’s so cool to think these people actually existed. If anyone knows more people who inspired the characters in the book, feel free to add them!

Not just obsession, not just lust, people. That man was in LOVE. “…and love of the most exquisite kind.” What else could have prompted him to give up his one hope for life? It was an act of selflessness, aka divine love. Just read “The End of the Phantom’s Love Story,” I beg you; just look at that forehead kiss.

(Don’t even get me started about the plain gold ring.)

The Phantom of the Opera IS a love story btw. It's inherently a story about love. A lot of people still find it hard to accept it, probably because they're busy with their "I'm smarter than this beloved classic" Edgy Hot Take, this is why it's always important to remind.

It's a story about a man that, because he was abused and denied of love his entire life, he was forced to live with everything he knew about: survival.

It's a story about a man that craved so much for love, that he thought he could buy, or force it, throught talent and lies.

It's a story about compassion, redemption, and most importantly, love. Because Erik loved Christine. The ending is impactful because he loved her. His love for her didn't make him immune to be obsessive nor to hurt her. And if you don't believe Erik loved Christine, you're the one that misunderstood the relationships between these characters and why the story is the way it is in the first place.

‘Oh, tonight, I gave you my soul! [...]’ ‘Your soul is a beautiful thing, child,’ replied the man’s grave voice, ‘and I thank you. No emperor ever received so fair a gift. The angels wept tonight.’

— Gaston Leroux, My Gothic Heart, (2023)