Phantom Thoughts pt 6

{"Monsieur," she said, in a voice not much above a whisper, "who are you?"

"Mademoiselle," replied the young man, kneeling on one knee and pressing a fervent kiss on the diva's hand, "I AM THE LITTLE BOY WHO WENT INTO THE SEA TO RESCUE YOUR SCARF."}

This just never ceases to amuse me. The SUDDEN ALL CAPS. Raoul being so #dramatic. Christine's reaction is basically '???'

{Christine again looked at the doctor and the maid; and all three began to laugh. Raoul turned very red and stood up.}

Poor dramatic bby Raoul. But in all fairness, that was basically my reaction to his declaration as well. In my opinion, Christine and Raoul's reintroduction is one of the few things that ALW does better than Leroux. Also, Little Lotte is a massively underrated song. (Maybe because the iconic title song follows right after?)

That reminds me- I should really write a meta on the significance of the uses of the lyric "the Angel of Music sings songs in my head" in the ALW musical.

{Suddenly the dressing-room door opened and the maid came out by herself, carrying bundles. He stopped her and asked how her mistress was. The woman laughed and said that she was quite well, but that he must not disturb her, for she wished to be left alone.}

Now I want to know who Christine's maid is. What's her name? Does she know about the Angel of Music? Is laughter how she deals with Christine's at times peculiar nature? Is she at all superstitious? Is she Christine's maid at the Opera House, or is she employed by Mama Valerius to keep an eye on Christine? What does she think of Raoul later, after such an unusual first meeting?

{One idea alone filled Raoul's burning brain: of course, Daae wished to be left alone FOR HIM! Had he not told her that he wanted to speak to her privately?}

Raoul, honey, I know you're in the grips of baby's first crush, but the maid *just said* that Christine wished to be left alone. Not 'alone except for you'. ALONE. She'll send for you if or when she wants to talk. (Of course, I already know how this goes and that he doesn't listen to my advice, so we'll just watch what happens- Newsies reference entirely intentional.)

Phantom Thoughts pt 7

THE PHANTOM FINALLY ARRIVES AND I AM EXCITED.

{Hardly breathing, he went up to the dressing-room and, with his ear to the door to catch her reply, prepared to knock. But his hand dropped. He had heard A MAN'S VOICE in the dressing-room, saying, in a curiously masterful tone:

"Christine, you must love me!"

And Christine's voice, infinitely sad and trembling, as though accompanied by tears, replied:

"How can you talk like that? WHEN I SING ONLY FOR YOU!"}

And thus begins Raoul's first foray into the wicked, wicked realm of eavesdropping. DON'T YOU KNOW THIS IS HOW MISCOMMUNICATION HAPPENS, RAOUL?? You'll just end up spending the whole book trying to untangle the out-of-context things you heard and gaaahh I am so tired of this plot device in media...

*GASP* A MAN'S VOICE? SIMPLY SCANDALOUS, MISS DAAE.

The adjectives used to describe their voices here are very interesting. "Curiously masterful" and "infinitely sad and trembling". Makes me wonder what happened in the conversation before Raoul showed up. Was it like the ALW 'insolent boy/this slave of passion/basking in your glory' 'Angel, my soul was weak forgive me' etc etc? But then this Raoul didn't invite her to dinner so Christine wasn't "tempted" away from her studies by any means.

I just really want to know the context, because I still can't get a good feel on the tone and meaning of the Phantom when he says "Christine, you must love me!". Is he feeling joyful, as in 'Oh, Christine, you were simply divine! Everyone must love you now, and you must love me for helping you achieve such greatness!' or is he still playing the angel role like 'You must thank me for my assistance in bringing you out of obscurity and into talent and fame and triumph. Remember, though, you must sing only for me.'

