English 12 May 9, 2013! Analysis of Emily Bronts Wuthering Heights and Womens Rights.!

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Tuchman once wrote, Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. They are engines of change, windows on the world, lighthouses erected in the sea of time. (2) There is no doubt that civilizations, culture, history and socio-economic factors affect literature, but it is quite a rare case when literature is able to change the culture and society. The fact that Emily Bronts Wuthering Heights, was able to capture its culture so impeccably and then after its publication it was so influential on its culture, is mainly the reason why it is such timeless and important piece of English literature.! ! Wuthering Heights was first published in 1947 during the Victorian Age. Regardless of

this, there were not many distinct Victorian literature characteristics in Bronts poetic writing. Its influence in nature, its recurrent theme of society and class, and the supernatural elements all point out that Wuthering Heights is part of the Romanticism movement. Nonetheless, its romantic characteristics did not affect on how influential this novel became after its publication.! ! Wuthering Heights has an exceedingly violent, passionate and vengeful mood, which is

the reason why when it was first published it was rejected by the Victorians. That such violent and cruel novel was written caused quite the stir. Emily Bronts only novel got horrible reviews, such as an anonymous review in Grahams Lady Magazine that read; How a human being could have attempted such a book as the present without committing suicide before he had finished a dozen chapters, is a mystery. It is a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors.... Much like Norman Jewisons controversial film Jesus Christ Superstar, it made a statement, and from the moment of its publication it became iconic.

By writing this novel, Emily Bront (like Mary Shelly), opened doors for women in

literature and the industrial world. It sure is not a coincidence that after Wuthering Heights was published, many occupational and educational opportunities for women began to arise. According to Greenblatt, in 1848 the first womans college was founded and The Woman Question appeared. (N.B. The Woman Question refers to Womans rights ongoing debates throughout the Victorian Era). This was not a direct consequence of Emily Bronts decision to publish this novel under her name, but the controversy in the fact that a female author wrote such a vulgar novel definitely had an effect on the Victorians; Who according to Greenblatt, were known for their moral values and domestic property).! ! Emily Bront and other female writers such as Jane Austen began to infiltrate on peoples

minds, and began the process of changing the world little by little. First came the rights to land ownership in 1817 1, which gave women the power to do what would seem that Bront and Austen wished the most. This was to be able to marry someone not because they were going to provide stability, but because they truly loved someone. We must be thankful to pieces of literature such as Wuthering Heights that explored the true darkness of marriage for socio-economic benefits versus marriage for true love because, without them, women might have never had been given the right to own or to vote. It is dreadful to think of how women were not allowed to be independent.! ! Sadly, like many pioneers (such as Van Gogh), her masterpiece was not truly appreciated

until much after her death in 18482. Wuthering Heights then became one of the most acclaimed novels in English literature. The story about star-crossed lovers, revenge, social and economic status, and love became a classic. Despite its gloomy and violent nature, it has propelled positive change in the world. Emily Bronts Wuthering Heights and all it stands for has been exceedingly influential in the English culture. Primarily because it is such a powerful piece of literature, but mostly because it has collaborated to one of the most important social movements in History.
1 According to Greenblatts The Norton Anthology of English Literature.

According to Meanss biography Emily Bront.!

Unknowingly, Emily Bronts only and acclaimed novel Wuthering Heights impacted numerous lives to a quite large extent. This makes people contemplate on how literature is able to affect culture and society. It is funny how one little novel could do so much as to carry so much history and the it is able to change the future. As Tuchman stated, Wuthering Heights was an engine of change and a window to the world. Wuthering Heights has impacted my life, shown me and million others the light of truth. Wuthering Heights has changed the world, and not many novels can do that.!

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Works Cited! Bront, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Dover Publications, 1996. Print.! Tuchman, Barbara W. Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 34 (Nov. 1980): 2.! Print.! Greenblatt, Stephen, gen. ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol.! A. New York: Norton, 2012. Print.! Shmoop Editorial Team. "Wuthering Heights Writing Style"Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 May 2013.! Jesus Christ, Superstar. Dir. Norman Jewison. Perf. Ted Neeley. Universal Pictures, 1973. DVD.! Collins, Nick. "How Wuthering Heights Caused a Critical Stir When First Published in 1847." The Telegraph. 22 Mar. 2011. Web.! Graham's Lady's Magazine July 1848. Web. 9 May 2013. <http://www.wuthering-heights.co.uk/ reviews.htm>.!