Literary Analysis Of Wuthering Heights
Class and Gender in Wuthering Heights Essays
Wuthering Heights Analysis
An Analysis Of Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights Essays
Wuthering Heights Analysis
Wuthering Heights Weather Essay
The Victorian Society of Wuthering Heights
Critical Analysis Of Wuthering Heights
Essay on Wuthering Heights Setting
Analysis Of The Book Wuthering Heights
Themes of Wuthering Heights Essay
Critical Theory in Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Essay
Wuthering Heights And Persuasion Essay
1. Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights accompanies a vast plethora of critical conversation regarding
family structures within the novel; however, the claim that parental supervision does not exist in the
novel has not been explored to its full potential. Critics such as Laura Berry, who focuses on the
incarceration within custody of children in the novel, and Judith Pike, who delves into Isabella's true
character, do not fully encompass the significance the lack of parenting has on the novel. I argue that
there is no character in Wuthering Heights who can be considered a parent or guardian figure. The
characters that are in parental roles, such as the Earnshaw's Isabella, Heathcliff, Mr. Linton, and
Nelly Dean do not fulfill the requirements for parental supervision.
Before claiming that the characters in Bronte's novel do not possess the qualities to be a parent, the
term parenthood must be defined and explained thoroughly to point out the shortcomings of these
particular characters. Marc Bornstein asserts, "Parents issue as well as protect, care for, and
represent their progeny;" and defines parenthood as "the 'final common pathway' to childhood
oversight and caregiving" (1). Essentially parenthood is the preparation of a child for life on his or
her own. Parents should guide their children to make proper choices and protect them while they are
young. Also, neglect seems to be a prevalent pattern in the novel, and this is obviously not a
characteristic of parenthood.
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2. Literary Analysis Of Wuthering Heights
In her novel Wuthering Heights, Emily BrontГ« uses a formal style of writing to portray the
language of those used during the early 1800s. Throughout the majority of the novel, Nelly Dean is
telling the story of how Wuthering Heights came to be the place that it currently is. Throughout
Dean's narration, characters are voiced differently due to their role in society. An example of this is
shown when BrontГ« would use fragments of words to represent the speech of Hareton, one of the
servants of Wuthering Heights. In contrast, Catherine, being well educated, would use sophisticated
grammar and an extensive vocabulary whenever she spoke. Heathcliff was revealed as a two–sided
character in this reading. On one hand, the author would use negative...show more content...
"I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed, and behaved as well, and had a chance of
being as rich as he will be!" (BrontГ«, 56)
Heathcliff's accusation above is mind blowing. From the youngest of ages, Heathcliff longed to have
what Edgar Linton had. This translates to the future when Heathcliff wishes to acquire Catherine,
who he loves deeply, and Thrushcross Grange from Mr. Linton
"My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but
necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!" (BrontГ«, 82)
In her statement, Catherine, is describing how strong her love is for Heathcliff. She states that her
love will never end. Catherine states that she is one with Heathcliff, for they share the same thoughts
and the same mind. This quote shows that the bond of love cannot be broken and will stand the test
of time.
"Linton is all I have to love in the world, and though you have done what you could to make him
hateful to me, and me to him, you cannot make us hate each other. And I defy you to hurt him when
I am by, and I defy you to frighten me!" (BrontГ«, 284)
Cathy Linton, speaking above, displays the ability to love someone even when they do not deserve
it. She draws her greatest strengths from love and kindles a fire of hatred towards Heathcliff
because she has fallen for Linton.
" 'It is hard to forgive, and to look at those eyes, and feel those wasted
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3. Class and Gender in Wuthering Heights Essays
Conflict as a result of class and gender division is a common theme seen throughout Emily
Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights. Social contrasts and gender boundaries create oppression
and tension amongst the characters, affecting their composure and behaviour throughout the novel.
The most obvious distinction between upper and lower classes is with the two settings; Thrushcross
Grange and Wuthering Heights. Both places differ significantly in both disposition and appearance.
