Major Themes In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

The interior scenes in the ThrushCross Grange represent the mood of the characters and how it influenced the location. Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights are two separate households with one-main goal and that is to show the importance of the scenery. The ThrushCross Grange is where the inhabitants are civilized and the house is immaculate. The immense view that Catherine and Heathcliff saw while looking through the window. “Both of us were able to look in by standing on the basement, and clinging to the ledge, and we saw- ah1 it was beautiful-- a splendid place carpeted with crimson, and crimson –covered chairs and table, and a pure white ceiling bordered by gold, a shower of glass –drops hanging in silver chains from the centre, and

   "My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff" (81)" These words, uttered by Catherine, in the novel Wuthering Heights are for me the starting point in my investigation into the themes of love and obsession in the novel. Catherine has just told her housekeeper that she has made up her mind to marry Edgar Linton, although she is well aware that her love for him is bound to change as time passes. That she is obsessed by her love for Heathcliff she confirms in the above quotation and by saying that she will never, ever be separated from him. Why does she not marry him then? Well, she has

The manor Wuthering Heights is described as dark and demonic. In the English moors, winter lasted three times as long as summer and the Heights and the land adjacent to it can be compared to winter, while Thrushcross Grange can be described as the summer. Bronte describes the Heights as a

“In vapid listlessness I leant my head against the window, and continued spelling over Catherine Earnshaw – Heathcliff – Linton, till my eyes closed; but they had not rested five minutes when a glare of white letters started from the dark, as vivid as spectres – the air swarmed with Catherines; and rousing myself to dispel the obtrusive name, I discovered my candle wick reclining on one of the antique volumes, and perfuming the place with an odour of roasted calf-skin.”

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights display of cultural and physical features of an environment affecting one’s character and moral traits is showcased through the first Catherine’s development throughout the novel. Catherine is forced to “adopt a double character”, as she lives as a rebellious, passionate woman on the turbulent Wuthering Heights, while behaving politely and courtly on the elegant Thrushcross Grange(Bronte, 48). Each of these environments also contains a love interest of Catherine’s, each man parallel with the characteristics of their environments: Heathcliff, the passionate and destructive, residing in Wuthering Heights, while the civilized and gentle Edgar inhabits Thrushcross Grange. Catherine’s development in character due to her setting significantly contributes to the theme that pursuing passionate love is dangerous, such as the love shared by Heathcliff and Catherine.

However, despite changes, the literary world remained predominantly male, and women writers not encouraged, or taken seriously. Consequently, to counteract this Emily Bronte published her novel Wuthering Heights, under the male pseudonym of Ellis Bell. Wuthering Heights is the story of domesticity, obsession, and elemental divided passion between the intertwined homes of the Earnshaw’s residing at the rural farmhouse Wuthering Heights, and the Linton family of the more genteel Thrushcross Grange. This essay will discuss how the language and narrative voices established a structural pattern of the novel, and how these differing voices had a dramatic effect on the interpretation of the overall story.

I think that the fact that Wuthering Heights is so secluded leaves an eery mood with the reader, especially after reading the first few chapters. It definitely adds to the mood of the story in a way that nothing else could. I think that the setting was one of the things that really drew me into the story at the start, and made me, as the reader, want to keep reading. A time when the setting was most prominent was in the very beginning of the story, when Lockwood (the narrator) was at the estate, and it began to snow storm extremely hard. It was apparent that this time in the story was near Christmas, and although the setting was secluded and Linton could not get home in the disaster

The description of the setting of Wuthering Heights is described so thoroughly, which emphasizes the gothic tradition in this book. It is 1801 and Mr. Lockwood, a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange, writes in his diary that he has rented a house in the Yorkshire countryside, or New England. After he arrived there, he visits his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff. Heathcliff lives

Wuthering Heights is depicted as a cold, threatening, and dark manor, situated on a "bleak hilltop." In the novel, "wuthering" is the local adjective to describe the "atmospheric tumult" present in the region. The rugged manor, Wuthering Heights, represents a "storm", characterized by the wild emotions and harsh behaviors of the inhabitants. The depressing atmosphere causes people to "shiver through every limb" at the "sorrowful sight" of the Heights. In deep contrast, Thrushcross Grange is described as a "splendid place" of elegance and comfort. The peaceful dwelling of the Grange represents higher values and morals, and is considered the "calm" residence of the novel. The author creatively reveals the theme of good versus evil, or the calm versus the storm, through the pronounced symbolic differences in the houses.

