"The Phantom of Wuthering Heights is here"

While reading and discussing Wuthering Heights, I noticed of some similarities between the love story of Catherine and of Christine Daae, from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. We argued in our discussion if Catherine truly loved Edgar or if her true love was always Heathcliffe. In Phantom of the Opera, we wonder the same. Who is Christine's true love? Is it Raul or does her heart belong to the Phantom?

In Wuthering Heights, I think Catherine loved the idea of loving Edgar more than her actually affections. The idea of being protected, secure, and with a good name in society pleased Catherine. However I do think she did have some feelings for Edgar though. I don't think she was with him strictly for the social benefits. When her and Edgar first met, she was very young and for a young child to think about social status and money at that young age doesn't make sense. But she did adore Edgar and spent a lot of time with him and his sister, Isabella. So it would be wrong to say that Catherine and Edgar did not share any love. Like Catherine, Christine choose Raul in Phantom of the Opera. Her and Raul were childhood sweethearts, reunited in the Opera House where they fell in love. Christine thought of Raul as her shelter and light. However some may ask if she really loves Raul or if she turns to him for safety and an escape from the opera house.

However, for the other two men of the love triangles, they were left without their loves. Catherine grew up with Heathcliffe and from young age claimed her love for him, never thinking she would be without him in her life. Heathcliffe, the same, very much loved Catherine. She was one of the only women mentioned in the novel that he had been acquainted with and the only woman that he showed affection for. We can see that the Phantom shows a similar love for Christine. When Christine was brought to the Opera House when she was seven, the phantom would sing to her and comfort her in the shadows. He protected her as well as taught her music and brought her triumph on the stage. Christine trusted him and she began to love him. He was always there for her and she never knew life without him. However when Edgar enters Catherine's life and Raul enters Christine's life, their childhood loves were put aside.

There are other similarities between these two stories. Like Catherine, Christine was given an ultimatum to choose the Phantom or Raul as Catherine had the ultimatum to choose Edgar or Heathcliffe. Another similarity is the reason why Heathcliffe loved Catherine and why the Phantom choose Christine. Christine and Catherine were the only two people who showed love and compassion on them. And a last similarity is after Christine and Catherine die. When Catherine dies, both Edgar and Heathcliffe demand to be placed in the ground next to her. As when Christine dies, the final scene of the movie, you see Raul visiting his wife's grave and on her tomb stone is the rose and black ribbon from the phantom.