Susan Kay Characters Phans Love to Hate

Madeleine is a prime example of a character phans often dislike for several reasons. For example, the only love and affection she ever showed towards Erik was to make his first mask. Although the infamous mask was her way of giving him protection, it was often removed by people who wished to satisfy their own petty curiosities. Furthermore, at the end of her narration, she conspires with another character (Etienne Barye) to have Erik placed in an asylum. It is my theory that Madeleine was in denial the whole time; that is, she showed respect for Erik because she was forced to. Had Marie Perrault been out of the picture, things might have been a different story.

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Luciana is most likely the greatest example of a disliked character. Because she supposedly fell madly in love with Erik, she developed an intense desire to see him as he truly is. However, when Giovanni demanded that Erik remove his mask, Luciana could not handle the truth she had been so anxious to see. The shock of seeing Erik's face led to madness and her eventual death.