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Chapter 2
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
During the farewell ceremony for outgoing directors Debienne and Poligny in the Ballet Room, Little Jammes suddenly cries out that she has seen the ghost, although the figure—who has a skull head and hollow eyes—quickly disappears in the crowd. People laugh and offer to toast the ghost. Debienne and Poligny then head upstairs for a meeting with the new directors, Messrs. Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard. After a lively dinner, some guests suddenly notice a mysterious, thin, and dark figure seated at the table. Although no one knows exactly when he appeared, everyone assumes that this gloomy man is someone else’s friend, and do not ask who he might be.
People’s joking reactions to the ghost’s appearance suggests either that they do not believe he exists at all or, on the contrary, that they know he exists but do not feel threatened by him. The Phantom’s willingness to appear at a table with the directors highlights his provocative nature, as he enjoys inspiring fear and awe in others. It also suggests that he trusts enough in his capacity to appear and vanish at will that he is not afraid of being caught.
Themes
It is only once the strange man speaks that Debienne and Poligny notice him. The man says that Buquet’s death is not natural. Shocked to learn about Buquet’s death, the two ex-directors turn pale and become extremely agitated. The narrator then quotes from Moncharmin’s memoir to describe the rest of the evening. Moncharmin explains that Debienne and Poligny, who had turned utterly serious, told Richard and him to change the locks of any cabinet or room they want to keep safe. They also begin to instruct them about the ghost.
The Phantom’s mention of Joseph Buquet’s death suggests not only that he enjoys inspiring fear and confusion in others, by making mysterious comments about Buquet’s death, but also that he feels no guilt about his own involvement in the affair, since he is later proven responsible for killing Buquet. The men’s reaction to the Phantom’s presence is ambiguous. It suggests, perhaps, utter resignation: the directors have accepted that they can do nothing about him and must simply treat the Phantom with deference.
Themes
Although Moncharmin and Richard believe this must be a joke, the ex-directors inform them that they have received specific instructions on the Phantom’s behalf. They hand the new directors a copy of the memorandum of terms of the Opera House. There, in addition to the black ink, someone has added in red ink, with a childish handwriting, instructions to pay the Phantom of the Opera twenty thousand francs per month. In another clause, the same handwriting states that Box Five should be reserved for the Phantom of the Opera at all times.
The directors’ unwavering belief in the Phantom suggests that their experience has taught them to do so. In addition, the Phantom’s very concrete demands suggest that he might be more human than it initially appears, since an immaterial being would hardly need money or a box of his own, let alone write in a childish scrawl. These actions also reveal the Phantom’s desire for power and authority, as he expects others to simply obey everything he asks.
Themes
Still believing that Debienne and Poligny are joking, Moncharmin and Richard stand up and thank them. However, the ex-directors keep on saying that the ghost exists, although they have never seen him, and that he is part of the reason they have decided to leave. Unconvinced, the new directors simply say that they will rent the box anyway, despite the ex-directors’ admonition.
The new directors’ skepticism is understandable, since they have not yet had experiences of their own to confirm the Phantom’s existence. However, their nonchalant attitude shows that they are unaware of the dangers they actually face. As the story evolves, their belief in a joke, instead of seeming rational, proves preposterous given the numerous signs that extraordinary, potentially dangerous events are taking place at the Opera.
Themes
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