The society in Wuthering Heights is that of the working class. Wuthering Heights is a worn out farm
that represents difficulty; ruthlessness, and hard work. Life at Wuthering Heights is more domestic
yet spiteful revenge and personal struggles envelop the...show more content...
Heathcliff's social position is solidified by the treatment he receives from almost everyone at
Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff has little nobility as a child and even after he becomes a wealthy
gentleman later in his life his past is still a label that follows him.
Throughout the novel characters leave Wuthering Heights however something causes them to return.
This is seen with Heathcliff when he moves away and returns with money, it is also seen with
Catherine's moving to Thrushcross Grange. No matter how hard these characters try to alter their
past lives, there is a part of Wuthering Heights they cannot escape from.
There are displays of revenge caused by the separations between social standings. Heathcliff
shows that he is a vengeful person when he is resented by Hindley for taking Mr Earnshaw's
affection. Heathcliff confirms his social subordination by obeying Hindley's orders and becoming
his servant after the death of Mr.Earnshaw. Heathcliff privately expresses his merciless side to
Catherine by saying, "I'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back...I hope he will not die before
I do" (Brontë 153).
In Wuthering Heights, a person's social standing is more important to their life than their own
happiness is. This is shown through Catherine when she chooses to marry Edgar instead of
Heathcliff, Edgar is from Thrushcross Grange; he has money, he has status himself and will thus
enhance Catherine's social standing.
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4. Wuthering Heights Analysis
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a great literary work which keeps the audience exited while going through the
novel. Some novels are monotonous in the way they are written and lack ideas to keep the novel
move forward but this novel is an exception. Author keeps the audience guessing throughout this
novel and that is one of the fundamental reasons for acceptance of this book even by the audience of
this generation. Wuthering Heights basically revolves around its two main characters Catherine
Earnshaw and Heathcliff .The novel portrays the emotional and destructive love between its two
central characters mentioned above. Catherine and Heathcliff's love heads to a totally different
direction as we move forward the novel. Even though beginning of the novel shows the love to be
true and unconditional it changes rapidly to infatuation from Catherine the female lead character in
the novel. This change of attitude actually makes the novel exiting and it ultimately leads the way to
one of the main themes of the novel –revenge. I would be focusing on the significance of the theme
'revenge' in this work by Emily Bronte.
Catherine and Heathcliff's passion for one another seems to be the center of Wuthering Heights in
the first half of the novel and revenge takes the center stage in the latter half of the novel.
Revenge mentality of Heathcliff is stronger and more lasting than any other feeling of love, hate,
guilt etc. displayed in the novel. Introduction of Heathcliff is the source of most of the major
conflicts that structure the novel's plot. As she tells Catherine and Heathcliff's story, Nelly presents
both of them(unpleasantly loudly or cruelly, strongly criticizing their passion as socially wrong ,
but this passion is obviously one of the most interesting/most forceful and unforgettable parts of the
book. It is not easy to decide whether Bronte intends the reader strongly criticize these lovers as
worthy of being blamed or to (think of something perfect in your mind) them as romantic heroes
whose love goes beyond behavior that most people would say ok and ordinary sense of right and
wrong. In contrast to the first part of the novel, the last thing just mentioned the developing love
between young
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5. An Analysis Of ' Wuthering Heights '
Lifelong Immaturity Wuthering Heights's Catherine Earnshaw is infamous for her complex
character, some arguing that she is egocentric and manipulative, others sympathizing with the
difficult choices she is faced with. However, there is no doubt that she is innately childish. As
Catherine grows older, her character is not changed; she remains juvenile and selfish, making
everything a game that revolves around her and not empathizing with other characters and their
needs – subconsciously or not. In a sense, her mindset never progresses past one of a child. As
Sigmund Freud wrote in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund
Freud, "What makes an infant characteristically different from every other stage of human life is that
the child is polymorphously perverse" – an attribute which Catherine exemplifies throughout her
lifetime. Her selfishness goes beyond the "ordinary self–centeredness" (Thormahlen 5) one might
encounter in a regular adult – rather, Catherine directly affects her relationships with people through
her "perverse" actions, and still does not recognize the harm in doing so. She exists in an
irresponsible state, not perceiving that "she cannot have, and be, everything she wants whenever she
wants it" (5) – and this is reflected in every single relationship she experiences. It is Catherine's
intrinsic immaturity and inability to progress from her childhood mindset that is the main catalyst
not only in her in the other character's
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7. Wuthering Heights Essays
Wuthering Heights
In the first chapter of the book the reader gets a vivid picture of the house Wuthering Heights from
Lockwood's descriptions ""wuthering" being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the
atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather." It quickly becomes clear that
Wuthering Heights portrays the image of its surroundings, the desolate Yorkshire moors fully
exposed to the elements.
