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The Creature from Frankenstein and Erik from The Phantom of the Opera

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ElectricalLass from California Since: Feb, 2013 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#1: Oct 26th 2013 at 11:51:54 AM

I was pondering the similarities between the creature from the novel <I> Frankenstein </I> and Erik from Gaston Leroux 's novel <I> The Phantom Of The Opera </I> .

Both fellows have certain features in common :

  • Yellow Eyes
  • Are Extremely Intelligent
  • Either look like a corpse or are made of corpses
  • Melodramatic

Discuss.

For duty, duty, must be done, the rule applies to everyone;
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#2: Oct 26th 2013 at 12:02:06 PM

[up]

Discuss.

...Okay.tongue

Why is the sky blue?

ElectricalLass from California Since: Feb, 2013 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#3: Oct 26th 2013 at 12:25:38 PM

Let us discuss these two gentlemen .

For duty, duty, must be done, the rule applies to everyone;
ElectricalLass from California Since: Feb, 2013 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#4: Oct 30th 2013 at 8:22:09 PM

I shall resurrect this thread .

For duty, duty, must be done, the rule applies to everyone;
kalel94 Rascal King from Dragonstone Since: Feb, 2011
Rascal King
#5: Oct 30th 2013 at 8:57:49 PM

Um, well, some of those traits are pretty superficial, but otherwise:

- they're both ostracized because of their looks, and strike back at people because of this

- they both obsess over a single person, who spurns them

- and they both feel a deal of remorse over their actions at the end of the story

I'd say they're not too similar in a lot of other ways though. The monster is seeking a place in the world, an answer to why he was created. The Phantom is a bit trickier. He wants to be loved, but why does he single out Christine? The musical implies it's because of her musical ability. In any case, a bit of a different motivation.

EDIT: Just remembered the creature asks Frankenstein to create a mate for him. So, I guess at some level, they are both seeking companionship.

edited 30th Oct '13 8:59:19 PM by kalel94

The last hurrah? Nah, I'd do it again.
ElectricalLass from California Since: Feb, 2013 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#6: Nov 19th 2013 at 6:31:36 PM

More discussion!

For duty, duty, must be done, the rule applies to everyone;
Hodor Cleric of Banjo from Westeros Since: Dec, 1969
Cleric of Banjo
#7: Nov 19th 2013 at 10:09:32 PM

I was reading the intro to the Oxford University Press translation of Phantom, and they too make the Frankenstein connection, which I would have thought is pretty tenuous, and also notes a lot of other influences from popular literature.

Another aspect noted, which I think probably is more important, is the "Wicked Cultured Evil Genius" trope which had developed. Verne's Captain Nemo is a good illustration, as would be The Count of Monte Cristo in that novel.

Interestingly, Leroux also wrote about another character who was The Grotesque, and that was probably a direct influence. I also recall reading that Notre-Dame de Paris and/or The Man Who Laughs probably contributed too.

Edit, edit, edit, edit the wiki
ElectricalLass from California Since: Feb, 2013 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#8: Dec 7th 2013 at 4:05:55 PM

More Disscusion?

For duty, duty, must be done, the rule applies to everyone;
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#9: Dec 7th 2013 at 7:25:42 PM

Make a contribution to the discussion yourself if you want it to continue.

This isn't a command performance where you get to say "Dance for me!"

Hatshepsut from New York Since: Jan, 2011
#10: Dec 22nd 2013 at 1:45:51 PM

On a more meta level, a while back I decided to believe that the story of Frankenstein was made up out of whole cloth by the ship captain in the framing story, in order to entertain himself during downtime on the ship, rather than being a real story, and it now occurs to me that the same thing could be the case with The Phantom of the Opera, since the narrator describes piecing things together from various sources and sounds as though he is writing at the time that the book is published, rather than the time the plot takes place (early twentieth century versus 1860s or so, if I recall correctly.) I haven't read either book recently, and so my memory may be inaccurate, leading to a false interpretation, but what the heck.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#11: Jan 21st 2014 at 2:19:55 PM

You're not the only person to make this connection; a surprisingly many adaptations I believe have Erik be The Monster's son by rape.

vampergreen Since: Aug, 2009
#12: Jan 24th 2014 at 8:04:14 PM

There's an edition of The Phantom of the Opera that includes an Erik-is-Creature's-son-by-way-of-rape short story, written by the translators. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932983139/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=SG3JN7QYC5KC&coliid=I4E1WS9YKGI9X I haven't read it for myself though.

Being a huge, HUGE fan of both stories/characters, I'm surprised I didn't make a connection myself.

Whowho Since: May, 2012
#13: Jan 27th 2014 at 3:29:13 PM

Ah thank you, I was racking my brains trying to remember an example.

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