ship_manifesto

You are not alone. I think Raoul has a very unjust reputation in the fandom, and I personally love his relationship with Christine in the novel. I love Erik as a character and pity him as much the book's narrator, but I know Christine could not and should not be with him. I got the opposite impression of Leroux's characterization of Christine (or should I say Lowell Bair's?) that you did, so I've always wished Raoul-haters would grow up like Christine and learn (like she does) that love founded on terror and manipulation and control is not as strong as love founded on friendship. I don't think Raoul's a knight-in-shining-armor in the novel (he wants to be, but he doesn't get the chance), but I like him anyway for his sincerity, sensitivity, courage, character development, and for helping to wake Christine up to the truth of her Angel of Music. After everything she goes through, Christine deserves a life of love and freedom with ehr childhood sweetheart. Erik deserves love, too, but even he realizes that he can't blackmail, trick, or force Christine into giving it to him - love doesn't work that way. We're supposed to pity Erik, not hate Christine and/or Raoul.

Besides, I've always shipped Erik with his accomplice Madame Giry ;)