The Importance of Chapter Nine in the Wuthering Heights

941 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Wuthering heights literary critique

The Importance of Chapter Nine in the Wuthering Heights

Chapter nine is a key chapter in the novel for several reasons.

Firstly, it is a significant part of the overall plot; the events in

this chapter dictate the remaining plot of the story. Secondly, it is

in this chapter that the true natures and emotions of the main

characters, Cathy and Heathcliff are revealed. Also, chapter nine

demonstrates aspects of Victorian society and literature, which add to

the readers understanding of the life of 'Wuthering Heights'.

The chapter opens with Hindley coming home drunk. This part of the

chapter has a strong atmosphere, the reader picks up the feeling that

the house is generally very anxious and the tension is building up

between the characters. Bronte uses evil language to add to the build

up of tension in the text. She uses sentences like 'I want to kill

some of you', 'devilish', 'bad,' and 'with the help of Satan'. These

are all references to hell and sinful things add the final touches to

create an atmosphere for the reader. The main story line at this

moment also shows how tense the atmosphere really is as Hindley takes

a knife to Nelly's mouth threatening to ram it down her throat. Nelly

replies 'but I don't like the carving knife, Mr Hindley,' this shows

that she is not afraid of Hindley.

After this Hindley then picks up Hareton and asks Nelly for a pair of

scissors to trim his hair. Hindley then proceeds to take Hareton

upstairs and hangs him over the balcony. At this point Hindley hears a

sound as Heathcliff comes in then he drops Hareton as a natural

instinct Heathcliff catches him. Nelly then comes down and takes

Hareton. ...

... middle of paper ...

...he disappearance of Heathcliff makes

Cathy become more passionate and even more demanding than she used to

be, 'our young lady returned to us, saucier, and more passionate, and

haughtier than ever.' This is evidence that Cathy's character develops

during this chapter.

This chapter is the hinging chapter for the rest of the book. The

whole plot of the remaining story is influenced by the events of the

chapter. If Heathcliff hadn't been listening to the convosation

between Nelly and Cathy he wouldn't have left 'Wuthering Heights' so

abruptly. Also if he had stayed a little longer to listen to what

Cathy had to say, about how much she loves him but cant really be with

him, then he would understand how much she loves him. This is why

chapter nine of the novel is probably the most important chapter of

the whole novel.

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison of A Farewell to Arms and East of Eden

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cathy is a back stabbing devil and everyone knows it. Cathy tricks Adam into drinking her opium medicine so it allows here to sleep with Charles. Cathy heard Charles footsteps as he returned home.

    Read More

  • For The Love Of The Game

    2375 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...nbsp;  "I'll call you back when I'm not pissed," this is Chapel talking to Jane when she refused to come down to see him for no apparent reason. He also was angered that she used the phrase about her not being a groupie.

    Read More

  • Distortions and Exaggerations in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Wuthering Heights

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel Wuthering Heights, author Emily Brontë portrays the morally ambiguous character of Heathcliff through his neglected upbringing, cruel motives, and vengeful actions.

    Read More

  • Creating Atmosphere and Suspense in Chapter 3 of Wuthering Heights

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    How does Brontë create atmosphere and suspense in chapter 3 of Wuthering Heights? Emily Brontë creates atmosphere and suspense using her own artistic techniques, one method that she uses is palimpsestic which is narratives within narratives. This is Emily’s only novel, it is an extraordinarily powerful and disturbing tale of the tempestuous relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff. From the start of the chapter, Brontë begins building suspense. After Lockwood has retired to his bed, he has several puzzling and uncomfortable experiences.

    Read More

  • The Self-destructive Relationship in Wuthering Heights

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the face of it, it would seem that the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff is self-destructive to an extreme. Due to the lovers’ precarious circumstances, passionate personalities and class divisions, it seems that fate transpires to keep them apart and therefore the hopelessness of their situation drives them to self destruction. However, although the relationship is undeniably self-destructive, there are elements within it that suggest the pain Heathcliff and Catherine put each other through is atoned for to an extent when they share their brief moments of harmony.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Justice In Wuthering Heights By Emily Bronte

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    The question of how to approach justice has long been deliberated upon by societies and individuals. Justice systems were slowly created so that individuals would not have the sole power to decide what justice looks like, and informal justice developed in the belief of karma and other such ideas that people get what they deserve. While some rely on the justice systems that our society has put into place, others still decide to take matters into their own hands as they become judge, jury, and executioner. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, the character Heathcliff is one such believer in avenging oneself. Heathcliff focuses his entire adulthood on taking revenge, thinking himself to be exacting justice. In reality, Heathcliff does far more

