Wuthering Heights: Revenge – The Strongest Theme
When Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, first appeared in 1847, it was thought to be obscene and crude (Chase 19). To the common person, it was shocking and offensive, and it did not gain popularity until long after it was first published. When the piece of literature became widely read and discussed, however, Bronte was declared as a “romantic rebel against repressive conventions and a writer who made passion part of novelistic tradition” (Chase 19). Unlike earlier writers, Bronte used factors from her own life and passions that she personally held to construct her classic novel. For example, Joseph’s bible-thumper character most likely symbolizes her father, who was a minister. However, Bronte’s book is not only a breakthrough to literature in these ways. The narration of the story is also very unique and divergent because there are multiple narrators. Bronte’s character Lockwood is used to narrate the introductory and concluding sections of the novel whereas Nelly Dean narrates most of the storyline. It’s interesting that Nelly Dean is used because of her biased opinions. In addition, the structure of Wuthering Heights displays a uniqueness. Just as Elizabethan plays have five acts, Wuthering Heights is composed of two “acts,” the times before and after Catherine’s death. However, unlike stereotypical novels, Wuthering Heights has no true heroes or villains. “Although this work was written in the Romantic Period, it is not a romance. There are no true heroes or villain...
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...built up anger and resentment inside him and towards others. The hurt that Hindley feels is clearly understood, but sympathy for Hindley is only temporary because it is still his own fault for his predicaments. Hindley’s loss of Wuthering Heights to Heathcliff and his mysterious death reflect how revenge does not make anything better, only worse.
Bronte corroborates that revenge is not only a harsh and rash way to live life, but is counter-productive and hurtful. Out of all of her major themes, revenge is the most imminent. The self-hurt involved with vengeance shows there are better ways to solve conflicts. Bronte sends a great message across by showing how negative revenge can be. There is no solution to obeying the spontaneous reaction of this negative reprisal.
Talbert, Richard, The Role of the Helots in the Class Struggle at Sparta, Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte , Bd. 38, H. 1,1st Qtr., 1989.
Heathcliff cried vehemently, "I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" Emily Brontë distorts many common elements in Wuthering Heights to enhance the quality of her book. One of the distortions is Heathcliff's undying love for Catherine Earnshaw. Also, Brontë perverts the vindictive hatred that fills and runs Heathcliff's life after he loses Catherine. Finally, she prolongs death, making it even more distressing and insufferable.
"PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center." Angela Davis Receives Thomas Merton Award : Pittsburgh Indymedia. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
First, Machiavelli’s method attempts to discard discussion of the “imaginary” political world and instead focuses on “real life” (Machiavelli 48). His end goal is to construct rubric for leaders to follow either to rule and unite (in this case Italy) in the Prince or create a powerful republic in the Discourses. His method is derived from comparing contemporary and historical events to illustrate and substantiate his argument. He is critical of how people interpret history (Machiavelli 83). He still believes that his ability to interpret and compare history is superior. Arguing that his methodological approach doesn’t just “chew” on history but actually “tastes” it (Machiavelli 83). Therefore we can understand that he justifies his method approach as not being akin to most because he possesses a much deeper understanding of history. Throughout his two books using ...
The end of the Civil War left many questions for both the North and the South. The federal government was faced with the responsibility of rebuilding the South and reuniting the country politically, economically, and culturally. At the war’s end, the country was left to grapple with 200,000 deaths and over a million casualties, more than any other war for the United States, either past or since[1]. The turbulence of the era left the countryside and the economy of the South in ruins. Plantation owners, the antebellum economic lords who ruled with an iron fist, were financially devastated by the war. Confederate currency was worthless, free slave labor was outlawed, and the federal government confiscated many acres of plantation land. In addition to rebuilding the Southern economy and its infrastructure, the federal government had to address the situation of newly freed blacks. Though Southern blacks had gained their freedom in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862, they still faced great economic and social hardship as they struggled to make a living and find their niche in Southern society. While the Radical Republicans pushed for the full equality of blacks, they faced staunch opposition from Southern Democrats and more moderate Republicans. While the period of Reconstruction figured as a time of increased freedom and equality for southern blacks, it was ultimately only a temporary condition, as the power of the Southern Redeemers and the waning support of northern Republicans resulted in the reinstitution of white domination. With the end of slavery, Southern whites eventual...