In this scene, the darkest personality of Heathcliff begins to rule Wuthering Heights and the Grange. As a wicked person Heathcliff intend to ruin his tormentors, to destroy the Earnshaws, the Lintons, and even their

On Mr. Lockwood’s first visit to Wuthering Heights, he is strongly impressed by its rusticity. Mr. Lockwood explains the meaning of the house’s name with “‘Wuthering’ being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather” (5). His impression of the house inform the reader that this manor isn’t of friendly manner or concerned with welcoming visitors. Then there is Thrushcross Grange which is discovered through young Heathcliff description of the dining room to Nelly Dean, “It was beautiful--a splendid place carpeted with crimson, and crimson-covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered by gold, a shower of glass-drops hanging in silver chains from the centre…” (95). He speaks of Thrushcross Grange as rich, cultured life filled with light and warmth which is appropriate home of the children of the calm. Here is where Cathrine found the Lintons were hospitable and civilized with life being quiet and gentle here. No doubt Brontë meant for these to be opposing description for the reader to view the difference between these two manors, since they become more significant as the symbolic roles unfolds. She meant to demonstrate the incompatibility of “civilized” and “uncivilized” people as the

Nelly’s role is to be Lockwood’s inside source of information and in doing so, she tells her perspective of the story which Lockwood takes and twists to his own invention. The audience is first approached with Lockwood as a narrator when the opening scene begins with the telling of the home that he has just approached: “Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff’s dwelling. “Wuthering” being…descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather” (Bronte, 26). Lockwood’s approach to the description of the Heights almost reads to the audience as a diary. It becomes a challenge for Lockwood to essentially be telling the “true” story of what happened at the heights when he is limited on his direct report from Nelly. The audience see’s that the narration for Lockwood would begin in 1801, the

Women’s rights have been a question greatly discussed for quite some time, and the debate is still continuing despite the possibilities offered to women today. Feminism nowadays has evolved into a movement in a number of directions, starting with women equality and ending with homosexuality. However, feminism originally is an ideology that is based on equal political, economic and social rights for women. Feminism theory deals with analysing women’s social roles and experiences in relation to gender inequality. Traces of this ideology are vastly represented and can be found in a number of literary works, as notable examples are novels written by female authors (the Brontë sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot and others) during the Age

While at Thrushcross Grange, she grows infatuated with Edgar, despite her love for Heathcliff. Edgar came from an upper class family as well and took care of her when she was in a dog accident. This leads to her acceptance of Edgar Linton’s marriage proposal despite her statements regarding her love for Heathcliff. Heathcliff overhears unfortunate passages of Catherine's discourse and disappears for a period during which he mysteriously makes his fortune and changes irrevocably from the person he was. Vengeance consumes him, and Heathcliff attempts to destroy the lives of those who wronged him, (as well as their children). Ultimately, Heathcliff’s bitterly executed vengeance is effaced by a love between Hareton and Cathy that mirrors Heathcliff’s own love for Catherine. Hareton is Catherine’s nephew and Cathy is Catherine’s daughter, which makes the two first cousins.

The novel suggests that the building is far from civilised places, on page twenty-four, chapter two; “..On that bleak hill top the earth was hard with a black frost, and the air made shiver through every limb..” This says that Wuthering Heights is isolated on a bleak hill top, it is dull and miserable and the earth is “..Hard..” and contains “..Black frost..”. The use of “..Black frost..” is Gothic as it describes even the frost as evil. Normal frost is white but “..Black frost..” symbolizes evil. This is very Gothic. Emily Brontë uses a lot of imagery to create tension for the reader. For example on pages thirty-one and thirty-two, chapter three when Lockwood is shown to his chamber in Wuthering Heights by Zillah, Emily Brontë uses a lot of images to create the feeling that the room and the surrounding is coffin like. This makes the building, Wuthering Heights feel supernatural and very Gothic. The house itself is very Gothic, containing tall dark arches and gargoyle statues. There are lots of shadows. Emily Brontë chooses realistic descriptions of the building/house, Wuthering Heights; “..One or two heavy black ones (chairs) lurking in the shade..“. “..Black..” reoccurs frequently in the novel as it suggests evil. The word “..Lurking..” is interesting because it suggests that something does not belong in a place , it is mysterious, as in his case the chairs have no place in Wuthering Heights. Almost as is the chairs are alive and they have thoughts and