Classic Romantic Relationships

[debussygirl]

On that thing that SM did with EW it said that Jane Eyre was an inspiration for Twilight. And Anne of Green Gables. Which what she said was that Anne went past the wedding, as did Bella and Edward's story.

[ShortStuff_<3]

Is it really only classics that can be compared to Twilight? Perhaps it is, maybe becasue of Edward's very old-fashioned gentlemen-ly manner, or Bella's understated self-less nature.

[ILOVEAXLROSE]

I agrre with the previous coments comparing Bella and Edward to Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester. You have to see the BBC version of Jane Eyre with Toby Stepehns as Rochester. Those British actors know how to bring a great romantic character to life. And TOBY is HOT! I alos love Rose and jack from TITANIC.

[ariadnee]

Wuthering Heights is one of the inspirations for the Twilight saga, specifically New Moon and Eclipse. It's been a fiercely debated book for many years, and one of my favorites since I stumbled across it at 12.

It's really hard for Edward and Bella fans to find much to admire in the personages of Heathcliff and Catherine. I love the book, and I don't like the two main characters. Not only are the selfish, as has been mentioned, but they are deliberately malicious at times, and even SM herself has called Heathcliff "evil."

The obsessive and overwhelming nature of the love that they share is what should be compared to Edward and Bella's love. Heathcliff and Catherine are a part of one another so deeply that it doesn't matter whether or not they are physically close, married to one another, or even both alive. After they both stupidly marry other people and have their children, they are still more connected to each other than anyone else is in the whole book. Over the course of the story, they don't even get to spend much time together. Even after she dies out on the moors, Heathcliff clings to the ghost of her presence as being more real to him than all the rest of the world he deals with everyday. They don't get a happy ending, because their own natures prevent them - a case of the wicked getting what they deserve! The happy ending comes for the next generation instead, and even Heathcliff, in his never-ending misery, cannot bring himself to thwart it in the end - it's what he owes to the remnants of Catherine on this Earth.

Previous posters have sided with Edward early in Eclipse when they say they can't find anything redeeming in the book. But I'm going to side with Bella here, and say that there's something there worth finding. It's a painful journey though, much like reading New Moon at times.

Thanks for listening. -Ariadnee

[ILOVEAXLROSE]

Elpheba and Fiyero from WICKED the musical also have similarities. Fiero's life is endangered because of his connection to Elphaba. When the Wizard's men try and kill Fiyero, Elphaba uses her magic and transforms Fiyero into the scarecrow. My favorite line from WICKED is at separate times Fiyero and Elphaba tell each other that they are beautiful. They both say, " You don't have to lie to me", and then they say, "It's not lying, it's looking at things a different way."

[debussygirl]

ariadnee, you bring up good points about WH. I just can't get into it because it's so dark and the characters are horrible and selfish. I don't really find it like NM because in NM it ends fairly happy, as far as Edward and Bella are back together. It's not that way in WH and I just can't enjoy a book like that. But I can understand your view of it, since you obviously like that kind of a story.
I never though about Fiyero and Elphaba, before ILOVEAXLROSE. That's a good connection, and I love Wicked. <-----like my Elphaba face?

[imwiththewolf23]

okay. perfect edward/bella couple comparison. Jack and Rose from Titanic. idk if someone already said that but tell me what you think...

one contrast is the fact that Edward is more like Rose in the way that he is cautious and unsure about the relationship at first because of how attracted he is to her, and Bella is like Jack because she is impulsive and curious and wants more than friends. tell me what you think.

[debussygirl]

I'd never seen it in that light imwiththewolf23. I can kinda see the similarities between Jack and Rose and Edward and Bella.
But I was thinking about this earlier and I think that Anne and Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen's Persuasion have similarities with Bella and Edward. See, Anne was persuaded to break her engagement off with Wentworth and the only way she was able to do that was the fact that it would be better for him if they didn't get married. This reminds me of what Edward did in NM, that the only thing that could drag him away from Bella was the belief that without him, she would be better off.

[imwiththewolf23]

you know what thats a great comparison! (i just love the movie titanic so Jack and Rose were the first couple that came to life) do you read a lot of Jane Austen? she's one of my favorite authors. pride and prejudice is my favorite novel by her. (I know. I'm so cliche.)

[Mrs.Edward_Cullen<3]

I agree with most of you on Jane Eyre. I recently finished it and it was an amazing book. One of my favorites. There are tons of comparison throughout the story. Mr.Rochester was wary and unsure, but he loved Jane from the start and kept it to himself. If you read Midnight Sun, you'll catch my drift. Jane, found him a little intimadating at first but was intrigued and was curious. She became more and more obsessed with him, and quickly fell in love too, but she hid it for a little while. Exactly Bella's situation. And in the end when Mr.Rochester is blind, Jane doesn't care. She still loves him no matter what he is. And when both of them left either one, a big gape was left in their heart. And Mr.Rochester, like Edward, pushed Jane/Bella, to the altar but they solemnly agreed. Bella is like Jane in many ways, head strong,intelligent,curious,peculiar, and usually is the one to take care of people. Edward is much like Mr.Rochester, rich, stubborn, believes himself not to be a good person, fell in love, becomes broken-hearted when they're away from the girl they love, and becomes more whole, a better person, and they're know it alls. I grew upon and love Mr.Rochester as I do with Edward. But I love Edward a little bit more.