    Read More

  • Setting Analysis and Symbolism of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte uses the setting of the English Moors, a setting she is familiar with, to place two manors, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The first symbolizes man's dark side while the latter symbolizes an artificial utopia. This 19th century setting allows the reader to see the destructive nature of love when one loves the wrong person.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Setting in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    689 Words  | 2 Pages

    The setting is the backbone for a novel it sets the tone and gives the reader a mental image of the time and places the story takes place. The Wuthering Heights Estate in Emily Bronte’s novel “Wuthering Heights” is one of the most important settings in the story. Wuthering Heights sets mood for the scenes taken place in the house, and reflects the life of Heathcliff through its description, furniture, windows, gates, and the vegetation.

    Read More

  • The Presentation of Childhood in "Wuthering Heights"

    1832 Words  | 4 Pages

    The presentation of childhood is a theme that runs through two generations with the novel beginning to reveal the childhood of Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw, and with the arrival of the young Liverpudlian orphan, Heathcliff. In chapter four, Brontë presents Heathcliff’s bulling and abuse at the hands of Hindley as he grows increasingly jealous of Heathcliff for Mr. Earnshaw, his father, has favoured Heathcliff over his own son, “my arm, which is black to the shoulder” the pejorative modifier ‘black’ portrays dark and gothic associations but also shows the extent of the abuse that Heathcliff as a child suffered from his adopted brother. It is this abuse in childhood that shapes Heathcliff’s attitudes towards Hindley and his sadistic nature, as seen in chapter 17, “in rousing his rage a pitch above his malignity” there is hyperbole and melodrama as the cruelty that stemmed from his abuse in childhood has been passed onto Isabella in adulthood.

    Read More

  • Wuthering Heights Book Report

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main and important characters in the book are Heathcliff, Catherine, Hareton Earnshaw, and Linton Heathcliff.

    Read More

  • Love, Hate and Cruelty in Wuthering Heights

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    Love, Hate and Cruelty in Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Bronte, is a novel filled with emotions and activities of the child. Her characters represent an ongoing conflict. between love and hate. Upon the publication of the book articles and reviews were written regarding the Brontes novel.

    Read More

  • Narratology in Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    2145 Words  | 5 Pages

    Narratology divides a ‘narrative into story and narration’. (Cohan et al., 1988, p. 53) The three main figures that contribute a considerable amount of research to this theory are Gerard Genette, Aristotle and Vladimir Propp. This essay will focus on how Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights can be fully appreciated and understood when the theory is applied to the text. Firstly, I will focus on the components of narration Genette identifies that enhance a reader’s experience of the text. Secondly, I will discuss the three key elements in a plot that Aristotle recognises and apply these to Heathcliff’s character. In the final section I will apply part of the seven ‘spheres of action’, Propp categorises, to Heathcliff’s character. However, not all of Narratology can be applied to a text. This raises the question; does this hinder a readers understanding and/or appreciation of the text? This paper will also address this issue.

    Read More

  • The Use of the Supernatural in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    The supernatural is used widely throughout 'Wuthering Heights' and plays a big part in determining the outcome of the story. The Victorians were very superstitious about the supernatural. Education was already becoming commonplace in Victorian England, and education brought scepticism. The majority of people were very sceptical about the supernatural but not non-believers because of the number of ghost stories that came in this period. The age of the Victorians was an important period where people's perceptions and ghosts changed dramatically, from partially believing in ghosts, to not believing in them at all, yet still being terrified of them. This clearly explains Heathcliff's reaction to seeing the ghost of Cathy. At first, the book was seen as shocking and inappropriate by all its readers.

    Read More

  • Victorian Women: Angels in the House

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the context of Hard times and Wuthering Heights, women were conceived as “angels in the house”, they had to put their own desires aside in order to dedicate their entire self to their house and family, according to Sarah Ellis’ books, as it is said in Natalie McKnight’s work,” it was stipulated that women should always be self-sacrificing, subservient, dutiful, meek - in short, angelic [...] This role falls to women because men are too consumed with the world of work”. This last affirmation is due to the thought of Victorian Era that women and men lived in a separated atmosphere and whereas men’s duty was work, women’s obligation was in their homes, giving birth to children and taking care of the house(except

    Read More

More about The Importance of Chapter Nine in the Wuthering Heights

Open Document