The novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ (1847) by Emily Brontë and the film adaptation ‘Wuthering Heights’ (2011) by Andrea Arnold each convey respective values and perspectives reflective of the contrasting contexts and forms of each text. The novel, set in the Romantic period, is centred around two families living on the isolated, Yorkshire moors, and the explosive interactions between them. The concept of confinement contrasts against the freedom of nature throughout the novel. Nature is another key theme and a fundamental aspect of the Romantic period, used to present ideas such as rebellion and freedom. Finally, passion within human relationships is thoroughly explored through Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship within the novel. However, as the film adaptation is a product of a contemporary post-feminist, post-colonial time period, these themes can now be explored through lenses such as racial discrimination, feminism, and human connection.
The confinement that characters within the texts experience can be translated into modern values based on equality. In the novel, Catherine Earnshaw is constantly controlled by the circumstances that control her; she’s ruled by her father and Hindley throughout her childhood, restricted by her injury at Thrushcross Grange, and forced to marry Edgar because of her isolation from the rest of the world. Even in her passionate relationship with Heathcliff, which reflects the spontaneous, exciting nature of the Romantic period, Heathcliff
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (1847) is a much darker depiction on love, nature, and even revenge than the tales by the other two Bronte sisters. A crucial role in the book is played primarily by the landscape throughout the novel, whether it be through the mystery of the moors or how each home represents a specific dichotomy. Areas categorized as elements of nature, civilization, or even the in-between play an integral role in the development of characters, who are also represented in those aspects, within the novel.
The culture of set societal rules and conventions urges Catherine to be with Edgar, compelling her to be ‘the greatest woman of the neighbourhood’ due to them being relatively firm in their gentry’s status. This suggests the importance of her social status against the nature of her love for Heathcliff stating, ‘we would be beggars’, through employing the word ‘beggars’ the reader crafts the idea of her belief that she won’t survive without her status. Catherine admits ‘It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him’ Thus implying a swelling sense of her vanity and pride; enough to enjoy the position she gains from being married to Edgar despite her admiration for Heathcliff, being ‘more than (herself) than (she is)’and
Catherine Earnshaw appears to be a woman who is free spirited. However, Catherine is also quite self-centered. She clearly states that her love for Edgar Linton does not match how much she loves Heathcliff. She is saying that she does love both, and she is unwilling to give one up for the other; she wants “Heathcliff for her friend”. Catherine admits that her love for Linton is “like the foliage in the woods”; however, her love for
Martha Nussbaum describes the romantic ascent of various characters in Wuthering Heights through a philosophical Christian view. She begins by describing Catherine as a lost soul searching for heaven, while in reality she longs for the love of Heathcliff. Nussbaum continues by comparing Heathcliff as the opposition of the ascent from which the Linton’s hold sacred within their Christian beliefs. Nussbaum makes use of the notion that the Christian belief in Wuthering Heights is both degenerate and way to exclude social classes.
The gothic and often disturbing Wuthering Heights is Emily Bronte’s classic novel that contains undeniably powerful writing that created her timeless love story. Andrea Arnold transformed her masterpiece into a cinematic rendition to recreate the wild and passionate story of the deep and destructive love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
The moors of Wuthering Heights do not just function as the setting – they exert a notable influence on the characters ' emotions, choices and personalities. The hostile weather and desolate moors constantly effect
Heathcliff resents her scorn. He desires to regain her approval. He attempts to be “decent” and “good” for her sake (Brontë 40). However, his attempt to be decent fails miserably. He resents the attentions that Catherine gives to Edgar. Catherine would rather wear a “silly frock” and have dinner with “silly friends” than ramble about the moors with him (Brontë 50). Heathcliff keeps track of the evenings Catherine spends with Edgar and those that she spends with him. He desperately wants to be with Catherine. When Catherine announces to Nelly her engagement to Edgar, Heathcliff eavesdrops, but leaves the room when he “heard Catherine say it would degrade her to marry him” (Brontë 59). Catherine has spurned his love, choosing Edgar over him. Heathcliff cannot bear this rejection. The love he possesses for her transcends romantic and filial love (Mitchell 124). He feels that he is one with her (Mitchell 123).
Emily Brontë, one of five sisters in the Brontë family of writers, is well-known for her elegant writing style in her poems. Published in 1847, a year before Emily Brontë’s death, Wuthering Heights is Brontë’s only novel. As a tragic novel, Wuthering Heights embodies the true 19th century tragedy with features such as its dramatic plot, catharsis emotions, and ability to fascinate and horrify the reader at the same time. In the romantic novel, social relevance is a prominent theme as Heathcliff, the protagonist, seeks revenge for squandering his chances of being with his soul mate, Catherine Earnshaw. As a novel of such pronounced literary merit, Wuthering Heights has a complex plot built on its strong female characters, social class differences, and recurring cycles. Specifically, the recurring cycles lead the reader to the resolution of the novel without having trouble identifying all of the subplot issues brought out during the novel. Overall, the most important element in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is the motif of recurring cycles.
