Unmasking Disability: A Critical Examination of The Phantom of the Opera Through the Lens of Disability Studies

Morgan Burdick

Nic Helms

Critical Theory

05 May 2024

Unmasking Disability: A Critical Examination of The Phantom of the Opera Through the Lens of Disability Studies

Introduction

“The Phantom of the Opera” written by Gaston Leroux, and later adapted for the stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is a tale of love, obsession, and tragedy set in Paris’s opera house: The Palais Garnier. The story follows the character Erik, better known as The Phantom, a disfigured and emotionally scarred individual who lives beneath the opera house and manipulates events to win the affection of the young soprano singer: Christine Daae. Through a disability studies perspective, this essay will examine how “The Phantom of the Opera” portrays disability, exploring themes of identity, perceptions, and societal stigma and critques the methods used in both the novel and the musical. 

Disfigurement and Identity

In both the novel and musical, Erik is depicted as a disfigured individual of great knowledge among an array of skills: composer, architect, magician, etc. However, Erik hides from society beneath the Paris Opera House despite his brilliance, ostracized since birth. “This face, which earned a mother’s fear and loathing / a mask, my first unfeeling scrap of clothing.” (Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer, The Phantom of the Opera.) As one can imagine, after living his whole life in isolation away from society, he is lonely and yearns for acceptance in any shape and form. In Leroux’s adaptation, Erik wears a black mask that covers about ¾ of his face. For those who need a visual, I typically imagine Charles Dance’s 1990 iconic mask when he portrayed the Phantom. The more iconic of the two masks would be Andrew Lloyd Webber’s which was pure white and covered only half of his face. He wears the mask to cover his disfigurement (and identity) from society, but mainly Christine. According to Tobin Siebers in his article, “The Aesthetics of Human Disqualification,” there are three different definitions that explain the process of disqualifying humans based on their disabilities. The first of the three is Disqualification. It is “a symbolic process [that] removes individuals from the ranks of quality human beings, putting them at risk of unequal treatment, bodily harm, and death.” (Siebers.) All his life, Erik has been considered to be lowly due to his disfigurement and internalized all of the hate and fear, thus suffering from internalized abelism (this could be proven by how he refers to himself in the third person, and how he calls himself a demon, gargoyel, etc.) as well as abelism in general. In the musical, his appearance is far less severe than in the novel; his physique is that of a healthy man and when his mask is pulled away, part of his skull is exposed, his cheek appears to have ridges that protrude and his upper lip is very swollen and curves upward towards his cheek, with thinning hair around his scalp. In Leroux’s novel, Erik is described as a corpse or like death itself. He is described as having no nose, sunken in golden eyes, yellowish skin that is stretched thin across his bones, very thin lips, concerningly thin with almost no fat or muscles, and with only wisps of hair. There has yet to be an accurate on-screen depiction of Erik’s deformity but plenty of fan artists have drawn their own interpretation, here is my favorite. 

Aesthetics and Perceptions

The second definition given to us by Siebers is Aesthetics. He describes Aesthetics as “the way some bodies make other bodies feel.” (Siebers.) While this is a vague definition it almost perfectly encapsulates the essence of the novel and musical. Erik, in the musical, is dark, mysterious, almost temptation, or seduction in a physical form. Christine is often entranced by him or rather the idea of him, and this is proven several times through the lyrics. “Wildly my heart beats against you yet the soul obeys.” (Wandering Child, The Phantom of the Opera.) “When will the blood begin to race? / The sleeping bud burst into bloom? / When will the flames, at last, consume us?” (The Point of No Return, The Phantom of the Opera.) Erik is lust while Raoul (Christine’s childhood sweetheart) is love in the purest level. In the novel, it changes more sinisterly. Erik, in his desperation to be loved and accepted by another, morphs his love into obsession. “Longmore goes on to propose that in many stories, disability is associated with a loss of some aspect of the character’s humanity, which leads in turn to a loss of self-control and therefore a turn to violence – a perfect description of the Phantom’s journey from disfigured loner to murderer.” (Sternfeld.) He stalks Christine so much that she becomes increasingly depressed throughout the novel and has fits of hysteria, seeing his shadow even in a brightly lit room, his piercing gold eyes in her sleep. Erik’s love in the novel isn’t love but is instead obsession, while Raoul’s is genuine love and care. “[W]hen bodies produce feelings of pleasure or pain, they also invite judgments about whether they should be accepted or rejected in the human community.” (Siebers.) With how Siebers describes this, mixed in with the fact Erik is severely disfigured, it becomes increasingly clear to state Erik is a victim of abelism both internalized and outwardly. 

Oppression and the Social Model

The third definition is Oppression. Oppression is “the systemic victimization of one group by another.” (Siebers.) In Disability Studies, the concept of the “medical model” versus the “social model” of disability is significant. The medical model views disability as a personal tragedy or defect that needs to be fixed or cured, whereas the social model emphasizes how societal barriers and attitudes create disability. Erik’s narrative aligns more with the social model, as his disability is not solely a result of his physical condition but is exacerbated by societal stigma and exclusion. (Disability Nottinghamshire.) With Erik’s disability being mainly physical, but could be argued mental as well, he does not fit in with the societal standards and is therefore disqualified from the right to be human, according to the definition of Oppression and the social model. 

