Many people in the world are trying to find a perfect companion.Some of these may marry and not know what their new husband or wife is like.This kind of situation often leads to separation or hostility. Other situations may develop between two friends that stem from jealousy, desire for revenge, uncaring parents, etc. Emily Bronts Wuthering Heights displays several characteristics of destructive relationships. Three of these are uncaring parents, marriage without knowing the person, and jealousy.
Uncaring or unsympathizing parents are shown throughout this story to be an element of destructive relationships. Because Heathcliff gained all the attention from Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley became disassociated from his father. This separation continued until after Mr. Earnshaw had died.Another example is between Hindley and Hareton. Hindley became such a drunk and a gambler that he could not properly care for young Hareton. This led to a separation between Hareton and his father as well. One primary example of an uncaring parent is shown between Heathcliff and his son Linton.Heathcliff did not even want his son for anything except enacting a part of his revenge. This is shown by Lintons fear of Heathcliff and Heathcliffs enmity toward his son. Linton even says "... my father threatened me, and I dread him - I dread him!"(244) to express his feeling about Heathcliff.The hostility and separation between father and son in this book shows that uncaring parents can cause serious damage in relationships with their children.
This element of destructive behavior may stem from an unhappy marriage in which the husbands or wives dont know each other. This had happened between Isabella and Heathcliff. Isabella did not really know Heathcliff when she married him, but after she had married him she saw that Heathcliff was not a gentleman at all. To declare her feelings she wrote "Is Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil? I shant tell my reasons for making this inquiry; but I beseech you to explain, if you can, what I have married ..."(125). Another example of this is when Catherine married Edgar Linton. Although she had been happy at the beginning of the marriage, she thought having parties all the time was going to be fun. Yet, after a while, she became bored. She also realized that she loved Heathcliff more than Edgar and would always love Heathcliff.This enlightenment created separation between Edgar and Catherine during the final hours of Cathys life. An additional marriage which was made that was doomed was the one between Catherine and Linton. Because this was a forced marriage, Cathy had not yet learned all she could about Linton.Because she did not know until after the marriage that Linton was selfish and inconsiderate, she became distressed and grew isolated in the house.These three failed marriages described in this novel show that knowing the person you will marry is very important.While these marriages took place, jealousy also took a hold in some relationships. One example of this is when Mr. Earnshaw starts to favor Heathcliff over his own son, Hindley. Because of this, Hindley becomes jealous of young Heathcliff and sets out to make Heathcliffs life a nightmare. Hindleys jealousy becomes evident when he says ,"... be damned you beggarly interloper! and wheedle my father out of all he has; only afterwards show him what you are, imp of Satan."(35). Jealousy was also found very notably in the relationship between Heathcliff and Edgar Linton.
The jealousy between them is expressed when Heathcliff and Edgar start a hostile conversation after Cathys homecoming at Christmas near the beginning of the book. As the story progresses these two become bitter enemies who will not speak to one another. Another relationship which jealousy ruined is the one between Hareton and Linton. These two become jealous of each other over Cathys affections. This relationship ends as Hareton and Linton hating each other. These relationships show that jealousy can ruin a relationship very quickly.
The jealousy, neglect, and unprepared nature of the many relationships in this book indicates that many of the relationships in this book have gone "sour". In spite of all these destructive elements one relationship may succeed. This is the one between Cathy and Hareton.
Published in 1847,WUTHERING HEIGHTS was not well received by the reading public,many of whom condemned it as sordid,vulgar,and unnatural--and author Emily Bronte went to her grave in 1848 believing that her only novel was a failure.It was not until 1850,when WUTHERING HEIGHTS received a second printing with an introduction by Emilys sister Charlotte, that it attracted a wide readership. And from that point the reputation of the book has never looked back. Today it is widely recognized as one of the great novels of English literature.
Even so,WUTHERING HEIGHTS continues to divide readers.It is not a pretty love story;rather,it is swirling tale of largely unlikeable people caught up in obsessive love that turns to dark madness.It is cruel,violent,dark and brooding,and many people find it extremely unpleasant.And yet--it possesses a grandeur of language and design,a sense of tremendous pity and great loss that sets it apart from virtually every other novel written.The novel is told in the form of an extended flashback.After a visit to his strange landlord, a newcomer to the area desires to know the history of the family--which he receives from Nelly Deans, a servant who introduces us to the Earnshaw family who once resided in the house known as Wuthering Heights. It was once a cheerful place, but Old Earnshaw adopted a "Gipsy" child who he named Heathcliff.And Catherine,daughter of the house,found in him the perfect companion:wild,rude,and as proud and cruel as she.But although Catherine loves him,even recognizes him as her soulmate, she cannot lower herself to marry so far below her social station. She instead marries another, and in so doing sets in motion an obsession that will destroy them all.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS is a bit difficult to "get into;" the opening chapters are so dark in their portrait of the end result of this obsessive love that they are somewhat off-putting.But they feed into the flow of the work in a remarkable way,setting the stage for one of the most remarkable structures in all of literature,a story that circles upon itself in a series of repetitions as it plays out across two generations.Catherine and Heathcliff are equally remarkable,both vicious and cruel,and yet never able to shed their impossible love no matter how brutally one may wound the other.As the novel coils further into alcoholism,seduction,and one of the most elaborately imagined plans of revenge it gathers into a ghostly tone:Heathcliff,driven to madness by a woman who is not there but who seems reflected in every part of his world--dragging her corpse from the grave,hearing her calling to him from the moors,escalating his brutality not for the sake of brutality but so that her memory will never fade,so that she may never leave his mind until death itself.Yes,this is madness,insanity,and there is no peace this side of the grave or even beyond.It is a stunning novel,frightening,inexorable,unsettling,filled with unbridled passion that makes one cringe.Even if you do not like it,you should read it at least once--and those who do like it will return to it again and again.