Creating a haven from the cruel outside world, families ideally provide protection and support for each of their members. In Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, however, bitterness grows between the Earnshaws and the Lintons. Within these two families, siblings rival for power and parents fail to fulfill their roles as caregivers. The intertwining relationships of the Earnshaws and the Lintons are marked by physical abuse, degradation, and emotional negligence. These reduce each of the family members’ life to a lonely and meaningless journey though the cold and misty moors.
While reminiscing in his old age, Heathcliff says, “I get levers and mattocks to demolish the two houses and when everything is ready and in my power, I find the will to lift a slate off either roof has vanished … Where is the use [of revenge]? I don’t care for striking: I can’t take the trouble to raise my hand!” (323). The Heights and the Grange are finally “in his power” that he can destroy the two houses if he wants. Though he realizes that his efforts were all in vain and his hunger for revenge made him unfortunate. Catherine Earnshaw confronts with the patriarchal system by hurting herself. As Edgar forces her to choose between himself and Heathcliff, she says, “Well, if I cannot keep Heathcliff for my friend – if Edgar will be mean and jealous, I’ll try to break their hearts by breaking my own…” (116). Catherine “breaks her own” by locking herself in her room and fasting for three days; she has no choice but to use the ultimate method to make her rage and helplessness be heard. On the contrary, Catherine Linton resists by improving herself. Although Heathcliff hinders Catherine from learning, she has so much of novelty to feel and learn and continues to read (322). By education, she succeeds to remove Heathcliff’s will to revenge and gain love chosen by herself. Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw, and Catherine Linton’s different reactions bring a different ending; destruction versus
Love is a strong attachment between two lovers and revenge is a strong conflict between two rivals. In the novel Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte uses setting to establish contrast, to intensify conflict, and to develop character. The people and events of Wuthering Heights share a dramatic conflict. Thus, Bronte focuses on the evil eye of Heathcliff's obsessive and perpetual love with Catherine, and his enduring revenge to those who forced him and Catherine apart. The author expresses the conflict of Wuthering Heights with great intensity. Hence, she portrays a combination of crucial issues of romance and money, hate and power, and lastly
Catherine views freedom as something unsafe and untameable and following patriarchy as safe and more suitable despite it also constraining her natural ambitions (Garofalo, 2008: 831). Her choice reflects the idea that freedom is undesirable as it dangerously goes beyond social norms and putts her at odds with society (Hanlon, 1996: 506). Giving power to patriarchal demands results in negative outcomes for Catherine’s character – continued conflict with other characters, depression, sickness, in the end, untimely death. Cathy II, who in her childhood had the idea of freedom kept away from her, constantly attempts to resist patriarchal constructs in order to achieve being free. Cathy II is represented as a tough, strong-willed female who opposes what others expect for her, in the way she often uses the word ‘defy’ (REFERENCE), the way she aims to ‘draw pleasure from the grief of her enemies’ (REFERENCE) and how she challenges Heathcliff to be physically violent towards her (REFERENCE). A feminist perspective of the novel notes how Cathy II empowers both herself and the female gender in the way she attempts to escape Wuthering Heights and make her own, independent decisions (Hoeveler, 2000: 212-214). Cathy II’s view of freedom is that it’s a treasure that should be earned, and because she’s been denied it by
It is the opinion of this essay that the character of Heathcliff evolves a lot more than the character of Catherine. When we first meet Heathcliff, he was found on the streets of Liverpool by Catherine’s father who then adopts him into the family as one of his own. This would have been a dramatic change for Heathcliff. Then after experiencing this quality of life until the death of the father he is then cast into the role of a servant/labourer by Catherine’s brother who despises him. Finally, when Heathcliff hears part of the conversation between Catherine and Nelly, he hears Catherine plans to marry Edgar Linton as she could never marry Heathcliff. “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now”. (82) It is here Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights and returns three years later, a gentleman of means and of polite demeanour, not what you would expect from him. Here we can bring back the point that one’s environment dramatically affects one’s behaviour. Like Catherine, Heathcliff defies social norms expected of his gender. After he returns back from travelling having acquired great wealth and on the surface seems a changed man, he would be accepted into middle class society as he displays the characteristics expected of him. It is well described in the book to enforce the dramatic change in him for readers to understand how far he has come from
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.
The disorderly atmosphere of Wuthering Heights, generated by Heathcliff’s raucous behavior causes Catherine to gravitate towards a more uncivilized and mannerless version of herself. Several times, Catherine snaps at others and throws furious tantrums, as she scolds and even slaps Nelly for cleaning in Edgar’s prescence. The rambunctious setting of Wuthering Heights conjures a different Catherine, where, “to pracise politeness...would only be laughed at,” influencing her to act on rebellious