“Wuthering Heights” is the epitome of classical literature written by Emily Bronte in 1847. This masterpiece unfolds the story of two lovers, Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff and how their intense love for each other succumbed to revenge. The novel centralises around the theme of revenge through the use of gothic elements. Gothic Literature and is a combination of fiction, horror and romanticism. Wuthering Heights effectively employs gothic literature elements to emphasis the characters, plot and action. These elements are significantly prominent throughout the book and employed for particular purposes. The setting of this novel contributes significantly towards the conventions of a gothic literature novel as it creates an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Throughout the novel Bronte evokes a sense of horror and builds tension through the use of setting. The plot of the novel is exaggerated through the gothic themes of revenge, death and decay, superstition, violence and madness. These elements heighten the tension and suspense of the plot. The characters in this novel are typical gothic characters that are driven by revenge and passion. They are exaggerated by the heightened plot and their actions are characteristics of a conventional gothic literature novel.
The main settings in the novel; the moors and Wuthering Heights are greatly influential in exploring the gothic elements in this novel. The moors are where Catherine and Heathcliff spend most of their
In this excerpt from Emily Brönte’s poem “How Clear She Shines” the elements of Gothicism are displayed clearly. The overall cynical mood sets the scene for a gothic style of writing; the contrasts between truth and treachery, joy and pain, peace and grief, bring out a feeling of unease that is Gothicism. Emily Bronte expounded on these themes in her novel Wuthering Heights, a classic work of gothic fiction. This novel portrays two lovers with a very unhealthy relationship in which they are very passionate but take their passion to the extreme. The lengths they go for their love can initially be classified as traditional romanticism, but love turns into obsession and quickly grows grotesque. This transformation marks the transition from Romanticism into Gothicism. Gothicism is a style of writing that is characterized by fear, horror, and death, but can also include Romantic qualities like nature, individualism, and emotion. Romanticism is known for its emphasis on emotion and imagination; Gothicism takes these themes and twists them into something dark and disturbing. In Gothicism, elements of Romanticism are taken too far to the absolute extreme, resulting in grotesque outcomes instead of the predictable plot generated by most romantic novels. Emily Brönte uses the Gothic themes of doppelgänger, sublimity, and revenge to stress the surreal and outrageous actions and thought of the main characters, Catherine and Heathcliff, in Wuthering Heights.
Presently, society is constructed in such a way that the upper class and the lower class cannot work to change places unless they are extremely fortunate. The ladder of society has always existed in this manner, and many authors have chosen to explore what pushing the constraints of a set society will do. In Wuthering Heights, a novel by Emily Brontë, the social constraints of the community in which the characters live, are constantly being pushed as the characters change social classes, through marriage and hard work, and in the treatment of other characters. The actions are often motivated by a superficial impression; many interactions between the characters are based on the influence of social classes, and the changes that shift the characters from one social class to another which Brontë occurs as an overlaying theme in the story. Brontë illustrates the differences in the classes using the literary devices of imagery, symbols, dialogue, and irony. A change in the social class for a certain character leads to a change in the interactions with that character.
Wuthering Heights follows the Romantic Movement, a movement within literature during the late 18th century with captured intense emotion and passion within writing as opposed to rationalisation. Emily Bronte’s main focal point within the novel is the extreme emotion of love and whether it leads to the characters contentment or ultimate calamity. This confliction of love is portrayed mainly through Catherine Earnshaw, a contemptuous, spoiled beauty whose metaphysical love for the protagonist, Heathcliff, will be tested by her disillusion of Edgar Linton and the social and financial benefits he
Wuthering Heights, a novel written by Emily Brontë is a passionate story of the intense love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Written in the Victorian Era where social class played a major role in determining one’s position in society, Brontë utilizes mirroring characters to illustrate the parallelism of multiple characters to present the idea that one’s identity and the choices they make mirror their social standing.
