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Significance of the setting of gathering heights
Significance of the setting of gathering heights
Catherine character analysis in wuthering heights
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The concerns, values, ideals and beliefs of a historical period can be understood through the analysis and deconstruction of texts written in said period. Through texts, one is able to gain a greater and richer understanding of the intricacy of societal values and ideals as these things permeate through all texts created in the time period.
In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emile Brontë (1847) various ideas and concepts recur in the different chapters. These recurring concepts give us a means to peer into the societal ideals of the 1800’s in which the novel is shaped by and set in. The questioning of the position of the individual in society and in life is brought out in the story through the use of various characters and their interactions
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Marriage is repeatedly used in the text as a means to bind one person to another and suppress their individuality. Isabella’s marriage to Heathcliff leads to her being bound to him with no means of escape. She was no longer an individual but rather the lesser part of a unit. The idea that a women becomes a vassal to her husband is further explored.
Moreover, the concept of female subservience is also explored through the taming of Cathy. In the beginning she is portrayed as a symbol of rejection in regards to the idea that females have to be timid, frail and weak people whose only purpose is to serve men. Through her wild nature she fought against these tropes, but as she spent more time in The Grange she was refined and was transformed into a person that reflected the stereotypes associated with women at the time, of subservience and fragility. Cathy’s inability to escape the stereotypes and traits cast upon her by society
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This caused political and civil unrest within Britain. All around was chaos and what seemed to be madness with diseases spreading like wildfire as a result of travel being easier and the empire had begun to lose momentum. The chaotic state of the world is replicated in Wuthering Heights as there is absolute chaos going on everywhere. Each event is followed by more disaster. Cathy’s love for Heathcliff being turned away by fate, Cathy’s happiness being put on the side and the toll this has on Heathcliff. Her death and the madness that it drives Heathcliff into and the rest of the unrest that occurs is a mirror of the happening in society. In this time of unrest and technological change the only thing that remains the same is the wild, the natural world. The idea that the natural world is the only place in which tranquility and serenity can thrive is touched upon in the novel as it is in the moors that Cathy and Heathcliff seem happy. In a place where they can be themselves and a place where they are free to act how they want. The natural world acts as a bridge for Cathy and Heathcliff as it is a place in which their connection is amplified. In the real world the natural world worked in the same way as it was resistant to change, no matter what happened it
Brontё further imposes the reader against this repressive society that emulates Heathcliff’s rejection because of his inexorable revenge. His revenge against Hindley begins to threaten the system because even with his nebulous and “gypsy” background he manages to ascend into the bourgeoisie status, reducing the unequal system to mere superstition. Arnold Kettle argues that these values represented in Wuthering Heights, which Heathcliff rebels, “reflects the specific tyranny of Victorian capitalist society” against gypsies and those with little social economic status, which Heathcliff embodies.
Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights share similarities in many aspects, perhaps most plainly seen in the plots: just as Clarissa marries Richard rather than Peter Walsh in order to secure a comfortable life for herself, Catherine chooses Edgar Linton over Heathcliff in an attempt to wrest both herself and Heathcliff from the squalid lifestyle of Wuthering Heights. However, these two novels also overlap in thematic elements in that both are concerned with the opposing forces of civilization or order and chaos or madness. The recurring image of the house is an important symbol used to illustrate both authors’ order versus chaos themes. Though Woolf and Bronte use the house as a symbol in very different ways, the existing similarities create striking resonances between the two novels at certain critical scenes.
In her novel, Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë uses psychological disorders in order to amplify the characters relationships. While Hindley, Linton, Edgar, and other minor characters suffer from multiple psychological disorders, it is Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff whose disorders shape the layout of the novel through their deep relationship. Their disorders range from histrionic personality disorder to monomania to Munchausen syndrome. Cathy and Heathcliff’s obsession for attention and each other drive them to develop psychological disorders that worsen throughout the novel due to lack of medical knowledge and diagnosis.
From being isolated in the moors of England, with only the two houses-Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. And those are placed 4 miles apart from each other. Having grown up at Wuthering Heights, Catherine, Hindley, and Heathcliff all suffer from a lack of love and structure. Wuthering Heights is a very bleak and dark place, that isn’t too happy. None of them found happiness until they fled from that dreary place that they call home. Heathcliff is grumpy and mean, and wants to inflict that on everyone else around him. Hurt people, hurt people. As opposed to Thrushcross Grange, which is more structured. Edgar and Isabella are more compassionate people, because of the love that they received from their parents. It also leaves them vulnerable to Catherine and Heathcliff’s aggressive nature, as well as a ploy in Heathcliff’s plan. Knowing this, Catherine is only stuck with two options-marry Heathcliff or Edgar. Based on the decision she made (good or bad, depending on the person) it started a spiral of events that currently effects Linton, Hareton, and Cathy. The same thing is to be said about Cathy. Cathy is still in the same environment. Though she is growing up at Thrushcross Grange, and be raised by her father and Nelly. Hareton is growing up at Wuthering Heights, under the wrath of Heathcliff, which is not pleasant. He is becoming mean and malicious, something Heathcliff wants. Then you have Linton who grew up
Cathy II and Linton tease Hareton: ‘“[Hareton] does not know his letters,’ [Linton] said to [Cathy]. ‘Could you believe in the existence of such a colossal dunce?’ ‘Is he all as he should be?’ asked Miss Cathy seriously” (Bronte 170). “Not know[ing] his letters” reflects the horrible and inhumane treatment of Hareton. Most servants know their basic letters, but Hareton is not granted this right by the master of Wuthering Heights. “Miss Cathy,” in her prim and proper upbringing is unable to comprehend the fact that there is an uneducated person present and mocks Hareton. The “colossal dunce” has had the misfortune of being uneducated, and is relegated to a position even lower than a servant. Cathy is visiting Wuthering Heights and quickly becomes wicked, joining in on
Virginia Woolf and Emily Bronte possess striking similarities in their works. Both works have inanimate objects as pivotal points of the story line. For Bronte, Wuthering Heights itself plays a key role in the story. The feel of the house changes as the characters are introduced to it. Before Heathcliff, the Heights was a place of discipline but also love. The children got on well with each other and though Nelly was not a member of the family she too played and ate with them. When old Mr. Earnshaw traveled to Liverpool he asked the children what they wished for him to bring them as gifts and also promised Nelly a “pocketful of apples and pears” (WH 28). Heathcliff’s presence changed the Heights, “So, from the beginning, he had bred bad feeling in the house” (WH 30). The Heights became a place to dream of for Catherine (1) when she married Linton and moved to the Grange. For her it held the memories of Heathcliff and their love. For her daughter, Cathy, it became a dungeon; trapped in a loveless marriage in a cold stone home far away from the opulence and luxury of the home she was used to. Then, upon the death of Heathcliff, I can almost see, in my minds eye, the Heights itself relax into the warm earth around in it the knowledge that it too is once again safe from the vengeance, bitterness, and hate that has housed itself within its walls for over twenty years.
