You are on page 1of 3

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The classic of the English literature “Wuthering Heights” is Emily Bronte’s only

novel. With 279 pages she succeeded to make it one of the most passionate and heartfelt

novels ever written. It was first published in 1847 by Thomas C. Newby, and after

Emily’s death her sister Charlotte edited a second edition. In 1994 it was published by the

Penguin Group with registered offices in England. A number of artists inspired by this

novel made magnificent works such as an opera, ballet, song, films, radio and a musical. I

chose this book because I have heard about Bronte’s sisters before, and I supposed that

this would be a novel worth reading.

Heathcliff is the main character and the whole novel centers around his life.

Everything starts with his passionate love towards Catherine. He is a bitter man

tormented by the loss of his love. Much of the story focuses on his evil doings and acts of

revenge. Catherine, another very important character, who despite the indescribable

feelings towards Heathcliff, decides to marry Edgar because of his position. She is a very

beautiful woman, but can also be arrogant and mean. In the end she becomes ill when

Heathcliff and Edgar fight, and dies in childbirth.

Contrast to Heathcliff, physically and spiritually as well, is Catherine’s husband,

Edgar. He is graceful and well-mannered gentleman, and tender and loving to his wife

and daughter. He ends up losing everything, his wife, his sister, his daughter, and his

home. The main narrator of this enchanting story is Nelly Dean, who is a very intelligent

and kind woman. She tries to describe the characters vividly and expresses her feelings

for them. Lockwood is the novel’s other narrator. Ha narrates the entire novel as an entry
in his diary. There are a lot of other characters, including Edgar’s younger sister, Isabella.

On the other hand, Hindley is Catherine’s elder brother who hates Heathcliff from the

start because his father prefers him. Young Catherine is the daughter of Edgar Linton and

Catherine. She has all her mother’s charm without her wildness. Mr. Earnshaw, Catherine

and Hindley’s father, is a rich farmer with a kind heart. Another interesting character is

Hindley’s wife, Frances Earnshaw, a young woman of unknown character. She is ill and

she dies immediately after giving birth to Hareton. Hareton is their only son, who marries

Young Catherine. Joseph is the household servant and Zillah is the housekeeper at

Wuthering Heights.

“Wuthering Heights” is a Gothic novel. It combines elements of both horror and

romance. The story begins in 1770s and it takes place in two houses on the Yorkshire

moors, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The houses are set in the lonely

mountains of Northern England. Lockwood narrates the story that Nelly, a servant, told to

him. There are some parts narrated by other characters as well. Most of the events are

narrated from Nelly’s point of view, focusing on what Nelly can see and hear. The main

character, Heathcliff, is brought by Mr. Earnshaw to the Wuthering Heights as an orphan

and is raised together with his two children, Catherine and Hindley. He is often referred

to as “like the devil”, and this is the way he acts. His intense and at the same time

destroyed passion towards Catherine Earnshaw causes him to despise all members of the

Linton family of Thrushcross Grange, and he plans to destroy them in many ways.

Heathcliff and Catherine grow up together playing wildly and carelessly on the moors,

until they meet Edgar and Isabella Linton who are the complete opposites of them.

Catherine is the character who creates the conflict throughout the whole book and
between the two characters, Edgar and Heathcliff. Because of her desire for social

advancement, she decides to marry Edgar. Heathcliff runs away and after three years he

returns to Wuthering Heights rich and educated, and sets about gaining his revenge on the

two families that he believed destroyed his life. Although it is a love story, really the story

is one of revenge. Besides the revenge, which is the major theme in this novel, the

prejudices are also present here. There are prejudices against race, education and class.

When Heathcliff is introduced for the first time he is described as a dark skinned boy. He

is called a “gypsy” many times, and the Lintons treat him badly because of his

appearance. Catherine tries to better her station by marrying Edgar and by reading a lot.

She laughs at Hareton because of his lack of education. And, also the class hierarchy can

be easily seen throughout the whole story. There are many supernatural events from the

beginning until the end of the novel, such as the Heathcliff and Catherine’s ghosts, seen

walking on the moors, and Heathcliff seen by Ellen as a goblin.

At first I thought that this is a novel about one enormous love between Heathcliff

and Catherine, but in many instances the revenge played the main role. It was interesting

for me to see how one hero in the beginning of the novel becomes the anti-hero after the

love of his life marries someone else. It was a bit difficult for me to understand some

parts of the story, because they are written in old English. While I was reading the vivid

descriptions of the characters, especially of Heathcliff, I had the whole image in my head,

as I have watched the film, not read the book, as I was there, in Wuthering Heights. I

think I will never forget the character of Heathcliff. I will definitely recommend this book

to everyone.

You might also like