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
Bette Davis said, “When a man gives his opinion, he 's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she 's a bitch.” Feminism was always looked at as women fighting for the same rights that men have always had. A lack of feminism is just the opposite. Someone losing their femininity by allowing themselves to conform to men, to break the bond every women has gone through to break the barriers. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Catherine shows her flaw in femininity over how her conformity to every man to show society 's 'norm ', her quest for money and not love, and she is foolish for thinking men can rule her life.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is considered a masterpiece today, however when it was first published, it received negative criticism for its passionate nature. Critics have studied the novel from every analytical angle, yet it remains one of the most haunting love stories of all time. “Wuthering Heights is not a comfortable book; it invites admiration rather than love,” (Stoneman 1). The novel contains several different levels that force readers to ponder the text. It allows for individual interpretations of the novel. This makes the novel such a popular book to read. Wuthering Heights is a Gothic
Wuthering Heights is a perfect example of how both denying and fulfilling a desire can lead to danger. Desire is a fascinating concept because it encompasses a multitude of things in life. You can desire someone in the sense of loving them or wanting to be with them. You can also desire to do good in the world or have a desire for a specific job. It is by no means a simple subject to talk about, especially accompanied by danger, an equally complex idea. The idea of danger can be physically, mentally, and emotionally straining as well as societal. For example, being in danger of being harmed, being in danger of becoming depressed, or, you could even be in danger of losing your status in society. The idea of losing you status or your family name was an enormous concern during the later 1700s and early 1800s which is when this book takes place. The characters in Wuthering Heights give numerous examples of how indulging or not indulging in desire can have equally toxic outcomes. In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte uses the character relationships to demonstrate how desire, fulfilled or not, is dangerous by showing the consequences of desire.
Catherine’s intense love for Heathcliff combined with her attachment to Edgar is the reason for her pain and sickness throughout the novel. When asked by Nellie she says, “My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I 'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.” (Bronte 82). Catherine’s love for these two men, especially Heathcliff, is the reason that many of the conflicts in Wuthering Heights occurred. When Heathcliff overhears Catherine’s decision to marry Edgar and runs away, Catherine waits for him in the cold rain for hours and catches the cold that eventually leads to her death. The fight between Heathcliff and Edgar causes her to go three days without eating and she weakens herself enough to get to the condition she’s in when she dies. Catherine battles with her decisions and feels deep emotions for both men. She marries Edgar, and despite their happiness, the relationship lacks the intense love that she feels with Heathcliff, as heard when she tells Nelly, “If all else perished and he [Heathcliff] remained, I should still continue to be; and, if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn to a mighty stranger” (Bronte 81). However, when she is with Heathcliff, the passion is what hurts her the most, as the two lovers juggle anger and joy because love and hate are so closely linked. Catherine’s love and
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.
Have you ever read a book where you have a hard time keeping track of characters and events and the order of the book? Well than you must have come across this gothic novel called “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte. She combines more than one element of a gothic novel and that is craziness, obsession and villain heroes. The novel is formed around the two similar love stories of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff and the young Catherine Linton and Hareton Earnshaw. The motif of this book is full of doubles and repetitions; it has two protagonists as mentions earlier, Catherine and Heathcliff, two narrators, Mr. Lockwood and Nelly, and two houses, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. In spite of all this, Emily Bronte wasn’t just
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
In the haunting book Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, love, rejection, and revenge are the main topic points of this composition. Rejection is a very large factor in this book: Catherine rejects Heathcliff because he is poor, to marry Edgar for money, and she ends up rejecting him as well. But all that is on Heathcliff’s mind is Catherine’s rejection of him and the revenge he wants to get on Edgar and Hindley. Throughout the book, Heathcliff’s want for the love of Catherine and his feel of rejection with her get stronger and stronger as well when Catherine’s ghost ignores him. Though rejection is the theme and revenge is a large portion of Wuthering Heights, a main key point is love. The love Catherine has for Heathcliff, the love Catherine has for Edgar’s money, Edgar’s love for Catherine, and Heathcliff’s love for Catherine. Heathcliff’s entire existence is wildly obsessed with Catherine and her ghost after she passes. Although Wuthering Heights does have some lighthearted moments, rejection and a dark love, revenge, and the psychology behind it all are not happy-go-lucky. The characters in this novel all experience rejection, love, and revenge in different ways but Heathcliff and Catherine, whose passion for one another is an over abundance, are the characters who experience the most somber feelings of love and rejection which later cause the need for revenge.
Knowledge is not only power, but also, the ability to distinguish one person from the rest of the people. Emily Brontë, author of Wuthering Heights, was a copy of her siblings and therefore used her extreme passion for learning and teaching to set herself apart from her siblings. In the novel, Wuthering Heights, Brontë creates many similar characters but differentiate between them solely on their mental capacity. Growing up in a household of writers and artists, Emily Brontë felt like a copy of her siblings and therefore used Gnosticism as a way to separate herself from her siblings; this is evident in the tension between closely related characters in Wuthering Heights.
In Emily Brontё’s Wuthering Heights gothic elements such as recurring deaths, and the ruins of Wuthering Heights work together to further the plot and support the theme, nature vs. nurture.