The Phantom of the Opera question

Goodness, no. He's certainly magnetic and definitely needs to be shown love, but the rest of your life is a very long time to spend trapped in a basement with a homicidal psychopath. He would have given her anything she wanted, of course - as long as she never wanted to leave or see any other human being, and as long as she never withdrew from him emotionally, since he made very clear that he would take out both of them and whomever happened to be in the Opera above.
Tragic and compelling, yes. Deserving of sympathy, yes. Worth Christine consigning herself to a lifetime of fear... I don't think so. In the end, she did the only thing she really could have done. Chemistry is an important part of a relationship, but it doesn't cancel out physical danger and emotional abuse.

I say dump them both and focus on your career girl!

Erik never cared about what was best for Christine or what she wanted, only his own desires. Plus he was very prone to jealousy and violence. He would have been a terrible choice.
Personally I would not have chosen Raoul either. His love seemed childish and superficial, just a remnant from teenage first love. He had more of her interests in mind, though, and would be better for her life, so if those were the only two options, Raoul would have been a better choice.

deleted user wrote: "I always wonder for we know how terrible Erik can be, you can only pity him for his cursed ugliness. He would have treated Christine as royalty. What would you do? I know Raoul always loved Christi..."

I honestly don't know. Erik is a poor, deranged soul, but he's very talented and would do anything for Christine. I suppose I would prefer him over Raoul, who is immature and is easily made jealous. But here's the thing: why not just dump both of their butts and go for the Persian? He doesn't seem too bad, and is more emotionally stable than Raoul and Erik.

Absolutely not, toxic relationship. Christine needs to grow up a few years, take time to see if Raoul is worth it, and support Erik finding help.

I would have chosen Erik over Raoul, Erik did so much to show her that he loved her so much and all raoul did was try to keep him from proving his love to her and to answer the question I would have stayed with Erik no matter what he looked like it’s whats inside that counts

Erik was crazy and Raoul is a lot like (and I siad this in my review as well) a bit like Dudley Do Right/the Prince that Saves the day in every fairy tale. Personally, disliked them both but at least Raoul isn't a crazy person

After watching it and reading it so many times, all I know is I cried sadness When she left Erik for Raouel. The phantom clearly needed her. Nothing crazy or creepy. He told her in as best of a way he could that he loved her. Yet she had to go with some familiar situation where she could remember her dad easier instead of forgetting the pain with the Erik and helping him to have a life. She should have taught Erik to live and love in return for the compassion he showed her after. Her father passed. And. While I'm at it. Lilly should have chosen Snape in Harry Potter. I went and ran into this handsome guy who had been tortured in his past, and dang it, I married my phantom. I watch the movies just to pretend that she went on to love Erik and give him the life he deserved to have. It's not brave to do what makes you comfortable.

Of course, Beauty must stay with the beast or how else will he redeem himself? So Erik, it would have to be. Love would have changed his dark world...but anyway, if I remember right, he is dying at the end. isn't he?

If I were in Christine's shoes - I would have left them both behind to duke it out and run for the hills. Let's also consider that Christine in the novel was only 15 or 16 years old - she's just a child! One that wants to experience the world, sing, love, make friends, have a life. And she deserves that. It was hard enough being a woman in 1800's France.

Erik was easily her father's age and the fact that he was not only grooming her to be his little, singing doll, but also his romantic interest is creepy and straight-up pedophilia. Erik needed professional, mental help (also not really available in 1800's France), not a captive teenager to make him well. He was an adult, responsible for his own feelings and actions. He had no business kidnapping and brainwashing a child.

I personally would stay with Erik because his past and his passion both tug at my heart strings. I don't think I could leave him there in such despair, in such a dark place when I thought I could help him and teach him others can be kind and love him. I feel like after what he'd been through with trusting others in the past, walking away would finish him and show him that he really can't trust anyone because the one girl, Christine, chose another life and was afraid of him and I think that would reinforce his belief of himself, as she had reacted like the others in the end (though not entirely why he believed so). I just feel such a desperate need to touch his cheek and assure him I would stay. I understand this would be dangerous but you didn't ask what the logical answer would be, you asked what I would do, and I personally could never leave the man who helped me to become who I was and desperately needed me in such a way.

Well, I think that she made the right choice. Erik just wasn't right for her.

To Be Loved is Beautiful ... To Give Love Is Adorable
But either Alone Definitely NOT Enough...

For One To be Happy , He Needs To Love & Be Loved Simultaneously...

Erick Needed To Be Loved " & he got it some how" But that Should Not be On The expense Of Others

She Made The Right Decision .

Like Christine, I would have chosen Raoul. She felt safe with him. With the Phantom she was in danger.

Had I been Christine, I would've left them both. Erik was obsessed with her and Raoul was...too easy.

Erik. By all means. And love can help in everything... Erik was a bit pissed off with the world for how he had been treated... but if Christine would show him a world of love I am sure he would say goodbye to living in shadows and underground and came to embrace the "upper ground"... of course that would have been soooooooo difficult but not impossible. Christine was not brave enough. At the end she choose the "easy" choice.

I don't know. I certainly won't choose Raoul, but I don't know if I will stay with Erik as well. I mean, I understand perfectly why Christine says it's too hard to leave him. "If he sings again I won't be able to say no" sort-of stuff.

No, he's like forbidden fruit. Christine wants what she can't have, she can no longer tell what is reality and what is not.

Exactly, Christine made the right choice. I don't think she could have stayed with Erik without becoming a physco! It's difficult.

I don't know. Really.

That's a very hard question, i mean Raoul loved her ever since they were little. And Erik kidnapped her and loved her also. I don't know what i would've done. Erik wanted love and needed love, Raoul just sort of seemed like a puppy dog to Christine. Always jumping at her commands. I think Christine did the right thing by showing Erik love, but leaving him. In the end it worked out right. All i know is that i never want to be in Christine's shoes.

I would choose Erik because there was chemistry. Raoul is just bleh.