by Austin Mundy English 121

 By Emliy Bronte  Written between

 Wuthering Heights is a story of;  Terror, abuse, love, adultury, and death  The main characters are Mr. Heathcliff, Edgar Linton, Ellen Dean, Catherine Linton, Mr. Earnshaw, Mr. Hindley and Joseph

 Wuthering Hieghts is an estate, in england, where the Mr. Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar, Joseph, and Ellen all grew up in.  Ellen and Joseph were the servants who helped Mr. Hindley take care of the children growing up.  Mr. Hindley was a nice man with a temper. He abused his children and showed compassion.  The house was victim to several deaths including Mr. Hindleys wife.

 Growing up in such an enviroment allowed the children to grow up in different ways.  Catherine married her brother Edgar( at this time period was not all that strange)  Mr. Heathcliff traveled mysteriously, and grew to become a man that the characters described as having Devilish personality.

 By Shirley Jackson  Written in 1959

 The main characters of this is Dr. Montague, Eleanor Vance, Theodora, Luke Sanderson, Mrs. Montague, Mrs. Dudley, and Aurthur Parker.  The story describes a house known as Hill House, located in the thick forest, surrounded by rolling hills.  The house is known for paranormal activity, however noone talks about it.

 Dr. Montague believes in paranormal manifestations, so he rents the house for the summer sending out invitations to Eleanor, Theodora and Luke hoping to write a novel on what they experience.  All these people were selected for various reasons. Luke is an heir to the house, Theodora shows signs of telepathic ability, while Eleanor seeks out something new.  Eleanor’s life was hard, and she accepted the invitation in search of who she really is.

 Both novels where interesting an shared common similarities not only with each other but with other pieces of literature I have read.  The both are about a house with an eerie past.  The both have characters that show some sign of vulnerability to the house.  The both share similar quarrels that each character is battling.

 Both novels have multiple themes.  Themes that I have found in both are Love of Friendship is stronger than anything, an no matter how bad something is, there is always a way to see past it and prevail.

 The gift of friendship over powering any evil in my opinion is true.  Eleanor Vance went to hill house with noone beside her. The house fed off her fear, and tormented her mind, but through the power of friendship created between her and Theodora, the house could not physically harm her. Eleanor had friends to protect her.  Catherine Linton from Wuthering Heights would not be alive if it was not for Ellen Dean.  She helped with every little thing Catherine requested. She listend, and gave advice on love and life.

 Whenever Catherine was torn between Edgar and Heathcliff, Ellen was there to stand by her side and guide her.  If I was a doctor I would diagnose Catherine as bipolar and partially mentally insane. She could do harm to herself and to others, but Ellen was there to watch over. She only did what she felt was best for Catherine.  Eleanor Vance from The haunting of Hill house could have been hurt by the paranormal manifestations of the previous tenants of Hill House however Theodora told her that she was loved, she is a great person and genuinely showed she loved her, by holding her hand while the ghosts tried to get into the room.

 Friendship is truly a powerfull thing.  Friends are there to bring you up when your down.  They are there to protect you, back you up, and sometimes even fight eachothers battles.  Ellen Dean, and Theodora are the same person in two different novels written in different time periods.

 Both stories describe an evil that terrorizes people.  Both two different types of evil though  In The Haunting of Hill House it is the spirits of people who previously lived in the house. The Cain Girls and there companion.  In Wuthering Heights, the evil is the people themselves

 Eleanor Vance looked over her dying mother for 10 years until she forgot to wake up and give her mom medicine. She blames herself everyday. She has no house, no car, and nowhere to go. She questions everything about life, and shows fear.  Catherine Linton lived at Wuthering Heights for many years. She was raised there. She was abused by siblings, and didn’t care for her father after his wife died, He grew up cruel. Catherine from the beginning has been in love with Mr. Heathcliff and her brother Edgar. She wont confess her love of Heathcliff since she thinks he is no good. When Heathcliff leaves she marries Edgar. Evil continued…

 Both women are confused with their lives. They both have experienced pain over the years. I would consider them both unstable.  Hill House is nice to Eleanor at first, then it torments her, by singling her out. It talks of her home and mother. Both of which she no longer has.  It drives her to the point of going insane and doing things she normally wouldn’t do. She leads everyone on a wild chase through out the house up to the tower( it is said the previous owners companion hung herself there) where she is eventually guided down by Luke and sent away from Hill House for good. Despite all the bad she experienced at Hill House, she is happy. She finally let her mom go, and realized the house helped her in many ways

 Wuthering Heights did the same to Catherine. I believe it is the house that causes her to go crazy at times. The house is always luring everyone back, despite what they all experienced in the house.  The house makes Ellen and the other character relive some of the worst and best memories.  They are all afraid of the house in a way.  It gives off an evil presence, that can alter the way its tenants behave.  Mr. Heathcliff grew to appreciate all he has experienced in his life. If it wasn’t for Mr. Earnshaw taking him in as a child, He would have never met the love of his life, Catherine. Catherine being torn between Edgar and Heathcliff becomes very ill. She is ill because of what Edgar did. He made her choose between him and Heathcliff. In the end she chooses Heathcliff. She says he is the exact person as her.

 Despite all the pain Catherine endured and after being in the dark. She was presented with a light when Heathcliff returned to her.  The same goes for Eleanor of Hill house.  Hill House was in a way her light out of the dark.

 Both the Haunting of Hill House and Wuthering Heights are beautifully written pieces of literature that share common themes despite being written so far apart.