It is not only the house that displays the environment that envelops the place it is also the occupants
and things inside the house that deliver the symbols of the raw emotion and the exposure to the
cruelty (storms) that so much resembles the weather and...show more content...
The setting is a more civilised one than that of Wuthering Heights. This is seen when Cathy and
Heathcliff run to Thrushcross Grange for the first time, they could see that it was "a splendid place
carpeted with crimson–covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered with gold."
The windows in Thrushcross Grange are large suggesting to the reader that visitors are welcome.
The opposite is true of Wuthering Heights as Lockwood describes the windows in chapter 1 "the
windows are deeply set in the wall."
The Grange is shown as being refined, courteous and protective; this is reflected in the occupants
of the Grange. Edgar and Isabella have been invited to stay at Wuthering Heights, the reply has a
condition: "Mrs Linton begged that her darlings might be kept carefully away from that naughty,
swearing boy." (Nelly Chapter 7). This protective nature is also seen in the second generation but
more strongly as Edgar forbids Cathy to go and visit Wuthering Heights at all. Edgar is described
by Heathcliff as a "lamb," but this soft attribute that is typical of the Grange is not always a flaw of
character "No mother could have nursed an only child more devotedly than Edgar tended her."
(Nelly Chapter 13) Although the Grange thinks itself superior to the Heights "they had not the
manners to ask me to stay,"
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8. Wuthering Heights Analysis
In Wuthering Heights by Emily BrontГ«, nobility in action is difficult to obtain, because of this,
Heathcliff is viewed largely as a manipulative tyrant among outside peers and observers. He was not,
however, a totally evil man throughout the novel as, although his execution is morally grey, his
ultimate motivations could be considered noble, or even selfless. He acted solely for the benefit of
others he loved in his life; improving himself for Catherine, comforting Catherine in her last
moments, and preparing his son's future to be financially effortless. BrontГ« wrote Heathcliff to act
questionably due to the love he felt for his immediate family to show motive is paramount in action,
and although Heathcliff's execution may be dark, his motives and person are partisan. As a child
Heathcliff was as innocent as most children are, and shared the traits of some underlying nobility.
Upon his introduction he was shuttered and abandoned by the family of Mr Earnshaw, who had
saved the unlearned boy of 11. In the night "[he] crept to Mr Earnshaw's door, and there he found
[him] on quitting his chamber" (BrontГ« 62) seeking out the only kind face the boy might have
seen since his birth, just as any other child unaware of circumstance would do. He soon found
solace within the love of his new adopted sister, Catherine, and, experienced great grief with her. Mr
Earnshaw died suddenly, leaving both Heathcliff and his sister to "both set up in a heartbreaking
cry" and soon thereafter were
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9. Wuthering Heights Weather Essay
In Emily Bronte's masterpiece, Wuthering Heights, weather plays an enormous role in setting
atmosphere, helping us understand her characters, and showing emotion. Wuthering heights portrays
the moors of England as very mystic and wild through its stormy weather. Ellen shows this by
narrating, "There was no moon, and everything beneath lay in misty darkness: not a light gleamed
from any house, far or near all had been extinguished long ago: and those at Wuthering Heights were
never visible [from Thrushcross Grange]–still she asserted she caught their shining. 'Look!' she cried
eagerly, 'that's my room with the candle in it, and the trees swaying before it...'" (96). We can picture
the swaying trees and foggy underground, which gives Wuthering...show more content...
