Phantom of the Opera

To me, the most interesting part of Phantom of the Opera is Christine's choice between Erik (the Phantom) and Raoul. Erik is dark, passionate, seductive, and has the sexiest song in musical history ("Music of the Night"). Raoul is kind, protective, supportive, and safe. Erik is also the model of an abusive lover, while Raoul is (let's be honest) rather lacking a personality.

It's a choice between night (Erik) and day (Raoul). Christine can have one, but not both. She must make a choice.

But isn't it a false choice? Day and night are opposite sides of the same coin. One can not exist without the other, and no one can chose to live entirely in light or entirely in shadow, no matter what they may think that they want.

In "The Music of the Night," Erik sings

"Close your eyes
For your eyes will only tell the truth
And the truth isn't what you want to see
In the dark, it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be"

Who hasn't felt that way? Sometimes, the truth really *isn't* what it ought to be. And while you always have to open your eyes eventually, sometimes you do need to pretend, for a bit. But there is something bigger in these lines. Sometimes what is literally true and what is metaphorically true don't line up. In the day, you have to face the literal truth. But at night.... well, "in the dark, it is easy to pretend that the truth is what it ought to be."

But just as the literal must make way to the metaphorical, so must the night make way again for the day. Raoul sings

"Let me be your freedom
Let daylight dry your tears
I’m here, with you and beside you
To guard you and to guide you."

The dark passion of the night can be it's own prison, and daylight can then mean liberation. Just as darkness was liberation from "the cold, unfeeling light" (also from Music of the Night), now Christine wants "freedom, a world with no more night." But she won't always. Someday she will find herself wanting the freedom of the night.

Day and night, light and dark: both are prisons without the welcome realize of their opposite. Christine's choice is so difficult to comprehend because it isn't a choice which anyone can be expected to make. It would be as if you were asked to pick between food and water -- at different times, you need both.