The Juxtaposition Between Nature and Man in Wuthering Heights

Set at the end of the eighteenth century, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a mysterious book that maintains the reader on the edge of their seat as Brontë explores the dark side of love, revenge, and the juxtaposition between nature and man. But had Wuthering Heights been set in another time period, many situations-from Heathcliff’s arrival to the Earnshaw family to the union of Hareton and Cathy-may not have occurred. It should also be noted that many events consisted of an eerie, strange feel to them-a similar style seen in many Gothic novels, a popular genre in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds.

One of the most important occasions in Wuthering Heights was the fateful day when Mr. Earnshaw came back from Liverpool with a homeless child, who was named Heathcliff. In the nineteenth century, the economy of England had suffered after the war against Napoleon’s France and Liverpool did not have the best reputation, having problems such as being the home of 1,200 thieves under the age of 15 and houses that were in disgusting conditions, as well as overcrowded. As soon as Heathcliff had arrived, the Earnshaws (excluding Mr. Earnshaw) and Nelly were repulsed by his dark appearance, a feature of his that followed him until the day he died. His dark appearance matched his dark nature as he got older and it is possible that Brontë purposely made Heathcliff-the gypsy orphan from Liverpool-the cruel misanthropist who gained power over those who once scorned him. The upper and middle classes worried that those of lower class would one day gain power and money, and those of the upper classes feared what would occur. Brontë frequently compares Heathcliff to the devil, introducing him as “a gift of God; though it’s as dark almost s if it c...

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...ound him become bleak; it’s no wonder that Brontë kept comparing him to the devil. His many violent actions-for instance his torturing of Isabella Linton for no apparent reason, his hatred for his own son and his disinterest to take care of Linton, or almost harming Cathy during a meal-show the reader that Heathcliff hates others as much as he loves Catherine; he may know what love is, but he’s a sadistic character.

There’s no denying that Emily Brontë wrote quite a captivating novel. She used many elements and events around her-England’s failing economy, British hierarchy, and death from an illness that could easily be treated nowadays being a few examples-to portray her wild imagination. While modern readers can no longer relate to many of those events that affected Brontë’s novel, it is possible to move on from that barrier, and appreciate the story how it is.