Nelly recalls Heathcliff's description, "'We crept through a broken hedge, groped our way up the
path, and planted ourselves on a flower plot under the drawing–room window. The light came from
thence....it was beautiful– a splendid place carpeted with crimson and a pure white ceiling bordered
by gold, a shower of glass–drops hanging in silver chains from the center and shimmering with little
soft tapers.'" (47). The light shines on the calm area of Thrushcross Grange, setting up a completely
different atmosphere from Wuthering Heights and carries very different symbolic meaning,
showing how the Lintons are foils fo Cathy and Heathcliff, as they are civilized. The Linton are
raised in a very cultivated society, one that not allow room for the savageness of Wuthering Heights.
After Heathcliff flees Wuthering Heights upon hearing Cathy say that although she loves Heathcliff,
she must marry the more respectable Edgar Linton, a storm is brewing outside, "About midnight,
while we still sat up, the storm came rattling over the Heights in full fury. There was a violent wind,
as well as thunder, and either one or the other split a tree off at the corner of the building..."
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10. The Victorian Society of Wuthering Heights
Social standing, and moral values were vital elements in Victorian society, and the fundamental
doctrine of establishing this ideology, began at home. The home provided a refuge from the rigour,
uncertainty, anxiety, and potential violence of the outside world. (P, 341) A woman's role was to
provide a safe, stable, and well–organised environment for their husbands and families. However,
change was on the horizon with an underlying movement of business and domestic changes both
home and abroad, with industrialization, and the suffragist movement. Women were beginning to
gain autonomy and began to grasp their opportunities, thus significantly curtailing male supremacy
and the definable acceptable 'role' of the woman.
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.
In the Nineteenth century, the novel was in its infancy, and
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11. Critical Analysis Of Wuthering Heights
A Brief Analysis of Wuthering Heights by Emily BrontГ«
First things first, Wuthering Heights is a fiction novel written by Emily BrontГ«. The incidents
take place in a gloomy atmosphere, it can also be defined as the setting, named as "Wuthering
Heights", in which determines the overall plot of this novel. BrontГ« mostly uses the "first
person" perspective because the readers mostly see the personal "I" throughout the novel
especially in the first chapter. The narrator tells the story by himself (Mr. Lockwood). So, that is
why the author uses personal "I". When it comes to the setting again, it creates a gloomy
atmosphere in the first chapter as well as in the whole novel. In terms of the narration, the narrator
is the observer because Mr. Lockwood and, in further chapters, Nelly Dean are only observers, not
the main characters. They observe which incidents take place and tell the story to the reader with a
clean speech. For example;
"I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards which my landlord...show more
content...
One of them is family life. As mentioned above, Heathcliff is a gipsy and also an orphan, which
are the main reasons for discrimination and humiliation of him (especially by Hindley). Because
of those reasons, he decides to take revenge on Hindley and his family and he succeeds later on,
because he ruins their family and also shows no respect to his wife and son. Also there are two
families which are totally different from each other: Earnshaws and Lintons. Earnshaws live in a
manor located in Wuthering Heights, so their characters can easily be understood from its features.
Apart from this, Lintons live in Thrushgross Grange which is located in a wealthy land and the
weather conditions and residents' characters are much better than the other place. Actually, the
reason why Catherine decided to be a Linton by marrying with Edgar is the land and life conditions
are much
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12. Essay on Wuthering Heights Setting
Wuthering Heights: Change in Setting In the novel Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, two
isolated houses are highlighted because of their contrast to each other. The atmosphere of the two
houses share similar characteristics as the characters that live inside and Bronte expresses
throughout the novel that one will change in a difference of setting, but one will never change
completely. Thrushcross Grange is a lovely manor that is located among the grassy fields of the
Yorkshire Moor. The atmosphere of the household is as refined as the occupants are. The moor has a
calming atmosphere as well as beauty; this defines the fundamental structure of the Linton's
appearance. The Linton is a well–known family that is monetarily stable....show more content...
