The+Phantom+of+the+Opera+Synopses

= The Phantom of the Opera Synopses =

Theme: loneliness

Thematic Statement: Loneliness can drive you to madness.

Title: The Phantom of the Opera

Author: Gaston Leroux

Setting: Paris Opera House

Point of View: third person

Main Characters and a Brief Description of Each: Christine: An young innocent woman who sings at the Opera House and is entranced and scared by Erik.

Raoul: A young man who loves and will do anything for Christine.

Erik (a.k.a The Opera Ghost): An insane and ugly man with an amazing voice and many talents who haunts the Opera House. He also is in love with Christine.

Central Conflict and How it was Related to the Theme:Christine and Raoul are in love, but Erik entrances and intimidates Christine. Erik will not allow Christine and Raoul to marry and can kill to get what he wants. Because Erik has lived in the dark opera cellars for a long time __alone__, he has gone crazy and uses his brilliant mind to create cruel and geniuse traps and inventions. He uses these to get to Christine.

How was the Theme Developed (give Specific Examples from the Story that Support the Theme): Erik lived in the opera cellars alone for many years. His loneliness and brilliant mind caused him to go insane. He created many useful, eerie, and genius inventions and ideas that he used to haunt the Opera House. EX: One idea he created with his warped mind was, when someone crossed the underground lake that led to his home, he would use a reed to breathe and sing through. The tresspasser would become entranced and draw closer to the water. When they were close enough, Erik would reach out, grap the person, and drown them. EX: His time spent alone gave him tons of time to explore the opera. He found and created many trapdoors and secret passage ways that he used for his own benefit.

I would read another book by this author, because the plot line was very interesting and the details added alot to it also.