25. Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
Wuthering Heights is the only novel by Emily Brontë. It was first published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, and a posthumous second edition was edited by her sister Charlotte.
PLOT OF WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Prologue (chapters 1 to 3) Mr Lockwood, a rich man from the south, has rented Thrushcross Grange in the north of England for peace and recuperation. Soon after arrival, he visits his landlord, Mr Heathcliff, who lives in the remote moorland farmhouse called "Wuthering Heights". He finds the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights to be a strange group: Mr Heathcliff appears a gentleman but his manners and speech suggest otherwise; the mistress of the house is in her mid teens, an attractive but reserved, even rude woman; and there is a young man who appears to be one of the family although he dresses and talks like a servant.
Being snowed in, he has to stay the night and is shown to an unused chamber where he finds books and graffiti from a former inhabitant of the farmhouse called "Catherine". When he falls asleep, his dreams are prompted by this person and he has a nightmare where he sees her as a ghost trying to get in through the window. He wakes and is unable to return to sleep so, as soon as the sun rises, he is escorted back to Thrushcross Grange by Heathcliff. There he asks his housekeeper, Ellen Dean, to tell him the story of the family from the Heights.
The Childhood of Heathcliff (chapters 4 to 17) The story begins thirty years before when the Earnshaw family lived at Wuthering Heights consisting of, as well as the mother and father, Hindley, a boy of fourteen, and six-year-old Catherine, the same person that he had dreamt about and the mother of the present mistress. In that year, Mr Earnshaw travels to Liverpool where he finds a homeless, gypsy boy of about seven whom he decides to adopt as his son. He names him "Heathcliff". Hindley, who finds himself excluded from his father's affections by this newcomer, quickly learns to hate him but Catherine grows very attached to him. Soon Heathcliff and Catherine are like twins, spending hours on the moors together and hating every moment apart. Because of this discord, Hindley is eventually sent to college but he returns, three years later, when Mr Earnshaw dies. With a new wife, Frances, he becomes master of Wuthering Heights and forces Heathcliff to become a servant instead of a member of the family. Heathcliff and Cathy continue to run wild and, in November, a few months after Hindley's return, they make their way to Thrushcross Grange to spy on the inhabitants. As they watch the childish behaviour of Edgar and Isabella Linton, the children of the Grange, they are spotted and try to escape. Catherine, having been caught by a dog, is brought inside and helped while Heathcliff is sent home. Five weeks later, Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights but she has now changed, looking and acting as a lady. She laughs at Heathcliff's unkempt appearance and, the next day when the Lintons visit, he dresses up to impress her. It fails when Edgar makes fun of him and they argue. Heathcliff is locked in the attic where, in the evening, Catherine climbs over the roof to comfort him. He vows to get his revenge on Hindley. In the summer of the next year, Frances gives birth to a child, Hareton, but she dies before the year is out. This leads Hindley to descend into a life of drunkenness and waste. Two years on and Catherine has become close friends with Edgar, growing more distant from Heathcliff. One day in August, while Hindley is absent, Edgar comes to visit Catherine . She has an argument with Ellen which then spreads to Edgar who tries to leave. Catherine stops him and, before long, they declare themselves lovers. Later, Catherine talks with Ellen, explaining that Edgar had asked her to marry him and she had accepted. She says that she does not really love Edgar but Heathcliff. Unfortunately she could never marry the latter because of his lack of status and education. She therefore plans to marry Edgar and use that position to help raise Heathcliff's standing. Unfortunately Heathcliff had overheard the first part about not being able to marry him and flees from the farmhouse. He disappears without trace and, after three years, Edgar and Catherine are married. Six months after the marriage, Heathcliff returns as a gentleman, having grown stronger and richer during his absence. Catherine is delighted to see him although Edgar is not so keen. Isabella, now eighteen, falls madly in love with Heathcliff, seeing him as a romantic hero. He despises her but encourages the infatuation, seeing it as a chance for revenge on Edgar. When he embraces Isabella one day at the Grange, there is an argument with Edgar which causes Catherine to lock herself in her room and fall ill. Heathcliff has been staying at the Heights, gambling with Hindley and teaching Hareton bad habits. Hindley is gradually losing his wealth, mortgaging the farmhouse to Heathcliff to repay his debts. While Catherine is ill, Heathcliff elopes with Isabella, causing Edgar to disown his sister. The fugitives marry and return two months later to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff hears that Catherine is ill and arranges with Ellen to visit her in secret. In the early hours of the day after their meeting, Catherine gives birth to her daughter, Cathy, and then dies. The day after Catherine's funeral, Isabella flees Heathcliff and escapes to the south of England where she eventually gives birth to Linton, Heathcliff's son. Hindley dies six months after his sister and Heathcliff finds himself the master of Wuthering Heights and the guardian of Hareton.
