theme of love in wuthering heights essay

Love in Wuthering Heights

Valuable lessons, favoritism’s bad impact, social influence, money vs. love, breaking the vicious circle.

In her classical literary work, Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë contemplates the topic of love and its importance in each person’s life by portraying the consequences that arise when somebody lacks it. The story continues attracting readers’ attention, as, without exaggeration, it covers an exceedingly crucial issue for contemporary citizens, considering current social and political unrest in the world. Although the author solely describes the difficult relations within and between two English families, she nevertheless manages to elaborate on certain patterns of human sentiments that are universal and relevant to broader groups of people. Brontë’s genius revealed itself through a skillful combination of gothic fiction and romanticism, which allowed the author to depict love – normally considered as something pure – within complex and cruel social reality. On the surface, this blend of styles causes the feeling of pessimism towards human nature and love in readers. However, a deeper analysis reveals that the writer seeks to reinstate the trust in humanity and especially in the concept of love but insists that the latter should be dealt with carefully to bring goodness.

Brontë (2020) chooses to emphasize the importance of love by displaying how the lack of it can induce the dramatic chain reaction effect that will only resolve at the end of the story. Moreover, the author illustrates the opposite instances when one should trust their hearts and when one should not. Such a realism of controversial facts is intended to pass the wisdom that applies to real life and seeks to prevent the reader from repeating mistakes similar to the characters in the book.

The first lesson that Brontë (2020) tries to convey is related to the idea that love should be equally granted to all family members without exceptions. Ellen Dean’s story that she told to the narrator begins with Heathcliff’s appearance in the Earnshaw family as a baby. Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, who already had two kids – Catherine and Hindley – decide to adopt him. However, as children grow up, it becomes obvious that the father of the family has a stronger affection towards Heathcliff than to Hindley, causing the latter to become jealous and start hating the former. The scientific literature as well presents strong evidence for the negative consequences of either parents’ preference towards one child over another. Stocker et al. (2020) assert the positive relationship between parental favoritism towards one of the siblings and the feeling of depression, anxiety, hostility, and loneliness of the other one. However, neither of that would have happened if Mr. Earnshaw provided the same amount of love for all the children.

Secondly, the author emphasizes that the lack of love from a person’s surroundings can cause him to become a bad person. Human beings are prone to social influence, and any attitude towards an individual from others would be crucial for his character formation (Baumeister & Bushman, 2020). After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Catherine was the only person who loved Heathcliff, whereas others despised or hated him. Hindley often physically and psychologically assaulted him, Edgar laughed at his appearance. That had a tremendous impact on Heathcliff and further formed his twisted character, and he started wishing for revenge. Eventually he would begin wishing to torture others and enjoy sufferings of the people that are close to him. His life motto, therefore, represented by following words: “…you are welcome to torture me to death for your amusement, only allow me to amuse myself a little in the same style” (Brontë, 2020, p. 157). Thus, it is evident that the further abusive relations that Heathcliff had with people around him were strongly affected by a lack of love and care from his peers.

The third lesson that the author transmits: when one faces a dilemma between true love and social status and norms, he/she should choose the former. Catherine’s example best proves that statement as she chose to marry Edgar Linton due to his wealth instead of marrying Heathcliff, whom she strongly and faithfully loved. The further development of the story revealed the utmost significance of such a decision to further tragic circumstances. Losing the last person that loved him, Heathcliff finally cements his life philosophy. He constantly intervenes in the married couple’s life, causing the latter to exist in a state of misery. Finally, that continuous struggle of choice between two men representing two sides of the life leads to Catherine’s death (Schakenraad, 2016). If contrary, she chose to be with Heathcliff from the beginning, she would most probably be happy and her loved one would not become a devil.

Finally, the vicious circle of hatred can only be won by love, not hatred. Cathy Linton’s life is a colorful example of it. She is the only character in the story, apart from Ellen, who can be called a positive hero and serves as the opposite to others, especially Heathcliff. Even though she also experienced the life of hatred living in Wuthering Heights and was influenced by it, she could discover the love in her heart. The character of Cathy serves Brontë (2020) as an exception from the second lesson mentioned above. Indeed, some people possess inner strength and can overpower external circumstances. That is the reason why the novel should not be considered as pessimistic but, on the contrary, optimistic. Through Cathy, the author wanted to reach all the readers who faced similar situations as the book’s characters. Brontë (2020) attempts to motivate those surrounded by hatred or who feel a lack of love to change that situation if they discover love within. Therefore, it is important that each person at least occasionally thinks how he/she can provide more affection and care for the people around him/her to make the life of everyone at least a bit better.

