Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Setting - Yorkshire, England

The Yorkshire Moors “Wuthering” means stormy or turbulent/wild The moor is an essentially hostile environment but also beautiful. A desolate and isolated part of England The setting in Wuthering Heights reflects the area where Emily Bronte grew up Characterized by rugged hills with scattered, hard, black stones with little vegetation

The Setting, cont. Wuthering Heights is set in three locations: Thrushcross Grange Both of these are located within The Yorkshire Moors

Wuthering Heights vs. Thrushcross Grange The house and inhabitants mirror the natural world Wuthering Heights is located on top of a hill where it is exposed to the harsh weather and is dark and gloomy. It is a much wilder environment. Thrushcross Grange is located in a valley where it is protected by a stone wall. The Grange is also luxuriously decorated. The contrasting houses also directly reflect the inhabitants who live inside Thrushcross = Lintons; Wuthering Heights = Earnshaws

Wuthering Heights A story of two Households…

Thrushcross Grange

Wuthering Heights

Frame Story Wuthering Heights is highly praised for the unique narrative technique Emily Bronte used to execute the novel, often referred to as a “frame narrative.” The two main narrators are Lockwood and Nelly Dean, but other narrators arise throughout the novel when Nelly quotes what other characters have told her. The frame narrative form of the novel adds complexity for the reader. Lockwood is the outer layer and Nelly the inner layer. Nelly is closer to the story because she lived through it. Since the story passes through layers, the reader must question the reliability of all that he or she reads. Example: Nelly glosses over events to minimize her own guilt. Example: Lockwood is naïve and lacks good judgment.

Novel Structure Wuthering Heights is told in medias res (Latin for "into the middle of things”). It usually describes a narrative that begins, not at the beginning of a story, but somewhere in the middle — usually at some crucial point in the action. The purpose in Wuthering Heights is to add a sense of mystery.

Structure cont. The first half of the novel tells the story of Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Edgar Linton. The second half mirrors the first by describing the actions of the children of the characters in the first half (Cathy Linton, Linton Heathcliff, and Hareton Earnshaw). As you can see the names are going to be confusing – keep track of who is doing/saying what or you will be lost.

Industrial Revolution and Social Class Wuthering Heights was written in 1847, which was a time when Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution were the dominant forces of the British economy and society. It was a time of rapid, often confusing, change that led to violence. As a result of the changing economy, the traditional relationships between classes and the social structure began to change.

Industrial, cont. While wealth had traditionally been measured by land ownership, the eighteenth century had begun a trend toward a cash-based economy. This created a middle class who were more economically powerful than its landowning superiors (gentry). The power of yeomen, or the respectable farming class, as well as the traditional power-holding gentry was challenged by the newly wealthy capitalists.

Social Changes... Each of these classes is represented in the novel by various characters. Hareton is a member of the respectable farming class the Lintons are members of the gentry Heathcliff makes his fortune (somewhat mysteriously) as a capitalist

The Victorian Novel The Victorian Period is named after Queen Victoria It was a time when women were expected to be prim and completely centered on domestic life While you read watch out for the conflict between domesticity and wildness – especially in regards to Catherine

Women’s Rights… During this time period women’s rights were changing. Why this is relevant: Emily Brontë wrote Wuthering Heights during the beginning of the women’s rights movement in England. The primary concerns of the movement were the lack of women’s right to vote and the lack of married women’s property rights. The latter issue arises in Wuthering Heights.

Romanticism, the Gothic novel, and Wuthering Heights Wuthering Heights contains elements of Romanticism and the Gothic novel. Romantic elements: nature as a powerful spiritual force Importance on feeling rather than thinking descriptions of the countryside elevated emotional levels and passion a desire to rise above the limitations of ordinary human existence a strong interest in death a portrayal of opposites – escape and pursuit, life and death isolation, both emotional and geographical elements of the supernatural Looked at the dark side of humanity

The Gothic novel Elements of the Gothic novel a castle, sometimes ruined or haunted sinister, ruined buildings extreme landscape and weather death and madness omens ancestral curses terrifying events taboo and sensational topics a suggestion of the supernatural a villain or villain-hero (Byronic hero) driven by passion a heroine wooed by both a good and a dangerous suitor revenge

Byronic Hero Heathcliff is regarded as a classic Byronic hero. Elements of the Byronic hero: a distaste for social institutions and social norms conflicting emotions or moodiness high levels of intelligence and cunning self-criticism mysterious origins and a troubled past self-destructive tendencies a loner, rejected from society

Keep In Mind… Keep track of dates and how the story progresses. Keep track of who is speaking. This will help you keep your reading organized. Keep track of whether or not the story is flashback mode or not. It is not necessary to understand all of Joseph’s dialogue, but you need to keep in mind his characterization and the meaning behind what he says.