New mental treatment improves anxiety and depression in secondary education teachers. (2009). Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091203091906.htm
Yet early unions were faced with three obstacles that pervaded American culture in the 19th century. Laissez-faire capitalism, rugged individualism, and social Darwinism were three modes...
Friesen, Alan R. “Okonkwo’s Suicide as an Affirmative Act: Do Things Really Fall Apart?” Critical Insights: Things Fall Apart(2010): 283-298. Literary Reference Center. Web. 30 Jan. 2014
The United States passed bill that health insurance should be mandatory in the year 2014. Under the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, each person is required to have at least a minimum level of health insurance failure to, the individual will face a penalty. The mandatory health insurance issue has faced reactions from both sides with some people supporting while others opposing. It is mandatory for every individual to purchase a health insurance depending on their earnings. The health care insurance is mandatory for all US citizens, and all legal residents in America. It is considered as an individual responsibility requirement, and those without this insurance are subject to a tax penalty of $750 per year up to a maximum of three times that amount ($2,250) per family. However, there are exemptions for financial hardships, incarcerated persons, religious objections, and undocumented immigrants. Mandatory health insurance is important, and should be applied in all states because, everyone gets ill and at one time, they have to visit a health care facility for medical services. In addition, it protects the health future of families, and protects people from unexpected high medical costs because they are covered.
Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Bronte, has 323 pages. The genre of Wuthering Heights is realistic fiction, and it is a romantic novel. The book is available in the school library, but it was bought at Barnes and Nobles. The author’s purpose of writing Wuthering Heights is to describe a twisted and dark romance story. Thus, the author conveys the theme of one of life’s absolute truths: love is pain. In addition, the mood of the book is melancholy and tumultuous. Lastly, the single most important incident of the book is when Heathcliff arrives to Edgar Linton’s residence in the Granges unannounced to see Catherine’s state of health. Heathcliff’s single visit overwhelmed Catherine to the point of death.
The famous saying that from a true love to a great hatred is only a
Emily Bronte, who never had the benefit of former schooling, wrote Wuthering Heights. Bronte has been declared as a “romantic rebel” because she ignored the repressive conventions of her day and made passion part of the novelistic tradition. Unlike stereotypical novels, Wuthering Heights has no true heroes or villains.
Heathcliff's many-faceted existence is marked by wickedness, love, and strength. His dark actions are produced by the distortion of his natural personality. Although Heathcliff was once subjected to vicious racism due to his dark skin color and experienced wearisome orphan years in Liverpool, this distortion had already begun when Mr. Earnshaw brought him into Wuthering Heights, a "dirty, ragged, black-haired child"(45; ch.7). Already he was inured to hardship and uncomplainingly accepted suffering. Heathcliff displays his strength and steadfastness when he had the measles, and when Hindley treated him cruelly if he got what he wanted. From the very beginning he showed great co...
After Heathcliff gets revenge by bankrupting Hindley for mistreating him (which was Hindley’s revenge for Heathcliff having become his father’s favorite), Hindley’s desire for revenge multiplies. At first he simply wanted to separate Heathcliff from Cathy, but now he tells Isabella, “I will have [my house] back; and I’ll have his gold too; and then his blood; and hell shall have his soul! It will be ten times blacker with that guest than ever it was before!” (124). Hindley’s desire for revenge has become murderous and intensely cruel, to the point of wishing Heathcliff’s soul to be in Hell. Heathcliff, originally abused by Hindley, has become the abuser and appears to grow more greedy for revenge as the plot develops. When he explains to Catherine, “ You are welcome to torture me to death for your amusement, only allow me to amuse myself a little in the same style” (100), he is showing her that she can torture him as much as she wants, but he will pass all of this pain onto someone else. The remedy to his pain is to become the inflictor of pain. Compounding his emergence as the abuser, later in the novel Heathcliff develops an interest in tormenting Hindley’s son, Hareton. He wants to “see if one tree won’t grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!” (165), meaning that that he was blown by the wind and became twisted by Hindley, now he will return the favor to Hareton, denying Hareton an
Language is the medium through which a text communicates to the society. Or in other words language expresses reality. However it also acts as a manipulative tool, and instrument of control and power: “any language use is a site for power relations” (Venuti, 1998:9). Power can undoubtedly be expressed through ideologies and ideologies are clearly linked to language because its use is the commonest form of behaviour. And over the period of times these ideologies are unquestionably canonized in the form of discourse. The relationship between these three issues may help people understand better how language contributes to the domination of some people by other.