However, both Heathcliff and Catherine were able to escape their crude attitude and adopt a more
polished attitude by escaping from the depressed environment. Although Thrushcross Grange and
Wuthering Heights are very different, the two households share similarities as well. Thrushcross
Grange and Wuthering Heights are isolated from other people. The two houses are miles apart, and
the only common visitor is the doctor. As a result from the isolation, the two households relied on
each other for company. As each visit brought a part of the visitor's household's atmosphere, the
transformation of Catherine and Heathcliff deepened. The presence of Edgar Linton caused
Catherine to act more refines and mature, and Heathcliff became more controlled with his anger.
However, because of their settings each character fell into their pervious attitude. Heathcliff began to
argue with Catherine because she spends more time with Edgar instead of him, and Catherine
aborted her pretense of being a refined individual when Nelly refused to obey her orders. This
recognize the fact that although that a person can change, they cannot change completely. The
setting is a very important part of the novel because it has a tremendous amount of influence. The
characters, the plot and the audience's reaction are influenced the most. The
influence of setting was reflected in wuthering heights, by Emily Bronte. Bronte
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13. Analysis Of The Book ' Wuthering Heights '
Throughout Wuthering Heights, there are multiple symbols employed to enrich the overall
narrative, many of which have a multitude of meanings in order to elevate the text to a higher
literary standard. One of the less obvious motifs is books. However, when reviewing their role in
both Catherine and Cathy's lives it is not clear to what degree it would be fair to claim they have a
central role in the overall narrative, especially because of the "plurality" and "ambiguity" of each
individual instance where the symbolism of books is introduced.
One of the most crucial books to appear throughout the novel is Catherine Earnshaw's 'diary'. The
diary is introduced to the reader inside Lockwood's narration within the opening chapters,
suggesting its importance to the entire narrative. David Lodge argues that one "should make his
spade a spade before he makes it a symbol" [1] so on a literal level; the ramblings of Catherine are
her expressing herself throughout her disrupted childhood. Contextually, it shows the expense of
paper in the late 1700s, suggesting that Catherine would only have had the spaces in the "dingy"
volumes [2]. This contrasts with the availability of paper to young Cathy throughout her period of
courting with Linton "a mass of correspondence–daily almost", and this references the hierarchy of
social class as young Cathy, who is of better breeding than her mother, has higher access to luxuries.
From a different perspective, Catherine's palimpsest formed from
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14. Themes of Wuthering Heights Essay
The novel Wuthering Heights is written by Emily Bronte. The narrative is non–linear, involving
several flashbacks, and involves two major narrators – Mr. Lockwood and Ellen "Nelly" Dean. The
novel opens in 1801, with Lockwood arriving at Thrushcross Grange, a house on the Yorkshire
moors he is renting from the impolite Heathcliff, who lives at nearby Wuthering Heights. Lockwood
spends the night at Wuthering Heights and has a terrifying dream: the ghost of Catherine Earnshaw,
pleading to be admitted to the house from outside. Intrigued, Lockwood asks the housekeeper Nelly
Dean to tell the story of Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights while he is staying at the Grange
recovering from a cold.
Some of the important themes in Wuthering Heights...show more content...
After Catherine came back from the Linton's and Edgar used to pay her visits, Heathcliff would
mark off the days that he came over to spend time with Catherine and the days that he did not
come over, which would be the days she would spend time with him. Also when Catherine moved
to Thrushcross Grange, after she married Edgar Linton, Heathcliff would stand outside her
window to watch her. Heathcliff was obsessed with the love he had for Catherine. The two have a
powerful emotional bond together, something Heathcliff never experienced with anyone else,
being that no one else ever loved him, so he became obsessed with the one person he related to
emotionally. Selfishness was in everyone's character in some way or other. It was first showed by
Mr.Earnshaw when he brought home Heathcliff and presented him to the family. Mr.Earnshaw
loved Heathcliff as his son, even more than his own son. It was as though he wanted Heathcliff
for himself. By showing Heathcliff all of his love the others acted the opposite way, and could
not see him as a family member. They show him as an outsider and so they treated him like so for
the rest of the years to come. Because he admired this child so much, the rest of the generations
following Mr.Earnshaw's life will suffer. Heathcliff was the most selfish person in all of Wuthering
Heights. He ruined Catherine's life when he disappeared for three years. He also ruined Isabella's
life by
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15. Wuthering Heights was first published in 1847 with the author's name given as Ellis Bell. Wuthering
Heights was actually written by Emily
Bronte, but she adopted a male alias as female authors rarely got published. Her work was praised
for the imagination used, but criticised for its moral ambiguity. Wuthering Heights challenged
Victorian ideals and this shocked its first critics. The fact that
Emily Bronte felt the need to use a male alias is an indication of how she feared the public would
receive her book. Wuthering Heights may be seen as shocking, as Bronte addresses many Victorian
ideals with criticism. She does so with unusual characters with flaws and their amoral actions. For
example, she challenges Victorian precept such...show more content...