In summary, the lessons above clearly demonstrate that love is the central topic of Wuthering Heights novel. The author attempts to guide the reader from the darkness of hatred caused by the lack of love towards the light through love. The examples of Hindley, who did not feel his father’s love, and Heathcliff, who was despised, hated, and abused, serve as lessons for readers to be more attentive to people who are close to them. Love cannot be traded for wealth or social status as it is, in the author’s opinion, the road to suffer and tragic end as in the case of Catherine. On the other hand, Cathy’s dedication to love allowed her and all the house members to become happy finally. On the philosophical level, she defeated Heathcliff with her kind heart as the latter lost his taste for hate and revenge, seeing Cathy and Hareton happy together.

Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2020).  Social psychology and human nature . Cengage Learning.

Brontë, E. (2020).  Wuthering heights . Oxford University Press.

Schakenraad, J. (2016). The matter of fouls: Philosophical aspects of Wuthering Heights .  Brontë Studies, 41 (4), 340-349.

Stocker, C. M., Gilligan, M., Klopack, E. T., Conger, K. J., Lanthier, R. P., Neppl, T. K., O’Neal, C.W & Wickrama, K. A. S. (2020). Sibling relationships in older adulthood: Links with loneliness and well-being.  Journal of Family Psychology, 34 (2), 175. Web.

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'Wuthering Heights' Themes, Symbols, Literary Devices

A Novel About Love, Hate, Class, and Revenge

Hate and Revenge

Social class, literary device: multiple narrators within a frame story, literary device: doubles and opposites, literary device: using nature to describe a character, symbols: the ragged wuthering heights vs. the pristine thrushcross grange.

• M.A., Classics, Catholic University of Milan
• M.A., Journalism, New York University.
• B.A., Classics, Catholic University of Milan

While love seems to be the prevailing theme of Wuthering Heights, the novel is much more than a romantic love story. Intertwined with the (non-consummated) passion of Heathcliff and Cathy are hatred, revenge, and social class, the ever-prevailing issue in Victorian literature.

A meditation on the nature of love permeates the entirety of Wuthering Heights. Of course, the most important relationship is the one between Cathy and Heathcliff, which is all-consuming and brings Cathy to fully identify with Heathcliff, to the point that she says “I am Heathcliff.” Their love is everything but simple, though. They betray one another and themselves in order to marry a person for whom they feel a tamer—but convenient—kind of love. Interestingly, despite its intensity, the love between Cathy and Heathcliff is never consummated. Even when Heathcliff and Cathy are reunited in their afterlife, they do not rest peacefully. Instead, they haunt the moorland as ghosts.

The love that develops between young Catherine and Hindley’s son, Hareton, is a paler and gentler version of the love between Cathy and Heathcliff, and it’s poised for a happy ending.

Heathcliff hates as fiercely as he used to love Cathy, and most of his actions are motivated by a desire of vengeance. Throughout the novel, he resorts to exact some form of retribution from all those who, in his mind, had wronged him: Hindley (and his progeny) for mistreating him, and the Lintons (Edgar and Isabella) for taking Cathy away from him.

Oddly, despite his all-consuming love for Cathy, he is not particularly nice towards her daughter, Catherine. Instead, while assuming the role of the stereotypical villain, he kidnaps her, forces her to marry his sickly son, and generally mistreats her. 

Wuthering Heights is fully immersed in the class-related issues of the Victorian era, which were not just a matter of affluence. The characters show that birth, the source of income, and family connections played a relevant role in determining someone’s place in society, and people usually accepted that place.

Wuthering Heights portrays a class-structured society. The Lintons were part of the professional middle class, and the Earnshaws were a little below the Lintons. Nelly Dean was lower-middle class, as she worked non-manual labor (servants were superior to manual laborers). Heathcliff, an orphan, used to occupy the lowest rung in society in the Wuthering Heights universe, but when Mr. Earnshaw openly favored him, he went against societal norms.

Class is also why Cathy decides to marry Edgar and not Heathcliff. When Heathcliff returns to the heath a well-dressed, moneyed, and educated man, he still remains an outcast from society. Class also explains Heathcliff’s attitude towards Hindley’s son, Hareton. He debases Hareton the way Hindley had debased him, thereby enacting a reverse class-motivated revenge. 

Wuthering Heights is mainly told by two narrators, Lockwood and his own narrator, Nelly, who tells him about the events that took place in Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. However, other narrators are interspersed throughout the novel. For example, when Lockwood finds Cathy’s diary, we are able to read important details about her childhood spent with Heathcliff in the moors. In addition, Isabella’s letter to Nelly shows us firsthand the abuse she suffered at the hands of Heathcliff. All of the voices in the novel create a choral narrative by offering multiple points of view of the lives of the inhabitants of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights.

