By Phoebe Chen
In the film Titanic, when with bitter sorrow Rose finally let go of Jack’s hand in order to live on, few could hold back their tears seeing Jack gradually sink into the cold dark Atlantic ocean. In the Japanese film The Lost Paradise, after losing everything except each other, the lovers chose to end their adulterous love with death. They declare their true and inseparable love by dying at the same moment with their bodies intertwined, which could not be parted even after death. From Romeo and Juliet to the Butterfly Lovers (梁祝), few classic romances do not end in tragedy. This brings us to contemplate, does all great love have to end this way? If their love story ended by having each other forever, would their love still be as memorable? Will they still be the model of perfect love? Frankly, their love might not be able to withstand the challenge of reality and everyday trifles. Take Rose and Jack for example, if Jack had not died and they were both saved, try to picture their lives together. Could Rose, coming from a wealthy background, and Jack, having nothing more than some pencils and a sketchbook, really live together harmoniously? Soon Rose probably couldn’t endure their standard of living and would blame Jack, forgetting how she once admired his talent. On the other hand, Jack perhaps couldn’t endure Rose’s slight contempt for him and her ignorance about real life. If the lovers in the Lost Paradise continued their lives together, when the thrill of having an affair cooled down, they might regret that they gave up everything just for the other’s sake. They might begin to discover each other’s fault safter living together for a short while. Then comparing their jobs and family with the ones they lost, they maybe even wish they had never met, let alone be together. As for young Romeo and Juliet, they were practically children when they met each other, and they perhaps didn’t even love each other truly. Moreover, if they had successfully run away with each other, they would probably have problems surviving. Just think, both of them came from powerful and wealthy families and they were only teenagers, what would they know about the harshness of making a living when they had people at their beck and call all the time? Romeo would have difficulty supporting their lives when he only knows how to fight for his family’s honor. On the other hand, what would Juliet know about housekeeping when she was accustomed to having everything brought to her? Perhaps she only knew how to do delicate embroidery and dance gracefully. Thus, it is not difficulty to understand why all great love ends in tragedy — because it’s just too hard to live happily ever after. a
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May 2024
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