Life was based on the stereotypical view that women were emotional and weak, whereas men
were strong and of higher intelligence. Work was based on this premise, and men were expected
to provide for their family whereas women were to care for their family. Women of lower classes
were employed as servants, factory workers or governesses. Bronte however contradicts the
typically weak view of women with her strong, rebellious character, Cathy. Cathy is one of the main
characters in
Wuthering Heights and the plot revolves around the love between her and Heathcliff. She is "a
haughty, headstrong creature!" and
"mischievous and wayward". Cathy's will is also shown to be stronger than that of some men,
"Edgar thoughtlessly laid hold of her hands to deliver him. In an instant one was wrung free, and the
astonished young man felt it applied over his own ear".
The inequality of the sexes is questioned by Bronte through the dilemma of marriage; Cathy has to
decide whether to marry for love or status. Men were seen as the dominant partner and could marry
those of lower status, however women were expected to marry into higher status.
"He [Hindley] wished earnestly to see her [Cathy] bring honour to the family by an alliance with the
Lintons". Many critics would have thought the choice obvious; and indeed Cathy does ultimately
follow the rules of society and marries Edgar Linton to obtain status.
However,
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16. Critical Theory in Wuthering Heights
In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, readers are introduced to a variety of conflicts and clashing
characteristics. Even though this is common in many novels, many of these conflicts take place
within one character then progress into external conflicts between characters. For example what
caused Catherine to pick Edgar over Heathcliff? Did she love Edgar more? Or was her love for him
forged by her superego as defined in Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams? Even the
character herself is unsure of her true desires, which leads to the major conflicts within her, others,
and between characters. This is just one of the numerous examples of issues which ensue throughout
the course of this novel. In order to properly analyze the...show more content...
That will do to explain my secret, as well as the other. I've no more business to marry Edgar Linton
than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I
shouldn't have thought of it." (Bronte 329)
This is an excellent example of Catherine's unconscious exposing itself through her dreams. This
dream shows that she knows that she has no right to marry Edgar, who is approximated with heaven,
while, at the same time, showing that her true home is at Wuthering Heights, with Heathcliff. In a
way, her unconscious was telling her that she belongs with Heathcliff, yet she chose to ignore it.
She picked Edgar mostly based on his power and money, which was the most important thing to
her at this point. The unconscious is never directly shown but tends to be seen in passive
aggressive behavior. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff was pretty much always the bottom of the
totem pole. This seems to be the main motive of his revenge. There is a possibility that Heathcliff
is suffering from a strange form of Oedipus Complex, because after Mr. Earnshaw died, Hindley
seemed to take over the role as male caretaker (even though he never really cared for Heathcliff)
which seemed to in a sense, harbor Heathcliff's hatred and desire to remove Hindley from this role
so he could take over as head of the household as well as claim Catherine as his own. However, his
low standings make it
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17. Wuthering Heights
How effective is the narrative structure in Wuthering Heights?
Wuthering Heights has a unique and complex narrative structure. There are the two main narrators,
Lockwood and Nelly, they each are eyewitness narrators as they have took part in the story they
describe. The novel is organised in such a way that it is a narrative within a narrative, what some
critics would call "Chinese boxes" or frame narrative.