It's worth noting that no storyteller is fully objective. Although Lockwood might appear removed, once he meets the masters of Wuthering Heights, he becomes involved with them and loses his objectivity. Likewise, Nelly Dean, while at first appearing to be an outsider, is actually a flawed narrator, at least morally. She often picks sides between characters and changes allegiances—sometimes she works with Cathy, other times she betrays her. 

Brontë arranges several elements of her novel into pairs that both differ and have similarities with one another. For example, Catherine and Heathcliff perceive themselves as being identical. Cathy and her daughter, Catherine, look much alike, but their personalities differ. When it comes to love, Cathy is split between her socially appropriate marriage to Edgar and her bond with Heathcliff.

Similarly, the estates Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange represent opposing forces and values, yet the two houses are bonded through marriage and tragedy in both generations. Even Nelly and Lockwood, the two narrators, embody this dualism. Background-wise, they could not be more different, yet, with Nelly being too involved in the events and Lockwood being too far removed, they are both unreliable narrators. 

Nature plays an important role in Wuthering Heights as both an empathetic participant in the setting of the novel—a moorland is prone to winds and storms—, and as a way to describe the characters’ personalities. Cathy and Heathcliff are usually associated with images of wilderness, while the Lintons are associated with pictures of cultivated land. Cathy likens Heathcliff’s soul to the arid wilderness of the moors, while Nelly describes the Lintons as honeysuckles, cultivated and fragile. When Heathcliff speaks about Edgar’s love for Cathy, he says, “He might as well plant an oak in a flower-pot and expect it to thrive, as imagine he can restore her to vigor in the soil of his shallow cares!” 

As an estate, Wuthering Heights is a farmhouse in the moorlands ruled by the cruel and ruthless Hindley. It symbolizes the wildness of both Cathy and Heathcliff. By contrast, Thrushcross Grange, all adorned in crimson, represents cultural and societal norms. When Cathy is bitten by the guard dogs of Thrushcross Grange and she’s brought into the Lintons’ orbit, the two realities begin to clash. The “chaos” of Wuthering Heights wreaks havoc in the Lintons’ peaceful and seemingly idyllic existence, as Cathy’s marriage to Edgar precipitates Heathcliff’s vengeful actions. 

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Wuthering Heights

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The Dark Side of Enduring Love

In many works of literature past and present, the notion of enduring love is idealized as the hope and dream of many a worthy protagonist . Wuthering Heights , however, is the novel that overturns those romantic visions of passionate and faithful love, presenting the truth of Heathcliff’s obsession with Catherine and Catherine’s love for Heathcliff in all of its violent and sometimes ugly intensity. At the start of the novel, Catherine’s generosity towards Heathcliff and his devotion to her are sweet and admirable. Their childhood companionship grows into a more mature friendship that at first, seems pure and genuine enough, but their personality characteristics eventually get in the way of their genuine attachment to each other. Heathcliff’s uncontrollable bad temper and Catherine’s sense of entitlement merge into a mutual sense of rageful frustration, so unhappiness ensues, for them and for the rest of their immediate society.

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Essays on Wuthering Heights

Prompt examples for "wuthering heights" essays, love and obsession.

Explore the theme of love and obsession in "Wuthering Heights." How do characters like Heathcliff and Catherine demonstrate both destructive and enduring forms of love, and what are the consequences of their obsessions?

Nature and Setting

Analyze the significance of the novel's natural setting, particularly the moors and the houses of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. How does the environment reflect the characters' emotions and the novel's themes?

Heathcliff's Transformation

Discuss the transformation of Heathcliff's character throughout the novel. How does his upbringing, love for Catherine, and experiences with the Lintons shape him into the complex and vengeful figure he becomes?

Social Class and Revenge

Examine the role of social class and revenge in the story. How do issues of class and the desire for revenge drive the characters' actions and relationships?

Narrative Structure

Consider the novel's narrative structure, which includes multiple narrators and time shifts. How does Emily Brontë use this structure to provide insight into the characters and their motivations?

The Gothic Tradition

Analyze how "Wuthering Heights" fits within the Gothic literary tradition. What elements of the Gothic genre, such as supernatural occurrences and dark, brooding atmospheres, are present in the novel?

Theme of Cruelty in Wuthering Heights

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Analysis of Wuthering Heights Through Freud’s Personality Theory

Wuthering heights: plot, characters, themes, nature against culture: "wuthering heights" by emily bronte, reading wuthering heights through marxist lens, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Wuthering Heights: a Theme of Good and Evil in Brontë's Novel

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The Gender Question Depicted in Wuthering Heights

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Emily Bronte

Novel, Gothic Fiction, Tragedy

Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw, Edgar Linton, Ellen (Nelly) Dean, Isabella Linton, Hindley Earnshaw, Hareton Earnshaw, Cathy Linton, Linton Heathcliff, Joseph, Mr Lockwood, Frances, Mr and Mrs Earnshaw, Mr and Mrs Linton, Dr Kenneth, Zillah, Mr Green

