Wuthering Heights By Emily Bronte

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

Since the beginning of civilization, one’s wealth, and status were determining factors that influenced their place in a stratified society. In Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights, the author embodied the realities of England's class system during the Victorian Era. During this Era, people were born into a class and stayed there. This was essentially captured by the idea that social mobility was rare and limited. Bronte uses characters such as Catherine, Heathcliff and Edgar as well as the second generation as a tool to emphasize the differences in class, and how it ultimately impacted the fate of the characters.Through the use of symbolism and juxtaposition, Bronte exemplifies that the potency of love and relationships cannot outweigh the necessity social status. While many will argue the impracticality of social status being the determining factor of one’s way of life, this is most notably seen through Catherine Earnshaw.

Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontë does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a

One of the most dramatic scenes in the book is the death of Catherine. The first signs of her failing health physically and mentally come when she locks herself up in her room after Heathcliff and Edgar's fight. She fasts herself into a delirium, pulling out pillow stuffing and seeing faces in the mirror. Unlike ordinary death, which comes quick and painlessly, Catherine's slowly wastes her away into a ghost. About seven months later, she dies at childbirth, but returning to haunt Heathcliff. The main cause for Catherine's death is not childbirth, although it may have been the final contributor. Ironically, because of the spiritual link between Heathcliff and her, it is their separation that killed her. Brontë punishes the sinned by slow death, having the guilty put the wrath upon themselves. She also brings in the supernatural to prove that even at death, there is no peace. The precise description of the moments before Catherine's death emotionally charges and further involves the reader. Like Catherine, Heathcliff dies in a similar fashion, except his sufferings prior to death lasted eighteen years. He explains to Nelly, "What does not recall her [Catherine]? Those two [Catherine Linton and Linton Heathcliff] are the only objects which retain a distinct material appearance to me; and, that appearance causes me pain, amounting to agony." This is consistent because he has sinned the most of all

During the mid to late eighteenth century, gender roles had a large influence on everyday life in Northern England. As a result, confinement, both physical and psychological, was a tool used to exert power over others. This is seen in both Catherine and Heathcliff’s multiple confinements of others and themselves throughout the novel. Jamie S. Crouse describes Catherine’s confinements as more detrimental to herself whereas Heathcliff’s are more masculine and destructive to others as he seeks to establish control over anyone who stands in his way. Their methods are intriguing as their motives and actions display the effect of gender roles and isolation as they grow up. During their youth, Catherine and Heathcliff were both children who went out

To conclude, the marriage plays different roles in each book, but is as prominent of a theme in Wuthering Heights as it is in Much Ado About Nothing. In the former, marriages are mainly for revenge, out of helplessness, or for economic reasons. On the other hand, those in Much Ado About Nothing cause much fuss throughout the play, but seem to play an important role in the characters’

Have you ever been in love, but was unable to be with that person because of things like social status or rules, family feuds, money issues or distance? If not, you have probably lived it out vicariously through literature. This theme has recurred in many different works like Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, and The Great Gatsby. However, these are not the only literary works that showcase this theme. Written by Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights is a prime example of how societal customs and reasoning can cause love to become a mere flaw in human nature. This is especially seen in both Catherine and her daughter, Cathy and their loved ones. In turn, the skewed perspectives of the characters caused tremendous turmoil in the rest of the character’s lives. Because of classism, love in Wuthering Heights is often clouded as seen throughout the Earnshaw family

Here, she tells Nelly that marrying Heathcliff would degrade her, and she would’ve married him if he wasn’t a disgrace to marry. She also says “Nelly, I see now, you think me a selfish wretch; but did it never strike you that if Heathcliff and I married we should be beggars? Whereas, if I marry Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother's power?” (Bronte 87). Catherine believes that by marrying Edgar, she could help Heathcliff with his financial state and free him from Hedley. However that doesn’t happen, because Heathcliff overhears the part where she tells Nelly that it would degrade her to marry him and he decides to leave Wuthering Heights.

Catherine and HeathCliff’s intimacy provided the base for the main conflict. Her marriage with Edger was more of a contract that provided her with the facilitations rather than satisfactions of matrimonial life. Which ultimately secured her the position among great ladies. If she would have married HeathCliff than her material gains would have been less or nothing. Her marriage stamped the class difference and Catherine as Victorian.

Catherine no longer belongs only to Wuthering Heights; after she learns her position in society, she chooses to attempt to lock up her primal nature in order to act like a lady and take society’s role of a wife. Divided between her primal and sophisticated self, Catherine, “hopes to square authentic with social convention, running in harness [combining] an ontological [based on being and existence] commitment to Heathcliff

This content can be demonstrated by the choice that Elizabeth makes about marrying Darcy for love rather than status.On the contrary, Bronte 's ‘Wuthering Heights’,could perhaps, be considered as being an realist contemplation on marriage as it indicates that problem lies in, social institutionas it is not conforming to the typical 'happy ending ', in contrast to Austen’s novel. This can be discussed, thru thecausality of the protagonists and it can also be illustrated through the conflict that is between passion and romanticism and the demands of wealth that society requires of a person. However, one must consider the aim of both authors within their individual narrative spheres.Marriage and love can be seen as a device that can culminate the fate of the characters in ' Wuthering Heights ' and ‘Pride and Prejudice’.

I have often noticed that the romanticized relationship of Catherine and Heathcliff is usually the center point of discussions and film adaptions of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. While their tempestuous relationship certainly has its attractions, their self-destructive love is disastrous. Consequently, Catherine and Heathcliff’s dysfunctional relationship not only leads to their own demise but causes everyone else around them to suffer. However, I find that the often neglected relationship of Cathy and Hareton to be more romantic and compassionate. Although initially their relationship starts baldy, the two eventually develop a caring relationship built upon mutual trust and love.

Are love, power and wealth essential elements in the perfect soul mate in life? These rudiments are very critical in the novel Wuthering Heights. When looking at the portrayal of love in this novel, there is a great distinction between the loves we show to others presently versus the love shown in the novel. When considering Catherine and Heathcliff in the novel, they both love each other dearly, but when it comes down to it, Catherine cannot marry Heathcliff. Why can’t their love ever be? This is so because Heathecliff has no wealth or power. Without these things, if Catherine were to marry Heathcliff it would degrade her. So what does Catherine do? She marries Edgar Linton, a man who has power and wealth, although she doesn’t love him as much as she loves Heathcliff. The author uses her past experiences to influence the way she writes this novel, which is why this story can compare and contrast with the Victorian age and our modern society. All in all, love, desire and money has a major role in the progression of the story Wuthering Heights, and when compared to today’s society there are noticeable differences in our portrayal of love.

When Hindley takes over Wuthering Heights he basically turns Heathcliff into a poor slave that wasn’t aloud an education. This classification is one of the main reasons that Catherine choose to marry Edgar instead. After she married she soon became pregnant. She gets very sick and 2 hours after the baby is born, Catherine dies. This is when Catherine truly becomes a forbidden love. Heathcliff is so devastated by her death that he shouts “Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest, as long as I am living! You said I killed you – haunt me then! The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe – I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh god! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”

Heathcliff, a mild-mannered owner of Wuthering Heights, has a relationship with Catherine that demonstrates how class distinctions dictated romantic life and life in general in the 18th and 19th century.