The Shade of the Phantom (Phantom of the Opera, Chapter 20)

[Lobolover]

I've pondering this for quite some time: what is the story behind the unidentified "shade" that Raoul and the Persian meet in Chapter 20 who is apparently "much worse" then the theater police, whom the author openly refuses to idenfity, giving vague hints as to why in a lenghty footnote.

Is there any speculation/concensus on what Leroux may have been reffering to ?

 

[GOLLUM]

Intersting poser. I don't think there is any clear cut concensus on who the shade is. I've seen explanations ranging from the shade is in reality Erik to a royal guard or bodyguard protecting people of political and social importance to a filler inserted on the fly by Gaston at the time given the orignal story was in serial format..to even Sherlock Holmes or Jack the Ripper if you read comments posted on the Phantom of the Opera forum. Possibly also someone in Leroux's personal life or somebody who reading the story at the time it was written would have been able to immediately associate with.

It's been a while isnce I read this book and it's probably something I should revisit.