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Chapter 20
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Phantom of the Opera, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Natural vs. the Supernatural
Love vs. Jealousy
Violence, Revenge, and Redemption
Beauty vs. Ugliness
Summary
Analysis
The two men enter a dark passage, and the Persian reminds Raoul to keep his hand raised, with his pistol ready. The Persian then lights a lantern and the two of them walk through the passage, which Raoul later learns was built by insurgents during the period of the Paris Commune to carry prisoners straight to prison. The Persian then kneels and searches the floor, finally finding the opening of a trap leading onto mezzanine floors beneath the stage. The two men step in and fall down to the floor.
The narrator’s mention of a historical event such as the Paris Commune—which author Gaston Leroux was able to investigate retrospectively through his role as a journalist—gives credibility to his narrative, suggesting that this is not a fanciful tale about a ghost but, as he has often insisted, a true story about a human “Phantom.”
Themes
Raoul notes that, although he does not actually know the Persian, he fully trusts him, assuming that they both intend to defeat Erik. He concludes that the Persian would not have given him a pistol if he were against him, and that any hesitation on his part would make him a coward, since his goal is to save Christine.
Raoul’s trust in the Persian derives from his desperate situation. Wanting to find Christine at all costs, Raoul has no choice but to trust him. Raoul’s fearlessness and determination highlight his noble, chivalric attitude, as well as his devotion to Christine, whom—unlike Erik—he wants to keep from harm.
Themes
The two men then find themselves behind a screen. In front of them, Raoul notices two dead bodies, whom the Persian says must be Erik’s fault. Moments later, they watch as the stage manager finds the bodies of Mauclair, the man in charge of electricity, and his assistants. Mauclair, however, is not dead, but under the influence of a narcotic. As Inspector Mifroid, who has arrived, concludes that this must be the abductor’s work, the stage manager notes that the only other time he found Mauclair in this position was on the night that Carlotta’s voice broke.
Although Erik is capable of murderous deeds, his principal preoccupation is succeeding in his enterprise of kidnapping Christine, and he thus adopts a practical attitude toward the necessity to get rid of the electrical staff. The mention of Carlotta’s voice suggests that Erik might have influenced it (or the fall of the chandelier) through mysterious electrical manipulation. This current deed is thus different from Erik’s treatment of Joseph Buquet, who was considered not a mere obstacle but a threat after he entered Erik’s abode and thus threatened his secrecy.
Themes
As the men leave, Raoul and the Persian keep on walking. The Persian tells Raoul that, if his pistol is too heavy to carry at this height, he can put it in his pocket but must keep his hands in front of his face at all cost, as this is “a matter of life and death.” Raoul finds himself in an incredible maze of passageways, where he follows the Persian, who seems to know the Opera extremely well. They walk downwards, trying to keep out of sight of the various workers walking around, carrying out their tasks.
The Persian’s injunction to Erik to keep his arm by his neck is later explained by the fact that Erik could kill them by strangling them with a Punjab cord—an outcome the men can prevent by keeping an arm in front of their neck. The Persian’s knowledge of the Opera does not necessarily make him Erik’s ally, but, rather, suggests that he has been successful at uncovering Erik’s tricks and techniques.
Themes
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As the men make their way through different floors, the Persian suddenly tells Raoul to stop and lie down, because a shadow is moving toward them. When it crosses them, the Persian says he knows him but does not give Raoul any details. Suddenly, the two of them then see a shining head of fire float toward them. Remembering Papin’s description, the Persian and Raoul attempt to flee. However, the fast-moving head keeps on moving toward them.
The identity of the man the Persian sees remains mysterious and suggests that the Persian might be aware of other intrigues beyond Erik’s. The terrifying head of fire adds an element of supernatural mystery to this scene, suggesting that Erik might in fact be capable of paranormal tricks.
Themes
Literary Devices
When the floating head finally reaches them, the terrified pair realizes that he is nothing but a man leading waves of rats away from the Opera. The man cries out that he is the “rat-catcher” and that they should make way. The narrator notes that the man must use a special technique to guide rats away from the Opera House, where they could cause damage. Raoul and the Persian sigh in relief, as the Persian notes that he thought this was one of Erik’s many tricks.
The mundane explanation behind the head of fire suggests, once more, that all events that appear supernatural can be explained in rational ways. However, this seemingly reassurance focus on the human does not make the possibility of violence any less likely, as Erik’s pleasure at pranking others in terrifying ways does not make his tricks—however logical—any less threatening.
Themes
Despairing at being so far from Christine, Raoul asks the Persian to take him straight to the lake. However, the Persian says that the lake is terribly dangerous, because a siren lives there. The Persian tries to reassure Raoul, telling him that they can reach Erik’s abode through the third mezzanine, through a secret passage behind the Le Roi de Lahore cloth—the very spot where Buquet was found hanging. As Raoul and the Persian keep on moving, the Persian taps a wall, saying that this could be part of Erik’s home. The narrator notes that the Opera walls were built with a double shell, inside of which Erik was able to build his retreat.
Although it remains ambiguous whether this siren is a supernatural being or a machine invented by Erik, it is later confirmed that this is indeed one of Erik’s tricks. The fact that Buquet was found hanging so close to the Roi de Lahore scenery confirms the Persian’s later hypothesis that Buquet must have discovered Erik’s hiding place and was punished for this. The narrator’s rational explanations about the building’s construction once again insists that Erik’s ghost-like movements can be explained purely in terms of engineering and intelligence.
Themes
Finally, they reach the cloth from Le Roi de Lahore. The Persian slips behind it. He presses against a section of the wall and, as a stone gives way, uncovers a hole. Concentrated, he cocks his pistol and tells Raoul to do the same. The two of them crawl into a narrow passageway, as the Persian tells Raoul to make as little noise as possible. The Persian then slides through a hole in the floor, telling Raoul that he will help him down. The two of them fall down and stay quiet. Knowing that he is in Erik’s abode, Raoul has to force himself not to call out to Christine and reveal their presence.
This scene builds suspense and anticipation, as the two characters are coming closer to Christine, whom they might be able to save, but also, as a result, to Erik and the possibility of violence. Raoul’s desire to call out to Christine reveals his desperation to help her and be near her—an indication of his tendency toward impulsive actions, but also of his deep love for her and his desire to protect her.
Themes
The Persian lights the lantern and turns back, shocked to see that the hole they opened is closed again. Looking down, he picks up a rope and exclaims in horror that this is a Punjab cord—the instrument that must have killed Buquet. The two men then begin to examine the walls around them and, as they realize that they are mirrors, the Persian begins to panic, saying that they now found themselves in the “torture chamber.”
Trapped, the two characters are now at Erik’s mercy, as will become apparent through Erik’s skillful design of the torture chamber. The discovery of the Punjab cord finally solves the mysterious event of Joseph Buquet’s death, proving that it was not an ordinary suicide but, on the contrary, a revenge-motivated murder.
Themes