And why is Christine sad to possibly the point of tears? Did the Phantom doubting her devotion to 'the Angel' really upset her? Is she still overwhelmed by the earlier events of her triumph and subsequent fainting? Is she just tired and desperately needs some sleep? (I am rather weepy when fatigued, and I can easily see Christine being the same way. #LetChristineDaaeRest )

BASICALLY, I NEED CONTEXT.

Phantom Thoughts pt. 8

{Raoul leaned against the panel to ease his pain. His heart, which had seemed gone for ever, returned to his breast and was throbbing loudly. The whole passage echoed with its beating and Raoul's ears were deafened. Surely, if his heart continued to make such a noise, they would hear it inside, they would open the door and the young man would be turned away in disgrace.}

Poor heartbroken Raoul. Feelings can be intense, especially young love. One minute, you're on cloud nine and the next you're down in the dumps. His current feelings remind me of this line from Charles Dance's Phantom in the 90s miniseries: "When you sing, I live in the Heavens. When you do not, down below."

I really want to know why his heart (presumably referring to romantic feelings?) had seemed "gone forever". Did he catch feelings for a nice foreign girl on his trip around the world, only to be rejected and forever parted from her? Is he just numb from Philippe's attempts to find him a girl in Paris? Had he buried his feelings in pursuit of a Navy career?

{What a position for a Chagny! To be caught listening behind a door!}

And yet he's not leaving... And he eavesdrops even more later in the novel, if I'm not mistaken...
Maybe this is just his mental interjection of 'What would Philippe do?', the answer being 'find a nice girl to flirt with while you're on furlough but don't marry her if she's not of high enough social status ALSO DON'T EAVESDROP AND SHAME THE FAMILY NAME'.

{The man's voice spoke again: "Are you very tired?"

"Oh, to-night I gave you my soul and I am dead!" Christine replied.

"Your soul is a beautiful thing, child," replied the grave man's voice, "and I thank you. No emperor ever received so fair a gift. THE ANGELS WEPT TONIGHT."}

Oh, my E/C shipper heart is bursting with feels!

But I'm still wondering if Raoul, due to his worries about his heartbeat being too loud, missed part of the conversation after "I sing only for you". Or maybe the Phantom is just trying to segue away from a topic that is clearly making Christine upset. (Now I have the mental image of the Phantom riding around on a Segway. Enjoy!)

Oooh, change in descriptions. First, he was masterful, and now he is merely grave (and probably feeling old and solemn and tired and reverent all at once).

I should also write a meta about the Phantom calling Christine 'Angel' in ALW, despite him being the one in the Angel role.

Phantom Thoughts pt. 9

{Raoul heard nothing after that.}

So, did they not say anything more or was he just not listening? I JUST REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE WHOLE CONVERSATION, OKAY??

{At one and the same time, he had learned what love meant, and hatred. He knew that he loved. He wanted to know whom he hated.}

Woah, settle down, Raoul. I think you might be presuming too much here. (A theme that will continue.) You don't even know if she remembers who you are yet!! She might already have a boyfriend that you don't know about- don't get so possessive so quickly.

{When the passage was once more deserted, he crossed it, opened the door of the dressing-room, went in and shut the door. He found himself in absolute darkness. The gas had been turned out.

"There is some one here!" said Raoul, with his back against the closed door, in a quivering voice. "What are you hiding for?"

All was darkness and silence. Raoul heard only the sound of his own breathing. He quite failed to see that the indiscretion of his conduct was exceeding all bounds.}

What did your inner Philippe say about not shaming the family name?? Just a minute ago you were like 'oh no eavesdropping! if I should get caught it would be a scandal! I would bring eternal shame on the de Chagnys!' and now you're casually breaking into a girl's dressing room to find her secret boyfriend?? "Quite failed to see that the indiscretion of his conduct was exceeding all bounds" INDEED.

Also, notice him trying to be brave! and bold! and confrontational! but his voice is quivering. Poor dear.

{And he struck a match. The blaze lit up the room. There was no one in the room! Raoul, first turning the key in the door, lit the gas-jets. He went into the dressing-closet, opened the cupboards, hunted about, felt the walls with his moist hands. Nothing!

