Meg Giry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Meg Giry is one of the fictional characters from the Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera. In the story she is Madame Giry's only daughter.
In the novel she is portrayed as having “eyes black as sloes, hair black as ink, a swarthy complexion and a poor little skin stretched over poor little bones.” In the 2004 film, however, Meg is much more beautiful and curvaceous, having blonde hair and blue eyes. She is also, in the novel, portrayed as a child of around fifteen years old. In the film, she is older.
Madame Giry is compelled to work for the Phantom because he left her a letter that told her that Meg would become Empress. Early in the novel, it is explained in the Prologue that Meg Giry, after the story's events, had became the Baroness de Barbazac.
In contrast to the musical version, in the novel it is never mentioned that she is friends with Christine Daaé and the only reference she makes about Christine is when confronted with the news that Christine was singing in the opening Gala, she tells Count Phillipe de Chagny that it was impossible for her to have a "divine voice" let alone become a success, that "six months ago she sang like a rusty hinge".
In Susan Kay's novel Phantom she is mentioned briefly through Erik’s point of view as she is telling Christine of the Opera Ghost he listens to her story.
“Never you mind how I know I just do that’s all. We know a lot about the Opera Ghost, Ma and I, but it isn’t safe to talk about it here. And you’d better believe me for your own good- he doesn’t like people who don’t know how to show a proper respect, and when he’s angry terrible things happen.”
“What sort of things?” I heard real alarm enter the other voice now.
“Awful things!” said Meg cheerfully, “truly awful. The floor in our dressing room starts to run with blood...”
Up in box five I blinked in surprised amusement. That was a new one! Little Giry should be writing Gothic novels, not prancing around the stage dressed as a water nymph!
In the movie/play she is portrayed as having blonde hair and a healthy golden complexion. Meg was portrayed by Janet Devenish in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, and by Jennifer Ellison in the 2004 movie The Phantom of the Opera.
In the musical, Meg's Mother, Madame Giry, is the one who suggests to the theatre managers to put Christine in the leading role of the opera Hannibal once leading lady Carlotta Giudicelli is spooked by the Phantom's threats. Normally she and Christine would be part of the ballet ensemble led by Madame Giry. At the end of Christine's performance, Christine confides in Meg in the musical number "Angel of Music" that she has been coached by a mysterious tutor who is calling her to him. Meg dismisses her claims, but after Christine's disappearance, comes to believe in the Phantom's powers, in part due to her mother's experiences with the Phantom as a young man.
At the end of the musical, Meg finds the Phantom's mask that he had used to cover his disfigured face resting on his chair in his abandoned underground lair.
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||