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Theme Of Love And Childhood In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

Among the various themes, a paper focused on the major themes such as Love and Childhood in Emily Bronte's masterpiece Wuthering Heights

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Deborah Morse

Brontë (1818-1848) was a novelist and poet of great power and originality whose work has become canonical in both genres. Emily and her sisters Charlotte and Anne are unique in the annals of English literature in their status as the only three children from one family who have all achieved greatness in English literature. The Brontë sisters' novels are translated and read globally today, and their home at Haworth Parsonage has become a museum that is visited by many thousands of tourists each year. Emily's only novel, Wuthering Heights (1847), is one of the most famous and influential in the English language. Emily Jane Brontë was born on July 30, 1818, at Thornton, Yorkshire, to the Reverend Patrick Brontë and his wife, the former Maria Branwell of Penzance. Patrick was a highly gifted man, a Cambridge-educated Anglican clergyman and poet from humble rural Irish origins. Maria Branwell, a Wesleyan Methodist, was from the middle classes; her father was a successful grocer and tea merchant. From her letters, we know that Maria was a loving, witty woman; the couple were devoted to one another. Emily was the fifth of six children born to Maria and Patrick within less than six years. The children were, in order of their birth: Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. Emily's mother died in pain from stomach cancer on September 15, 1821, when Emily was only three years old. Patrick was now faced with raising six children, the eldest only seven, and the youngest not yet two. After Patrick tried unsuccessfully to remarry, Maria's sister Elizabeth Branwell moved in to help care for the house and children. She would live there until her death; her money enabled her adult nieces Charlotte and Emily to study in Brussels and to publish their poems with Anne's. Her will left just under £300 each to Charlotte, Emily, and Anne.

Basma Elbehery

This is my graduation research. The research tackles anger in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and makes a special focus on Heathcliff. It tackles Heathcliff's anger and the effects of that anger, the techniques used to show that anger such as symbolism, and supernatural elements, and the consequences of children abuse and class distinction as they must be fought in any community.

The Foundationalist , Kaitlin Wood

This paper intends to argue that Heathcliff’s dominating and unforgettable presence in Wuthering Heights is the result of a series of maneuvers by Emily Brontë, in which she secures and sustains sympathy for her otherwise unredeemable protagonist... Brontë seeks to challenge conventional assumptions about narrative storylines, first by goading us into a sense of complacency and persuading us that we know precisely where this story will go (after all, if the beginning resembles a Bildungsroman, Heathcliff must be a hero), only then to continually expose and defy these generic assumptions at every turn. In this way, Brontë seems to make a broader point about the ways in which standard features of fiction often remain inapplicable to reality, and that life itself (with all its unknowable mysteries and confusing twists and turns) generally frustrates expectations and resists interpretation. Lastly, I will explain why Brontë’s deception possibly lies at the heart of critics’ long-standing fascination with Heathcliff, as well as suggest that the deception is partly responsible for the initial unenthusiastic response to Wuthering Heights, making those early reviewers believe the story would “never be generally read” (North British Review 136).

Tom Joudrey

This essay traces a problem that has long dogged criticism of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (1847): why is a novel concerned with passionate love for others populated by characters who are radically selfish? Brontë, drawing on the Byronic tradition and eschewing contemporary exhortations to self-renunciation, validates selfish desire even at the expense of communal identity. In so doing, she is forced to contend with the possibility that selfishness risks disabling sociality and marooning the self in shame, isolation, or solipsism. Brontë shows, however, that selfishness and sociality are symbiotically implicated, in that selfishness acts as a precondition of robust sociality. After a series of failures—represented in Lockwood’s shame-saturated retreat into childish sociality, Heathcliff and Catherine’s self-destroying soul fusion, and Linton Heathcliff’s masturbatory selfishness—Brontë ultimately locates a brokered compromise between selfishness and sociality in the relationship of Cathy and Hareton. By maintaining their respective boundaries of self and yet making them selectively permeable, the two demonstrate that susceptibility to interpersonal exchange proves vital to fostering their autonomy as discrete selves. Wuthering Heights wages battle on two fronts, excoriating the temptation to enclose the self behind impenetrable barriers, but simultaneously denouncing the other extreme that would eradicate all difference through metaphysical soul-fusion. Brontë posits instead that mature selfhood can only be yielded by a posture of openness to external influences, even as the coherence of the self must be fortified against appropriation by those influences.

