I'm curious as to why opera, singing, and music play so heavily in the story; why opera and not painting or something else? And I have some ideas about the answer.
The idea of culture plays into the critique of the upper class, and culture is best depicted by the arts as opposed to the sciences (which are rather subjective and would probably be considered dull or uninteresting by the decadent rich who must be entertained). Music, and singing especially, work because they are much more universal. Even the poor can sing (though the opera is a distinctly rich persons past time, at least during this period), which allows Gretta's old love to be brought into the story.
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