As I sit outside pushing my son in his Little Tyke swing, I think of all the wonderful times we have had in the first year of his life. One of the most wonderful, life-changing experiences in a woman's life is giving birth to her baby and holding him for the first time: the months of anticipating what the new little person will be like. What kind of personality will the baby have? Will he look like me? What will he become someday? But suppose I never got to find out the answers to my questions? The 1954 movie Los Abismos de Pasion, directed by Luis Buñuel, is a cinematic adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights. One thing that stood out in my mind in the movie was that Catalina, played by Irasema Dilian, like Catherine in the book, never got to find out any of those things about her baby. Both women died after giving birth to their respective babies, a boy and a girl. In all of my anticipation, that is one thing I thought of myself. Suppose something happens to me; and I never get to hold him, hear him call me mommy, see him smile, see him take his first steps, be there for his first date, enjoy his wedding, see his first child born? Luckily, everything turned out fine for me. So far I have got to hold him, see him smile, hear him call me mommy, see him take his first steps. I hope I will be around for all of the other events that will take place in his life.
The other side of that is that the babies in the above film and book had to grow up without a mommy. That is the saddest side. Having both parents is very important in a child's life. I guess that is why so many people "stay together for the children." I know that if anything ever happened to me, my son will be well provided for and taken care of but it is still not like having a mommy. Mommies can do a lot of things like healing boo-boos with a kiss.
Another side is that Eduardo, played by Earnesto Alonso, and Edgar in the book were left to be single parents. How hard that can be for anyone. Not only did they lose the women they loved, they now have to deal with raising a child by themselves. Being a single parent is very challenging. Persons, such as the two men above, need the help and support of their spouses.
I felt the situation was more explained in the book. I got to see what life was like with Catherine. Although the movie did not got into as much detail, it still hit me more because I was actually seeing it. I feel for the Linton family in the book and its cinematic counterpart in a way that is not mentioned very often. I am glad that I was fortunate enough to not be in their situation.