Fred Mensch

Pier Paolo Piciucco

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Søren Christensen

The antibacterial effect of cranberry juice and the organic acids therein on infection by uropathogenic Escherichia coli was studied in an experimental mouse model of urinary tract infection (UTI). Reduced bacterial counts were found in the bladder (P < 0.01) of mice drinking fresh cranberry juice. Commercially available cranberry juice cocktail also significantly reduced (P < 0.01) bacterial populations in the bladder, as did the hydrophilic fraction of cranberry juice (P < 0.05). Quinic, malic, shikimic, and citric acid, the preponderant organic acids in cranberry juice, were tested in combination and individually. The four organic acids also decreased bacterial levels in the bladder when administered together (P < 0.001), and so did the combination of malic plus citric acid (P < 0.01) and malic plus quinic acid (P < 0.05). The other tested combinations of the organic acids, and the acids administered singly, did not have any effect in the UTI model. Apparently, ...

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Wuthering Heights Themes

Theme is a pervasive idea presented in a literary piece.  Themes in Wuthering Height are masterpieces by Emily Bronte that apply to every era.  The present dilemma of good and evil and demonstrates the dark sides of human nature.  Some of the major themes in Wuthering Heights have been discussed below.

Themes in Wuthering Heights

Good and Evil

Theological conceptions of good and evil are the major theme of the novel . She has presented this strand through piety, love, revenge, and obsession. At first, there is an inclination of different characters toward either good or evil. Later, Mrs. Dean tries to understand the motives of Edgar and Heathcliff. She also tries to understand whether Heathcliff and Cathy are inclined to good or evil. For example, she constantly weighs whether Hindley has fallen to wickedness after his renunciation of God. Mrs. Dean also sees Heathcliff determined to take revenge, disregarding the kindness of Earnshaw. The author has presented Catherine, Hareton, and Edgar along with Mrs. Dean leaning toward goodness. Mrs. Dean showers her love and compassion for others. However, Cathy, contrary to her, turns toward evil, when it comes to treating others such as Heathcliff.

Violence and Revenge

Violence begets violence. The author tells the impacts of violence along with the theme of revenge. Through Heathcliff, the readers see the abuse he suffers. Hence, he abuses the other person. People become revengeful when they are ill-treated in their childhood. For example, Heathcliff turns violent to everyone around him. The same is the case of Hindley. Heathcliff first makes Hindley pay by making him homeless and then keeping Hareton secluded from the social world. He even tries to marry Catherine as revenge on Earnshaw and Cathy. Although his violent behavior seems just revenge, he admits that he enjoys causing discomfort to others. Hence, by the end, he admits that “I have lost the faculty of enjoying their destruction”. It is an admission that earlier he used to enjoy it.

Class Differences

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it has been a popular strain in various stories where people born in one class usually stayed in the same or be insulted and humiliated. Edgar is rich because of his belonging to the rich class. His parents inherited him a property. On the contrary, Nelly Dean is poor at their service because of her class. The idea of mobility from one class to another class was a foreign concept. However, the author had explored it in depth. The difference between class changes. Heathcliff is brought by Earnshaw at home to bring him up in his class. However, he is snubbed by the Lintons. Hareton, on the other hand, loses his inheritance and becomes homeless because of Heathcliff.

Dominance of Patriarchy

Before the 20 th century, most of the male heads were abusive toward children and women in the family. Earnshaw’s expectation about Cathy to behave appropriately toward others is a case in point. He wants her to shun her arrogant attitude toward others at home. Edgar Linton also shows the rough side of patriarchy when he forces Catherine to make a choice between Heathcliff and him instead of allowing her free will to choose. Hindley shows patriarchy when he makes Heathcliff pay for his excesses. Heathcliff displays his power by incarcerating Isabella and later Nellie and Cathy. Thus the author has shown the abusive aspect of patriarchy in the novel.

Knowledge and Power

Knowledge and power are intertwined. It is shown through the abusive behavior of Heathcliff who forces Hareton to stay uneducated.  He does so to keep the power to question his immoral authority. Similarly, Cathy providing books to Michael, is a conditional act that he would deliver her letters to Linton. The start of the novel also shows this power oozing out of the written graffiti at Wuthering Heights mansion about the names of Catherin Earnshaw and her daughter to show their power and authority over the mansion. It also gives pleasure and is a source of consolation for Cathy when she sees their names.

Many characters in the novel seem to enjoy loneliness. Even in the beginning, Heathcliff and Hindley want to stay isolated instead of joining others. Lockwood also states that his desire for isolation has forced him to move to Thrushcross Grange. He wants to limit their disappointments for failure in emotional fulfillment. When Catherine breathes her last, Heathcliff withdraws from mundane affairs. Hindley becomes estranged toward others when his wife leaves him for good. However, it has not been shown how isolation has healed their psychological wounds. It is because almost all of them die desiring for the fulfilment of their emotional hunger which is not met.

Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge means the characters come to know about themselves or become conscious of their persona . When Catherine makes a decision to marry Edgar, she becomes fully aware that she is double-minded. She knows that she is also inclined to Heathcliff who could be a better husband. However, she lacks the judgment to make an immediate decision, knowing that Heathcliff is a revengeful person. On the other hand, Isabella knows about Heathcliff better and yet she decides to marry him. She is aware of her capability and the power to control the challenging aspects of Heathcliff’s nature.

Relationships

The relationships shown between two families of Linton and Earnshaw are very strong. However, the love between Heathcliff and Catherine is confusing. They were siblings when they grew up at Wuthering Heights and develop a special love for each other. After a while, it continues to confuse Catherine until she marries Edgar Linton. Heathcliff never forgives her for marrying Edgar. He also takes revenge from Isabella for marrying him. This shows the estrangement in his relationship forming ability. On the other hand, Earnshaw’s kindness toward him, in the beginning, shows his ability to forge relations even with adopted children.

Character Psychology

The psychological issue, in a Freudian sense, shows distinct sides of Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar. They also show id, ego, and superego through their actions and choices . Heathcliff shows all three of these character traits in himself. His id is his drive for sex that forces him to love Catherine and shows this love to seek pleasure from her. He is also an adopted child which means that he may not have a civilized upbringing. Additionally, Catherine is Heathcliff’s ego that relates him to the social fabric of that time and tests the id in return. Edgar seems superego who represents the moral framework of the society of that time.

The novel shows that the impacts of childhood never fade away even if a child is raised in a high mansion like Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff shows the wild side of his nature despite having got a space with the upper class.

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Wuthering Heights

by Emily Bronte

Wuthering heights themes.

Throughout the novel, reading and literacy are shown to be sources of both power and pleasure. Heathcliff purposely keeps Hareton uneducated as a way to control the young man and to get revenge on Hareton's father, Hindley. Likewise, Cathy gives books to her servant, Michael , to convince him to deliver her love letters to Linton. The graffiti at Wuthering Heights at the beginning of the novel also serves as a kind of dominion; by carving their names into the wall, Catherine Earnshaw and her daughter ensure that their spirits will always preside over the crumbling house. However, the characters also derive significant pleasure from reading; it is one of Cathy's few solaces during her miserable first months at Wuthering Heights, and it eventually serves as a pretext for her to bond with Hareton.

For a novel that draws its plot from the vicissitudes of interpersonal relationships, it is notable how many of the characters seem to enjoy solitude. Heathcliff and Hindley both state their preference for isolation early in the novel, and Lockwood explains that solitude is one of the reasons he chose to move to the remote Thrushcross Grange. Each of these characters believes that solitude will help them get over romantic disappointments: Heathcliff becomes increasingly withdrawn after Catherine's death; Hindley becomes crueler than ever to others after he loses his wife, Frances; and Lockwood's move to the Grange was precipitated by a briefly mentioned romantic disappointment of his own. However, Brontë ultimately casts doubt on solitude's ability to heal psychic wounds. Heathcliff's yearning for Catherine causes him to behave like a monster to people around him; Hindley dies alone as an impoverished alcoholic; and Lockwood quickly gives up on the Grange's restorative potential and moves to London.

Given the symmetrical structure of Wuthering Heights , it follows naturally that Brontë should thematize doubles and doubleness. Catherine Earnshaw notes her own "double character" (66) when she tries to explain her attraction to both Edgar and Heathcliff, and their shared name suggests that Cathy Linton is, in some ways, a double for her mother. There are also many parallel pairings throughout the novel that suggests that certain characters are doubles of each other: Heathcliff and Catherine, Edgar and Isabella, Hareton and Cathy, and even Hindley and Ellen (consider the latter's deep grief when Hindley dies, and that they are 'milk siblings'). Catherine's famous insistence that "I am Heathcliff" (82) reinforces the concept that individuals can share an identity.

Self-knowledge

Brontë frequently dissociates the self from the consciousness––that is, characters have to get to know themselves just as they would another person. This becomes a major concern when Catherine Earnshaw decides against her better judgment to marry Edgar Linton ; she is self-aware enough to acknowledge that she has a 'double character' and that Heathcliff may be a better match for her, but she lacks the confidence to act on this intuition. Self-knowledge also affects how characters get to know others; Isabella knows how violent Heathcliff is, but is unable to acknowledge this because she believes herself capable of controlling him.

Disease and contagion

Disease and contagion––specifically consumption, or as it's known today, tuberculosis––are inescapable presences in Wuthering Heights . Isabella becomes sick after meeting Heathcliff, and Catherine Earnshaw indirectly kills Mr. and Mrs. Linton by giving them her fever. Even emotional troubles are pathologized much like physical illnesses; consider how Catherine's unhappy marriage and Heathcliff's return contribute to the 'brain fever' that leads to her death. Perhaps most importantly, Lockwood falling ill is what motivates Ellen to tell the story in the first place. The prominence of disease in the novel is a physical indicator of the outsize influence that individuals have on each other in Brontë's world––getting too close to the wrong person can literally lead to death.