The next supernatural element in the story is blowing of a furious storm when Heathcliff after over-hearing some of the words spoken by Cathy to Nelly, disappears from the Heights. The way Nelly describes the storm shows that it has something to do with the wounded feelings of Heathcliff and the agitation in Cathy’s heart resulting from his disappearance. The storm in nature corresponds to the tumult in two young hearts, those of Heathcliff and Cathy.
For instance, over the course of the novel, Hareton is turned from a hateful, ignorant brute into a kind, civilized man. This is supported by how Hareton only finds happiness once his yearning for knowledge is satisfied. Likewise, it is also seem when the Heights are finally abandoned by the characters in favor of Thrushcross Grange. Wuthering Heights is a violent and cruel place, void of rules or justice, just like a wilderness. Conversely, the Grande is warm and kind to its inhabitants, similar to civilization. Finally Heathcliff, who represents wildness in his passionate and untamed nature, dies. As Catherine Earnshaw put it, He’s not a rough diamond… he’s a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man.” (Bronte 90) It is only once the other characters are free of him and his influence that they are able to live
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.
Shapiro, Arnold. “‘Wuthering Heights’ as a Victorian Novel.” Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 16. Eds. Joann Cerrito and Paul Kepos. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. 108-110.
Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontë does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a destructive force, motivating him to enact revenge and wreak misery. The power of Heathcliff’s destructive love is conquered by the influence of another kind of love. Young Cathy’s love for Hareton is a redemptive force. It is her love that brings an end to the reign of Heathcliff.
Thus, despite Heathcliff’s immoral behavior and throughly evil actions, the book closes leaving the reader with a pitying disposition on the character’s behalf. After never being taught to love, being abused, losing ones love, and living for one thing only to later discover it’s futilty, one might ponder that Heathcliff couldn’t help but be how was. The circumstances were almost beyond his control. The passionate, violent environment of Wuthering Heights shaped him into the fiend that he was. And to read of that hellish existence is enough to impart a sympathetic sigh from even the most critical of readers.
Emily Brontë’s novel, Wuthering Heights, demonstrates a social criticism on women’s power to control their own fate and the ideal women in the nineteenth century. Specifically in Lyn Pykett’s, Changing the Names: The Two Catherines, a strong feminist perspective is explored. In her criticism she goes through many different analyses of Catherine Earnshaw-Linton and her daughter Cathy and what they represent in regard to a women’s power and social expectations in the nineteenth century. Pykett says that the two Catherines represent women’s true nature according to Brontë. Catherine Earnshaw-Linton is faced with the choice between two men but chooses based on what is accepted in her society, the man that can provide her economically, not the man whom she loves. This marriage to Edgar instead of Heathcliff is the source of Catherine’s problems and ultimately her demise. It causes one to question whether it is right to marry for the social aspect or for true love. Young Cathy seems to face the problem her mother has as well but she finds a way to be true to her nature and fight the tyrann...
Bronte also proves that non-human things can change, such as the manner of Wuthering Heights. The idea that people and objects can transform is shown throughout the novel through many examples. The protagonist of the novel, Heathcliff, was shown to have gone through the biggest transformation. In the beginning of the novel, Heathcliff is an orphan brought home to live with a high-class family. He is described as “a dirty, ragged, black-haired child; big enough both to walk and talk.yet when it was set on its feet, it only stared round, and repeated over and over again some gibberish that nobody could understand” (Bronte page 36).
Bronte's Use of Language and Setting in Wuthering Heights Between pages 15 and 18 there are identifiable ways in which 'Bronte' uses 'language and setting' to establish the characters and create a distinguishable atmosphere. In this essay, themes, genres and styles will be discussed to show how 'Bronte' establishes the characters; there will also be a discussion of the 'gothic' elements which Wuthering Heights contains. Many people would argue that the style of 'Wuthering Heights' is peculiar and complex, the power of Wuthering Heights owes much to its complex narrative structure and to the device of having two conventional people relate a very unconventional tale. Bronte importantly introduces the element of 'the supernatural' into chapter 3 which is an important technique as it grips the reader. Lockwood has come into contact with the ghost of Cathy, who died 18 years before, Some might argue that she is a product of Lockwood's imagination, and it is clear that Bronte has presented these facts in this way so that the reader can make up their own mind on the subject.