Could a person see beyond a horribly disfigured face and fall in love with the man within? In 1831 Victor Hugo wrote the story The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hugo introduced the character Quasimodo, a horribly disfigured man abandoned as a child. Although Looked upon as a grotesque creature, abused, and devoid of any emotion, Quasimodo’s human emotion becomes apparent when he falls in love with the beautiful Esmeralda. In 1910 Gaston Leroux wrote the story The Phantom of the Opera who introduced the character Erik who suffered the same unfortunate disfigurement. Similar to Quasimodo, Erik was also shunned by society because of his grotesque face. As a child Erik was forced to live as a side show circus freak. Erik was also forced to live below the streets of Paris in the darkness as an adult. Similar to Quasimodo, Erik also lives without any signs of love or compassion until he falls in love with the beautiful Christine Daae. Esmeralda and Christine find themselves the objects of affection to these two disfigured men. Neither woman can reciprocate. Although the reader empathizes and falls in love with the characters Erik and Quasimodo, Christine and Esmeralda cannot look pass the face to love the man behind the deformity.

As an adult Quasimodo is forced to live high above the Cathedral in the bell tower. Cut off from human contact except that of his adoptive father he spends his days alone. He is a simple man whose only knowledge comes from the books read to him. He seemed to be void of any emotion. His one purpose is to ring of the bells of the cathedral. He is a gentle soul who wishes no one harm. He quietly watches all the citizens below. He enjoys watching them interact. He is as devoted to his adoptive father as he is devoted to ringing the bells. On the other hand there is Erik, also known as the Phantom of the Opera. He spends his time below the Opera house in the darkness. As a child and young adult, he spent his days performing as a circus freak. He has spent his adult life as an architect and an assassin. He is a genius. He is a musician, and architect, a magician, and a scientist. He is a violent soul. He has no problem killing. He is demanding and has a hatred for mankind. He trusts no one.

Two women become the object of each man’s affection. Esmeralda is a gypsy and a dancer. She is hardly innocent, yet, she is kind to Quasimodo. When Quasimodo is left in the sun as a form of punishment and cries in thirst Esmeralda is the only kind and sympathetic enough to bring him water. It is this kind gesture that makes Quasimodo fall in love with her. He vows to protect her from all harm. After she is falsely accused of murder and is sentenced to death, Quasimodo risks his life to free her and takes her to the cathedral for sanctuary. Christine, unlike the gypsy Esmeralda, is more of an innocent. She is a young ballet dancer in the company that performs at the opera house. The Phantom falls in love with Chrisitine when he first hears her sing. He is enchanted by her voice and grows almost obsessed. The Phantom will do anything to forward the career of the woman he loves. He thinks he is protecting Christine when he brings harm and even death to all those who do not obey his wishes to support Christine. The Phantom is evening willing to blow up himself, Christine, The opera house and all its occupants if he cannot have Christine as his bride. Both men love and adore each woman, Quasimodo in a gentle way and The Phantom in a dark, violent way.

Although the Phantom loves Christine with all of his heart and soul, Christine does not love him in the same way. Although Christine is grateful for all that the Phantom has taught her, she still only sees him as an angel sent to protect her. Not as a love interest. Christine’s love and affections are directed toward a young man by the name of Raoul. Similar to Christine, Esmeralda also does not love Quasimodo. She also only sees him as her protector. Her love and affections are directed toward Phoebus. Both women have a man who will lay his life down for them, yet both women are in love with another man.

One story offers the quintessential bad boy. One story offers the quintessential knight in shining armor. These two men are every woman’s fantasy. One story gives you the cocky, intelligent, confident man in the Phantom and one story gives you the sweet man who will rescue and protect in Quasimodo. Sadly, neither one of them stood a chance .Was it because of their outward deformities or was it because some love just wasn’t meant to be? The point of each story, no matter how much you love someone or how much you are willing to do for them, it doesn’t guarantee that they will love you back. It’s a tragic truth.