"Look here!" he said, aloud. "Am I going mad?"}

IDK, man. Maybe Christine likes talking to herself and is good at doing impressions. You never know. Or maybe she has an invisible boyfriend. Or her boyfriend is a ghost. Stranger things have happened.

{He stood for ten minutes listening to the gas flaring in the silence of the empty room; lover though he was, he did not even think of stealing a ribbon that would have given him the perfume of the woman he loved.}

Well, that's.. nice of you, Raoul. You may have eavesdropped on her private conversation, broke into her room and started searching around, but at least you didn't steal a hair ribbon? Good job?

Phantom Thoughts pt. 10

Double digits! (And yet we're only just starting chapter 3. Oh, well- I have a lot of thoughts.)

{A few of the dancers had already changed into ordinary dress; but most of them wore their skirts of gossamer gauze; and all had thought it the right thing to put on a special face for the occasion: all, that is, except little Jammes, whose fifteen summers—happy age!—seemed already to have forgotten the ghost and the death of Joseph Buquet. She never ceased to laugh and chatter, to hop about and play practical jokes, until Mm. Debienne and Poligny appeared on the steps of the foyer, when she was severely called to order by the impatient Sorelli.}

Little Jammes is one of my favorite book-only characters (my favorite is the Persian, obviously). She's just so delightful in spite of everything going on around her. And Sorelli keeps the ballet girls in line, as usual. (She seems to care more for her underlings than Carlotta does, even though she can be a little strict at times in order to maintain order.)

{Everybody remarked that the retiring managers looked cheerful, as is the Paris way. None will ever be a true Parisian who has not learned to wear a mask of gaiety over his sorrows and one of sadness, boredom or indifference over his inward joy.}

Ah, yes- repressing your true feelings for the sake of appearing happy all the time! It's the Paris way! (No offense to any Parisians who may be reading this.)

{In Paris, our lives are one masked ball}

Excellently fitting for the themes of this novel, but probably not emotionally healthy in the long term.

{an exclamation from that little madcap of a Jammes broke the smile of the managers so brutally that the expression of distress and dismay that lay beneath it became apparent to all eyes:

"The Opera ghost!"

Jammes yelled these words in a tone of unspeakable terror; and her finger pointed, among the crowd of dandies, to a face so pallid, so lugubrious and so ugly, with two such deep black cavities under the straddling eyebrows, that the death's head in question immediately scored a huge success.}

I admit, I had to look up what lugubrious meant. (It means looking sad or dismal, for the record.)

Is the notorious P. of the O. actually sad to see the old managers go? (Or does he know that the new managers won't be so easily cowed?)

{Everybody laughed and pushed his neighbor and wanted to offer the Opera ghost a drink, but he was gone. He had slipped through the crowd; and the others vainly hunted for him, while two old gentlemen tried to calm little Jammes and while little Giry stood screaming like a peacock.}

"Oh, haha, it's our old friend, the resident Opera Ghost! Let's offer him a drink!" is a very strange first reaction, I have to say.

And I have heard peacocks scream in person. Let me tell you, it is not pleasant. (Also rather frightening to small children, which is what I was at the time.)

{Here they found the new managers, M. Armand Moncharmin and M. Firmin Richard, whom they hardly knew; nevertheless, they were lavish in protestations of friendship and received a thousand flattering compliments in reply}

That's.. nice. (Probably not very genuine, but a nice gesture. Flattery! It's the Paris way! jk)

{And those little keys, the object of general curiosity, were being passed from hand to hand, when the attention of some of the guests was diverted by their discovery, at the end of the table, of that strange, wan and fantastic face, with the hollow eyes, which had already appeared in the foyer of the ballet and been greeted by little Jammes' exclamation: "The Opera ghost!"

