Poor, unhappy Erik! Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? He asked only to be "some one," like everybody else. But he was too ugly! And he had to hide his genius…when, with an ordinary face, he would have been one of the most distinguished of mankind!
Gaston Leroux, Fantôme de l’Opera
Gaston Leroux, Fantôme de l’Opera
My book has been published, however, I’m still getting emails “don’t stop posting”! You all know how much I love this story, and if I can squeeze any more life lessons out of it, I will try. Occasionally, as inspiration calls and I read again Gaston Leroux’s original work, I will post. Maybe someday I'll publish an updated version to my book. Hopefully, the new posts will be unique and fresh. As you all know by now I don’t write from a literary viewpoint. My posts come from my heart and human viewpoint, so that life lessons can be gleaned from the characters in the story.
The above quote from the original novel poses two questions to its readers regarding Erik. After you’ve read the story, Monsieur Leroux wants to know how you feel about the Opera Ghost. Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? His next statement is a profound truth of mankind, that Erik was deemed unworthy because he was too ugly. He was a genius in his own right, but was forced to hide because he did not possess an ordinary face. Society would not accept him based on his outward appearance, and hence his talented gifts never distinguished him with mankind.
It’s no secret that beauty is revered and rewarded, and ugliness is disdained and shunned. We judge abilities, worth, and talents by the outward appearance of man, rather than the inward gifts they may possess. If talented gifts are not wrapped in a visually appealing package, we rarely pay any attention. I think the phenomenon of Susan Boyle is a prime example of gifted talent without beauty that went unnoticed.
I love beauty just as much as the next person, and I often wonder when we look upon another person what makes them attractive to us or not? Why does our brain distinguish between beauty and ugliness? Long ago when the Twilight Zone was a big hit on TV (boy that dates me), I distinctly remember one episode where the tables were turned. All the ugly people were deemed beautiful, and all the beautiful people were deemed ugly, and as a result they suffered prejudice in society due to their appearance.
So the question still stands? Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? When you see a deformed person, do you pity them for their lot in life or do you turn way in disgust because of their ugliness? Remember once again, that the true value of beauty is determined by what’s in our heart. One can be beautiful on the outside, and truly ugly on the inside.
As always, I'm back to poking at you!
The Phantom’s Student
The above quote from the original novel poses two questions to its readers regarding Erik. After you’ve read the story, Monsieur Leroux wants to know how you feel about the Opera Ghost. Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? His next statement is a profound truth of mankind, that Erik was deemed unworthy because he was too ugly. He was a genius in his own right, but was forced to hide because he did not possess an ordinary face. Society would not accept him based on his outward appearance, and hence his talented gifts never distinguished him with mankind.
It’s no secret that beauty is revered and rewarded, and ugliness is disdained and shunned. We judge abilities, worth, and talents by the outward appearance of man, rather than the inward gifts they may possess. If talented gifts are not wrapped in a visually appealing package, we rarely pay any attention. I think the phenomenon of Susan Boyle is a prime example of gifted talent without beauty that went unnoticed.
I love beauty just as much as the next person, and I often wonder when we look upon another person what makes them attractive to us or not? Why does our brain distinguish between beauty and ugliness? Long ago when the Twilight Zone was a big hit on TV (boy that dates me), I distinctly remember one episode where the tables were turned. All the ugly people were deemed beautiful, and all the beautiful people were deemed ugly, and as a result they suffered prejudice in society due to their appearance.
So the question still stands? Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? When you see a deformed person, do you pity them for their lot in life or do you turn way in disgust because of their ugliness? Remember once again, that the true value of beauty is determined by what’s in our heart. One can be beautiful on the outside, and truly ugly on the inside.
As always, I'm back to poking at you!
The Phantom’s Student