Lockwood is used to open and end the novel, Bronte uses him to represents the outer frame of the
story in which the readers can relate to, and this cleverly draws us into the hostile and bewildering
environment of Wuthering Heights, "... a wilderness of crumbling griffins, I detected a date "1500",
and a name "Hareton Earnshaw". I...show more content...
I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays of feeling" shows the
reader how easily it is to misinterpret the characters complexity, and our similar position to
Lockwood becomes a warning that suggests we too should not rely on our instincts when passing
judgement on characters.
As the novel progresses there is a narrative shift to Nelly Dean who is the binary opposite of
Lockwood and represents the inner frame of the narrative structure. Initially this creates a sense of
relief as we understand Nelly to have been part of the story itself, giving the reader a true and
reliable insight, "Very old, sir, and Hareton is the last of them, as our Miss Cathy is of us– I mean,
of the Lintons. Have you been to Wuthering Heights? I beg pardon for asking but I'd like to know
how she is?" However, the use of the possessive and collective pronouns such as "our" and "us"
shows how she is emotionally involved to the characters and also herself correction shows that she
has a blurred view of who she is and what family she is a part of, suggesting to us that she too is
unreliable similarly to Lockwood.
Moreover, Nelly Dean's role as confidante to almost all the characters in the story placed her in a
position of power. In a feminist reading she is the most powerful as she has the ability to
manipulate and direct the story. However, the use of the epistolary form shows a weakness in
women as Bronte presents Isabella's
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19. In literature there is often a good and a bad guy. The separation is obvious and the two do not mix,
but in some literature a character that has evil qualities and behaves like the villain, yet is still
considered good and readers still sympathize with the character. This occurs in Wuthering Heights;
Heathcliff acts as a villain in many ways but still maintains readers sympathy. If only looking at
Heathcliff's actions, he would be considered evil, but because of his past and love for Catherine
people sympathize with him.
Heathcliff is horrible to Cathy on multiple occasions. He looks in her closet. He forces her to
marry the Lintons even though she does not want to. He does this because it will increase his social
status. He is also evil to
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20. Wuthering Heights And Persuasion Essay
In Wuthering Heights and Persuasion, the Earnshaws and Lintons, and the Elliots, Hayters,
Musgroves, and Smiths, respectively, have many family ties. In Wuthering Heights, the Earnshaws
are a middle class family. Mr. Earnshaw has two children Catherine and Hindley, and one adopted
son, Heathcliff. Catherine and Heathcliff develop a strong brother–sister relationship. The Lintons
are a upper middle class family, and have two children, Edgar and Isabella. In Persuasion, Sir
Walter Elliot, a baronet, has three daughters: Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary. After Sir Walter's wife
died, Lady Russell, a good friend of the Elliots, tries to fulfill the role of a mother. Also in
Persuasion, the Hayters are in the upper class, and Mrs. Smith is in the...show more content...
Lady Russell, who is a mother figure to Anne, persuades Anne not to marry Captain Wentworth
because he "ha[s] no fortune"(P 26) and is "without alliance"(P 26). Anne's decision not to marry
Captain Wentworth is greatly influenced by Lady Russell who is trying to protect her from ruining
her reputation by not marrying someone of great fortune and connections. Sir Elliot, Heathcliff, and
Anne improve their reputation by elevating their status as a result of their connections to their
relatives, who are higher in status than them. While connections to relatives, in some cases, can be
beneficial, they also have the opportunity to ruin one's reputation. Heathcliff and Catherine's
brother–sister relationship gets them into trouble. When Heathcliff and Catherine spy on the
Lintons, they are caught. Mrs. Linton is disgusted that "Miss Earnshaw [was] scouring the country
with a gypsy"(WH 53). Catherine is expected to behave like a proper lady, implying that she
should not associate with those inferior in status to her because she is part of the middle class.
Even though Catherine and Heathcliff have a strong bond, he ruins her reputation in the eyes of the
Mrs. Linton. Similarly, Mary wants Anne to keep "her company as long as she should want her
to"(P 32). This prompts Elizabeth to not invite Anne to Bath because "'nobody will want her in
Bath'"(P 32). Anne's reputation is ruined in the eyes of
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