At first I will tell you the main plot about Wuthering Heights. The story is narrated by Lockwood, a gentleman visiting the Yorkshire moors where the novel is set, and of Mrs Dean, housekeeper to the Earnshaw Family, who had been witness of the interlocked destinies of the original owners of the Heights. Described the love and enmity between Earnshaw and Linton’s family, especially Heathcliff and Catherine’s deeply love. Heathcliff is brought to Heights from the streets of Liverpool by Mr Earnshaw. Heathcliff is treated as Earnshaw’s own children, Catherine and Hindley. Heathcliff is bullied by Hindley after Earnshaw death and his lover Catherine marries Edgar Linton for many factors. This made Heathcliff mad, his destructive force is unleashed and his first victim is his beloved, Catherine, who dies giving birth to a girl, another Catherine(Kathy). Edgar’s sister, whom he had married, flees to the south. Their son Linton and Kathy are married, but always sickly Linton dies. After that, Hareton, Hindley’s son and the young widow fall in love. Increasingly isolated and alienated from daily life, Heathcliff experiences visions, and he longs for the death that will reunite him with Catherine.
The story is wonderful, and the structure is also extremely excellent.The author Emily Bronte use a series of flashbacks and time shifts draws a powerful picture of this story. Because of its wonderful story, excellent structure and graceful language, the book left a deep impression on me.
From this book, we understand the deeply love and enmity. We find that the enmity always touched by deeply love at the end of the story, true feelings and true love always moved everyone. So we must treat others with true feelings.
That’s all I want to say about Wuthering Heights. It’s really a good book. Readers will really gain much from this book.
The book was written by Emily Bronte, it published in 1847.But at that time, it seemed to hold little promise, selling very poorly and receiving only a few mixed reviews. I found this in our school library, I chose this book because the titleattracted me. The book is structured around two parallel love stories, the first half of the novel centering on the love between Catherine and Heathcliff, while theledramatic second half features the developing love between young Catherine and Hareton. In contrast to the first, the latter tale ends happily, restoring peace and order to Wuthering Heights and ThrushcroGrange. In the story, the two houses, Wuthering Heights and ThrushcroGrange, represent opposing worlds and values.
I spent twenty days reading this book. After reading this book, I felt for Heathcliff at first. Heathcliff begins his life as a homeleorphan on the streets of Liverpool, and then he tyrannized by Hindley Earnshaw. But he becomes a villain when he acquires power and returns to Wuthering Heights with money and the trappings of agentleman. His malevolence proves so great and long-lasting. As he himself points out, his abuse of Isabella-his wife is purely sadistic, as he amuses himself by seeing how much abuse she can take and still come cringing back for more.
Catherine represents wild nature, in both her high, lively spirits and her occasional cruelty. She loves Heathcliff so intensely that she claims they are the same person. However, her actions are driven in part by her social ambitions, which initially areawakened during her first stay at the Lintons, and which eventually compel her to marry Edgar. Catherine is free-spirited, beautiful, spoiled, and often arrogant, sheis given to fits of temper, and she is torn between her both of the men who loveher. The location of her coffin symbolizes the conflict that tears apart her short life. She is buried in a corner of the Kirkyard. In contrast to Catherine, Isabella Linton-Catherine’s sister-in-law represents culture and civilization, both in her refinement and in her weakness. Ultimately, she ruins her life by falling in love with Heathcliff. He never returns her feelings and treats her as a meretool in his quest for revenge on the Linton family.
Just as Isabella Linton serves as Catherine’s foil, Edgar Linton serves as Heathcliff’s. Edgar grows into a tender, constant, but cowardly man. He is almost the ideal gentleman. However, this full assortment of gentlemanly characteristics, along with his civilized virtues, proves uselein Edgar’s clashes with his foil. He sees his wife obviously in love with another man but unable to do anything to rectify thesituation. Heathcliff, who gains power over his wife, sister , and daughter.
The whole story make people’s mood heavy. Fortunately, the end is happy.