Sibling relationships

Sibling relationships are unusually strong in the Earnshaw and Linton families. Indeed, the novel's most prominent relationship––the love between Catherine and Heathcliff––begins when the two are raised as siblings at Wuthering Heights. It is never entirely clear whether their love for each other is romantic or the love of extremely close siblings; although Catherine expresses a desire to marry Heathcliff, they are never shown having sex and their union seems more spiritual than physical. After Catherine's death, Heathcliff gets revenge on Edgar for marrying Catherine by encouraging Isabella to marry him and then mistreating her. Given that Emily Brontë is thought to have had no friends outside of her own family (although she was very close to her brother Branwell and her sisters Anne and Charlotte), it is perhaps unsurprising that close sibling relationships are a driving force in her only novel.

Humanity versus nature

Brontë is preoccupied with the opposition between human civilization and nature. This is represented figuratively in her descriptions of the moors, but she also ties this conflict to specific characters. For example, Catherine and Heathcliff resolve to grow up "as rude as savages" (46) in response to Hindley's abuse, and Ellen likens Hindley to a "wild-beast" (73). The natural world is frequently associated with evil and reckless passion; when Brontë describes a character as 'wild,' that character is usually cruel and inconsiderate––take for example Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw, and Hindley. However, Brontë also expresses a certain appreciation for the natural world; Linton and Cathy Linton's ideas of heaven both involve peaceful afternoons in the grass and among the trees. Likewise, Hareton is actually a very noble and gentle spirit, despite his outward lack of civilization and his description as a "rustic" (299).

Wuthering Heights Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Wuthering Heights is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why does Cathy have a hybrid character in Wuthering heights?

Cathy is a hybrid, embodying the virtues of both households, genuinely caring for the sick, but also capable of exercising her own will and judgement and going out onto the moors unsupervised.

Catherine Earnshaw is Mr. Earnshaw's daughter and Hindley's sister. She is also Heathcliff's foster sister and love interest. She marries Edgar Linton and has a daughter, also named Catherine. Catherine is beautiful and charming, but she is never...

Spending the night at Wuthering Heights, Lockwood... Select one: a. has to be rescued from the dogs by Zillah the housekeeper. b. sleeps in Catherine Earnshaw’s room and reads her journal. c. sees a ghostly apparition and refuses its plea to “let me in!”

I would say "E". Lockwood experiences a nightmare that feels like an apparition.

Study Guide for Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights study guide contains a biography of Emily Bronte, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Wuthering Heights
• Wuthering Heights Summary
• Wuthering Heights Video
• Character List

Essays for Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

• Heathcliff's Obsessions
• The Setting in Wuthering Heights
• Mirrors, Windows, and Glass in Wuthering Heights
• The Problem of Split Personalities in Wuthering Heights
• The Main Characters in Wuthering Heights and Their Resemblance To Children

Lesson Plan for Wuthering Heights

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Wuthering Heights
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Wuthering Heights Bibliography

E-Text of Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights e-text contains the full text of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

• Chapters 1-5
• Chapters 6-10
• Chapters 11-15
• Chapters 16-20
• Chapters 21-25

Wikipedia Entries for Wuthering Heights

• Introduction
• Publication history
• Critical response

Wuthering Heights Essay

Wuthering Heights is a book by Emily Bronte. It is a story of love and revenge, and is set on the Yorkshire moors. Wuthering Heights is often seen as a classic novel, and is widely studied in schools.

Wuthering Heights is a book by Emily Bronte. It was published in 1847, and is generally considered to be her masterpiece. The story is set on the Yorkshire moors, and tells the tale of love and revenge. Wuthering Heights is now seen as a classic novel, and is still studied by students all over the world. Emily Bronte is considered to be one of the greatest English authors of all time.

If you’re looking for a great book to read, then Wuthering Heights is definitely worth a look. It’s a complex story, but it’s well worth the effort. Emily Bronte is an excellent author, and Wuthering Heights is sure to captivate you from beginning to end. So if you’re looking for something exciting and engrossing, be sure to check out Wuthering Heights! You won’t regret it.

Wuthering Heights is the tragic story of Heathcliff, an orphaned boy who becomes obsessed with Catherine Earnshaw and her wealthy guardian.

Wuthering Heights is a book that you can’t help but be pulled into, with its powerful descriptions of the bleak Yorkshire moors and the passionate characters who inhabit them.