Freakshows and Societal Stigma

During the 1880’s, there were only a few places where disabled individuals were welcomed with open arms, and it just so happens, that Erik stumbles upon one of these places in the book and the 2004 movie adaptation of the musical starring Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler: Freak Shows. Erik was put on display in his younger years as Le Mort Vivant (The Living Dead) because of his disfigurement, according to Erik’s only friend in the novel known as the Persian. (Leroux and Bair.) The movie adaptation of the musical briefly touches on this to try and explain Erik’s actions throughout the story. “Iris Marion Young has argued that all forms of group oppression, including racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, and homophobia, reflect notions of ‘ugly, fearful, or loathsome bodies.’ [T]hese values are expression by the dominant culture in such a way that some groups are associated with normalcy and reason, while other groups are associated with deviance and the body.”(Fordham.) In both the novel and musical, Erik, The Phantom, has what is described as an angelic voice, which Christine and the audience automatically imagine the voice as attached to an “ideal” body. A body that is part of the normal or dominant culture. However, being facially disfigured, Erik can only be perceived as “other” or as a deviant which at a young vulnerable age could only have devastating effects down the road. “People with disfigurement experience high levels of distress, including depression, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction. Much of this distress can be attributed to others’ stigmatizing responses toward them and resultant internalized stigma.” (Swift and Bogart.) Erik has lived his whole life under such stigmatization, and it only amplified when he was a part of the Freak Show. Being shunned and hated since the moment of his birth, with almost no support system (the Persian hardly counts) could explain Erik’s obsessive behavior of clinging to the idea of Christine loving and saving him from his self-pity and grief.

Critiques

Erik’s profound sense of isolation and longing for acceptance sheds light on the narrative’s portrayal of disability; however, a critical examination reveals underlying themes that invite scrutiny and debate. There are three main issues I wish to bring to light regarding these texts. The first is, that it is a very stereotypical depiction of disability. It associates Erik’s disfigurement as a reason why he is evil or villainous, performing monstrous acts against almost everyone in the story. Carlotta with the voice spray that made her croak like a toad, Joseph Bouquet who is depicted to be killed by Erik for coming face-to-face with him, Christine with his obsession and manipulating her naivety and innocence, Raoul and the Persian (and the whole Opera House really) with the threat of death if Christine didn’t choose to marry Erik, etc. These types of actions perpetuate harmful stereotypes about disabilities and reinforce ableist attitudes within society. 

My second critique is the lack of agency for disabled characters. This, I can’t truly be too harsh with as the novel was written in 1909 and most literature back then fed into stereotypes and all tried to imitate others. However, that doesn’t mean the musical had to follow the same outline. I personally, as I’m sure many others, would have loved to dive a bit deeper into Erik’s past and how his disabilities dictate his actions and relationships. I would have liked to see how he overcame all he did using his disabilities to his advantage and become a symbol of resilience rather than vulnerability. I have yet to read the book, but I’ve heard Susan Kay’s novel “The Phantom,” does this almost perfectly so it has immediately been added to my TBR list.

The third critique is one I imagine all of us thought of when first watching or reading the story. It romanticizes fixing Erik’s disability. It romanticizes the idea of fixing or curing Erik’s disabilities as a means to achieve happiness or acceptance in the narrative. Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe and wish with my whole heart for Erik to be happy. However, that simply can’t be if the text romanticizes the idea of “saving” him. He refers to Christine as his angel, an angel who is so beautiful and pure that she can save him from his personal Hell. This isn’t how the story should go if Erik is to be happy. He should first off, find a willing individual who genuinely loves him. And secondly, he needs to purge all of his internalized abelism. I believe those two steps are baby steps towards a happier ending for him. 

Conclusion

“The Phantom of the Opera” serves as a compelling narrative canvas for exploring disability representation. Through the lens of Disability Studies, we unmasked (pun definitely intended) nuanced insights into the interplay of identity, perceptions, and, societal stigmas. This text is a good starting point on how to make a complex character whose disabilities have been the main focus and reason for their ostracization, but it also warrants critical examination regarding all the flaws of representation for disabled individuals. As we reflect on Erik’s journey, let us strive to create and read narratives that empower and celebrate resilience, challenging ableist norms and fostering inclusivity in literature and culture. 

Works Cited

Disability Nottinghamshire. “Social Model vs Medical Model of Disability.” Disabilitynottinghamshire.org.uk, 2022, http://www.disabilitynottinghamshire.org.uk/index.php/about/social-model-vs-medical-model-of-disability/#:~:text=model%20of%20disability-.

Fordham, Brigham. UCLA UCLA Entertainment Law Review Title Dangerous Bodies: Freak Shows, Expression, and Exploitation Permalink Publication Date Dangerous Bodies: Freak Shows, Expression, and Exploitation. 2007.

Leroux, Gaston, and Lowell Bair. The Phantom of the Opera. New York, Bantam Dell, 2008.

Siebers, Tobin. “The Aesthetics of Human Disqualification,” from Literary Theory: An Anthology, Third Edition. Edited by Julie Rivkin and Micheal Ryan. 2017.

Sternfeld, J. “‘Pitiful Creature of Darkness’: The Subhuman and the Superhuman in The Phantom of the Opera”, in The Oxford Handbook of Music and Disability Studies, edited by Blake Howe, Stephanie JensenMoulton, Neil Lerner, and Joseph Straus, 795-814. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016. 

Swift, Phyllida, and Kathleen Bogart. “A Hidden Community: Facial Disfigurement as a Globally Neglected Human Rights Issue.” Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research, vol. 11, no. 4, Oct. 2021, pp. 652–657, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobcr.2021.09.011.

The Phantom of the Opera. Directed by Joel Schumacher, Universal Pictures, 22 Dec. 2004.