The author Emily Bronte lived an eccentric, closely guarded life. She was born in 1818, two years after Charlotte-the author of Jane Eyre and a year and a half before her sister Anne, who also became an author. Her father worked as a church rector, and her aunt, who raised the Bronte children after their mother died, was deeply religious. Emily Bronte did not take to her aunt’s Christian fervor, thecharacter of Joseph, a caricature of an evangelical, may have been inspired by her aunt’s religiosity. The Brontes lived in Haworth, a Yorkshire village in the midst of the moors. These wild, desolate expanses-later the setting of Wuthering Heights-made up the Brontes daily environment, and Emily lived among them her entire life. She died in 1848, at the age of thirty.
After reading the masterpiece, Wuthering Heights, gave me a kind of depression and made me unable to understand what is love on earth. Everyone who read it would be touched and moved.
According to his novel we can get conclusion that In material desires dominate society. Money is everything. There are no love friendship and relationship between people.
This novel also reflected that what kind of social background the author suffered.Anyways, Wuthering Heights gave me a torment, you can’t see any warm scene in the book, all you see is the fierce wind howled, and wild moor. However, at the end, the combination between Hareton and Cathy seems a hopeful light in the darkness, and the break of the day finally coming!
Many times in life, people leave our lives and then come back into them. However, we remember them, but they do not remember us. The same thing happened in Emily Bronts book Wuthering Heights. Linton, taken by his mother to London after his birth, never knew his father, then when things happened, he came back home. He had family fighting over where he was to live and whom he would be around. Not knowing part of your family until after you are fifteen is hard.
Isabella took her son, after he was born, and moved to London away from Thrushcross Grange. At the same time, she moved away from her husband, Heathcliff. During the time that Isabella and Linton were gone, Isabella got sick and passed away. Right before her death, a letter came saying that she was dying so Hindley went to visit her. While he was there, she did passed on so he brought Linton back with him. Once back, everyone looked after him and made him feel at home.
Heathcliff soon came to the knowledge that his son had returned to Wuthering Heights. He then sent someone to Wuthering Heights to get Linton. However, he did not know that Linton was already asleep so he did not get the boy that night. The next day the boy was taken to Heathcliff at Thrushcross Grange. The father and son were nothing alike, and Linton was intimidated by his father. He did stay, and meet some of his relatives that he had never seen, who helped him adjust to living there.
Everyday in our lives we run into situations that we wish we had never been involved with. I relate to the characters of Linton and Heathcliff. I am like Linton because people know who I am, but I never remember meeting them, and am scared around them. I also feel the same as Hindly might have of. This is because I would want to see the person I did not know, but then I would not know how to cat around them. In time people come around, but others, as with Heathcliff and Linton, never come around. Everyday life is something we take for granted. No matter how you feel, you may never come to understand it, till you find someone else in the same situation. The above described situation only gives one instance of the many situations in Emily Bronts book, Wuthering Heights, were you could relate your life to someone else Wuthering Heights s. This book gives the true facts about what family life is really like. Anyway,its worth reading .
The Gothic Setting in Wuthering heights
After all this term’s learning on English literature , Wuthering height may be the most impressive novel to me . So I will discuss something special in this book , the gothic setting.
What is gothic setting ?
Gothic setting is one of the fiction genres which first begin at the middle of 19 century in England . Sa一vage , mystery , terror , backward , dark , family curse , supernatural and suspense are the signal features of this kind of fiction genre . It mainly talks something about the dark side of society such as family hatred and succession race . The story in this style usually happens in remote place that far away from city .
What do we know about gothic setting in Wuthering heights ?
In fact , what impresses me most in this novel is the description of the environment . It is full of gothic setting . We can find that there is no sunshine in Wuthering heights all the year around , the haze and atmosphere there make people feel mystery and depressive . The weather is always changing according to the plot . When there is something badly happen , the environment will be influenced . For example, rain comes at once after Catherine’s betray . When it comes to Catherine’s death , it changes quickly and suddenly to hea一vy rain and strong wind . All in all , I think all this gothic setting is to show the feeling of writer .
The gothic setting in the book not only shows us the mystery of the environment , but also tells us the society stage and the different life style between different classes in that period . To Catherine , Heathcriff who belongs to the lower class represents spiritual love while Linton in the upper class represents material . She is in a dilemma to make a decision . On one hand , all of us know Catherine loves Heathcriff deeply . On the other hand , Linton can give her the life she expects , a rich and comfortable life and be respected by people . Material wins in the end .
What do we learn from this novel ?
True love or material , this is a question . In the novel , Catherine sacrifice her love to pursue a comfortable live . Actually material is usually the first choice I think when most of the women come to this decision . This was one of the hotest topic at 2010 after a women said on TV she would rather to cry in a BMW than to laugh on a bicycle . What she said liked a big stone thrown into a peaceful lake . Can money really replace love ? A lot of people argue on this question whether it is worthy of sacrificing on the Internet .
As far as I’am concerned , nothing can take the place of our love . Though material is necessary , too much money can not make people happier . It is ordinary for us to persue a better life . But do we really ha一ve to sacrifice our love ? Why can’t we make our life comfortable through our hands or with our lover . Maybe we will come to some trouble . But all these obstacles are just to make us stronger . Though the process is difficult , it maybe the most precious memory and our treasures after overcoming all this difficulties .