By Emily Brontë
Nikki’s Rating: 8 out of 10
Summary: Growing up together, Heathcliff and Catherine fall deeply in love, believing that one could not survive without the other. But Heathcliff has no title, no land, no occupation and Catherine must be provided for. After losing Catherine forever, Heathcliff torments the next generation as he is haunted by Catherine and what could have been.
8 Worthwhile Things about Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights
(May Contain Spoilers)
1. Romanticism
Wuthering Heights like Jane Eyre is a prime example of Romanticism. With its Gothic themes of ghosts and elements of the Byronic hero seen in Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights is truly inspired by the Romantic era.
2. Perspective
The perspective of Wuthering Heights is not told through one of the main characters of the story but rather an outsider who is not an intimate of the family and who seems to be unreliable as well. This leaves the reader in an interesting predicament of being further removed from the actual main characters and knowing that we are not seeing the whole story.
3. Speech
Emily Brontë kept her characters authentic by writing phonetically for those of the lower class who had a very different pattern of speech.
4. Love Story
While Heathcliff’s obsession is a bit stalkerish/creepy and Catherine is truly a spoiled brat, their love is still romantic on many levels. One cannot help but wish that they had ended up together and feel how tragic it is that they didn’t.
5. Heathcliff
Healthcliff is a dynamic character. While he appears to be quite a brute with questionable morals, there is an element of softness about him. A tortured soul who only wants to be with his true love. A Bryonic hero indeed!
6. Parallels
There are many parallels in Wuthering Heights between the first and second generations. One such parallel is that between Heathcliff and Hareton. Being the son of his bitter enemy, Heathcliff treats Hareton accordingly. Heathcliff actually raises Hareton similar to how he was raised, treating Hareton like a servant and denying him an education. And yet we see this goodness in Heathcliff through him saving Hareton’s life as a baby and treating him better than Hareton’s real father ever does.
7. Hareton and Catherine
The love that eventually develops between Catherine and Hareton is quite beautiful and provides an ending to Wuthering Heights that is positive and hopeful especially after the heartbreak of Heathcliff and Catherine.
8. Beautifully Written
Written eloquently with beautiful descriptives, interesting characters, and a tragic, heartbreaking love-story, Wuthering Heights is an enchanting novel that will remain a timeless classic for years to come.
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