Emily Bronte wrote Wuthering Heights when she was just nineteen years old, and the book is considered to be one of the most original and accomplished of all Victorian novels. Wuthering Heights has been banned, admired, dissected, and adapted countless times, and it still remains one of the most loved – and most hated – books in the world. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end, Wuthering Heights is definitely it. So if you’re ready to be taken on a dark and twisting journey, then buckle up and prepare to read Wuthering Heights.

The love between Catherine and Hareton Hindley’s son, which is a more delicate and kind version of the love between Cathy and Heathcliff, is poised to have a happy conclusion.

Wuthering Heights is a story of love and revenge, and tells the tale of two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons. The love that develops between young Catherine and Hindley’s son, Hareton, is a paler and gentler version of the love between Cathy and Heathcliff, and it’s poised for a happy ending. However, Heathcliff returns after many years away, seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. Wuthering Heights is a rich and dark novel, full of passion and violence.

Although Heathcliff still loves as fiercely as he once loved Cathy, his actions are now driven by a thirst for vengeance. He resorts to exacting some form of retribution from everyone who, in his opinion, has wronged him: Hindley (and his descendants) for mistreating him, and the Lintons (Edgar and Isabella) for taking Cathy away from him.

Wuthering Heights is a novel of passion, mystery, and revenge. It tells the story of two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, who live on opposite sides of Wuthering Heights, an isolated house on the Yorkshire moors. The Earnshaws are a poor family; the Lintons are wealthy landowners.

Heathcliff, an orphan brought up by Hindley Earnshaw, falls in love with Cathy Linton and they run away together. When Cathy returns to Wuthering Heights after four years away, she finds that she is now married to Edgar Linton. Heathcliff plots to destroy his rival and take Cathy back for himself. Wuthering Heights is a story of unrequited love, passion, and revenge.

The novel was written by Emily Bronte, who was born in 1818 and died in 1848, shortly after Wuthering Heights was published. It is one of three novels she wrote (the other two are The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey), but it is the only one that was published during her lifetime. Wuthering Heights is considered to be a classic of English literature. It has been adapted for stage, television, and film many times.

Some famous adaptations include Wuthering Heights (1939), starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon; Wuthering Heights (1970), starring Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall; Wuthering Heights (1992), starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche; and Wuthering Heights (2009), a three-part television adaptation starring Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley.

The central theme of the book is the dualism of good and evil. She has emphasized this area through piety, love, vengeance, and obsession. At first, there appears to be a leaning toward either goodness or evil among various figures.

Heathcliff, for example, represents the dark side of human nature with his anger, jealousy, and thirst for revenge. On the other hand, Catherine Earnshaw is a good person with strong morals. However, as the novel progresses, Heathcliff manages to corrupt Cathy and Edgar Linton, making them just as wicked as he is. Wuthering Heights is a story about the fall of man and how evil can take over when people give in to their desires. Bronte has shown how good can eventually overcome evil if people are willing to fight for it.

Wuthering Heights contains a number of prominent themes, including revenge and justice, which represent significant experiences, personality flaws, and the path of devastation. Heathcliff starts his existence in Wuthering Heights with an open heart but grows enraged after being mistreated by Edgar and Hindley.

Wuthering Heights is a novel about passionate love, cruel revenge, and the power of nature to erode human happiness. Wuthering Heights is a novel full of passion and emotion. The characters in the novel are motivated by intense feelings such as love, hate, jealousy, and vengeance. Emily Bronte has written Wuthering Heights as if it were a poem. This makes the story more powerful and moving.

The language is descriptive and lyrical which helps to set the mood for the reader. Wuthering Heights is a timeless classic that has been enjoyed by readers for many years. It is a must-read for all fans of romance and mystery. Wuthering Heights will leave you with a feeling of sadness and happiness all at the same time. It is a beautiful story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

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Wuthering Heights

Emily brontë, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Written when gender roles were far more rigid and defined than they are now, Wuthering Heights examines stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. Emily Brontë constantly contrasts masculinity and femininity, but not all of the comparisons are simple; sometimes boys act like girls and girls act like boys. Edgar Linton and Linton Heathcliff , for instance, are men, but Brontë frequently describes them as having the looks and attributes of women. Likewise, Catherine Earnshaw has many masculine characteristics; even though she is outrageously beautiful, she loves rough, outdoor play and can hold her own in any fight. She is a complex mix of hyper-feminine grace and loveliness and ultra-masculine anger and recklessness. Heathcliff , with his physical and mental toughness, has no such ambiguities—he is exaggeratedly masculine and scorns his wife Isabella for her overblown femininity.

Emily Brontë seems to favor masculinity over femininity, even in her women. In general, she portrays weak, delicate characters with contempt, while she treats strong and rugged characters like Heathcliff, both Catherines, and Hareton, with compassion and admiration, despite their flaws.

Masculinity and Femininity ThemeTracker

Masculinity and Femininity Quotes in Wuthering Heights