There sat the ghost, as natural as could be, except that he neither ate nor drank. Those who began by looking at him with a smile ended by turning away their heads, for the sight of him at once provoked the most funereal thoughts. No one repeated the joke of the foyer, no one exclaimed: "There's the Opera ghost!"

He himself did not speak a word and his very neighbors could not have stated at what precise moment he had sat down between them; but every one felt that if the dead did ever come and sit at the table of the living, they could not cut a more ghastly figure. The friends of Firmin Richard and Armand Moncharmin thought that this lean and skinny guest was an acquaintance of Debienne's or Poligny's, while Debienne's and Poligny's friends believed that the cadaverous individual belonged to Firmin Richard and Armand Moncharmin's party.}

Do they really have nothing better to do at this fancy dinner than pass around keys? "Ooh, it's a key- I wonder what it does!" "WE ALL KNOW WHAT KEYS DO, BRIDGETTE. NOW GIVE THEM HERE."

Also did Erik seriously just crash a party for the sheer awkwardness he knew it would cause? Because I can totally see him doing that. Imagine trying to make small talk with a guy who won't say or eat anything and looks more like a cadaver than a living being (I'm assuming he wasn't wearing a mask? but I could be wrong). (And Erik, sweetie, you need to eat something or else you'll waste away! Turn into a skeleton, even!)

{the ghost had no nose and the person in question had}

Oh, wait, he's at least wearing a false nose. Also, after this is a short tangent about the realistic qualities of false noses, which I shall skip as it probably does not interest any of you or myself.

Phantom Thoughts pt. 11

{Did the ghost really take a seat at the managers' supper-table that night, uninvited? And can we be sure that the figure was that of the Opera ghost himself? Who would venture to assert as much?}

I would. It just makes sense, and I don't see you offering a better explanation, Mssr. Leroux. Ooh, also him being at the dinner party is described as a "sublime piece of impudence" which is pretty cool.

{"The ballet-girls are right," he said. "The death of that poor Buquet is perhaps not so natural as people think."}

So Erik came to the party to:

A) Freak people out and make things awkward
B) Basically admit to murder??

{'We really can't work to keep ghosts! We prefer to go away!'}

Have you considered another career, then? You know that many theaters claim to be haunted, right?? You're basically signing up to be a ghost zookeeper!

{'If I had such a troublesome ghost as that, I should not hesitate to have him arrested.'}

I'm not sure if that's legal, since by definition ghosts are dead. Can you arrest dead people?

{He soon remembered that it was the red handwriting in which the memorandum-book had been so curiously completed. He recognized the clumsy childish hand.}

I really want to headcanon Erik with elegant handwriting, but then I remember that this exists.

{DEAR MR. MANAGER:

I am sorry to have to trouble you at a time when you must be so very busy, renewing important engagements, signing fresh ones and generally displaying your excellent taste. I know what you have done for Carlotta, Sorelli and little Jammes and for a few others whose admirable qualities of talent or genius you have suspected.

Of course, when I use these words, I do not mean to apply them to La Carlotta, who sings like a squirt and who ought never to have been allowed to leave the Ambassadeurs and the Cafe Jacquin; nor to La Sorelli, who owes her success mainly to the coach-builders; nor to little Jammes, who dances like a calf in a field.}

Dear new managers,

I really don't want to be a bother, but here, let me roast your entire cast! Also, I'm going to threaten you if you don't reserve my favorite seat!

Your Humble Servant,
The Totally Legit Opera Ghost

(What do you mean that's not how it happened??)

{"They are keeping up the joke," said M. Richard, "but I don't call it funny."}

Have you considered, that maybe, just maybe, THIS ISN'T A JOKE?? Like who goes to this much effort on a prank that isn't even that funny to begin with?

{"Reputations are easily obtained," replied Moncharmin. "Haven't I a reputation for knowing all about music? And I don't know one key from another."

"Don't be afraid: you never had that reputation," Richard declared.}

I just wanted to put that bit here because the managers snarking at each other is fun.