The Maturity of Heathcliff (chapters 18 to 31) Twelve years on, Cathy has grown into a beautiful, high-spirited girl who has rarely passed outside the borders of the Grange. Edgar hears that Isabella is dying and leaves to pick up her son with the intention of adopting him. While he is gone, Cathy meets Hareton on the moors and learns of her cousin and Wuthering Heights' existence. Edgar returns with Linton who is a weak and sickly boy. Although Cathy is attracted to him, Heathcliff wants his son with him and insists on having him taken to the Heights. Three years later, Ellen and Cathy are on the moors when they meet Heathcliff who takes them to Wuthering Heights to see Linton and Hareton. His plans are for Linton and Cathy to marry so that he would inherit Thrushcross Grange. Cathy and Linton begin a secret and interrupted friendship. In August of the next year, while Edgar is very ill, Ellen and Cathy visit Wuthering Heights and are held captive by Heathcliff who wants to marry his son to Cathy and, at the same time, prevent her from returning to her father before he dies. After five days, Ellen is released and Cathy escapes with Linton's help just in time to see her father before he dies. With Heathcliff now the master of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, Cathy has no choice but to leave Ellen and to go and live with Heathcliff and Hareton. Linton dies soon afterwards and, although Hareton tries to be kind to her, she retreats into herself. This is the point of the story at which Lockwood arrives. After being ill with a cold for some time, Lockwood decides that he has had enough of the moors and travels to Wuthering Heights to inform Heathcliff that he is returning to the south.
Epilogue (chapters 32 to 34) In September, eight months after leaving, Lockwood finds himself back in the area and decides to stay at Thrushcross Grange (since his tenancy is still valid until October). He finds that Ellen is now living at Wuthering Heights. He makes his way there and she fills in the rest of the story.
Ellen had moved to the Heights soon after Lockwood had left to replace the housekeeper who had departed. In March, Hareton had had an accident and been confined to the farmhouse. During this time, a friendship had developed between Cathy and Hareton. This continues into April when Heathcliff begins to act very strangely, seeing visions of Catherine. After not eating for four days, he is found dead in his room. He is buried next to Catherine.
Lockwood departs but, before he leaves, he hears that Hareton and Cathy plan to marry on New Year's Day.
THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:
STRUCTURE à CIRCLE
The older generation of characters is not able to act in a way that would bring them happiness; they are self-destructive.
The younger generation cannot be put in the same category as the old one. They are less wild and more prone to education in a way that they want to change things around them instead of dealing with them. Hareton and Cathy (Catherine’s daughter) can learn from each other and about each other. That’s why everything finishes happily: in the end Hareton is the owner of Wuthering Heights and above the door there is the name “Hareton Earnshaw”, so it begins from the very beginning.
CIRCULARITY: It begins with Catherine Earnshaw and ends with Catherine Earnshaw. Catherine married Edgar Linton, they had a daughter – Cathy Linton, who, in the end, married Hareton Earnshaw.
Catherine Earnshaw à Linton à Earnshaw
Circular structure – structure that is based on duality: two families, two houses, nothing is really certain in the text.
THE NARRATORS:
The story is narrated by Lockwood, temporary tenant (najemca) of Thrushcross Grange. In some parts of the book, the narration is taken up by the housekeeper of Earnshaws, and later – Lintons – Nilly Dean
MYTH UNDERLYING THE TEXT:
There is a myth reported by Plato – belief in the existence of the other half of us. People were divided into 2 and unless they find their halves, they won’t feel fulfilled; 2 people being 1 soul. Love between Catherine and Heathcliff continues even after she dies; he wants her to haunt him. She is his soul; she says: “I am Heathcliff” – he’s dead when she dies. C. and H. believe in this myth. That’s why they are so passionate.
When Heathcliff left and was missing for 3 years, she suffered, fell ill and almost died. She survived and married Linton. When Heathcliff returns, Nelly closes the window, but Catherine falls ill. She looks in a mirror and doesn’t recognise herself. She is so strange for her real self that she doesn’t recognise the person she became while being with Edgar, since her soul belongs to Heathcliff, but she cannot be with him. By killing herself, she kills Heathcliff, making herself unhappy. She makes Heathcliff unhappy too. She has to die as she is far from Wuthering Heights. She can be happy only there. She wants the windows to be open to breathe the air from W.H. and its moors that bring her to life. Love is sacred thing!
THE TWO HOUSES:
o Wuthering Heights- Earnshaws
· the house is remote, situated far away from the village
· the state of the building- dilapidated, old, surrounded by wild nature
· shabby inside
· small, narrow windows
· dark, creates gloomy, mysterious atmosphere
· locked rooms
· gates are always open
· fireplace- they gather around it
o Thrushcross Grange- Lintons
· big ,impressive manor
· big, wide windows
· surrounded by well-kept park
· in the valley, close to the village
· lavish decorations, expensive furniture
· library
FAMILIES:
o Earnshaws:
· not educated ( no books in the house)
· they follow the order of nature, follow the natural rhythm of the day - they wake up early and go to bed very early
· physically strong and active
· seem to be aggressive, violent- very emotional, they express their emotions directly
but:
· Mr. Earnshaw brings up an orphan ( Heathcliff)
· Heathcliff allows Mr. Lockwood to stay in his house
o Lintons:
· don’t work
· well-educated (huge library)
· aggressive, cold, don’t show their feelings
· ill-health
· passive
· make the impression that they are civilized, but their children fight ( trivial reason: who will hold a puppy) they discriminate others ( they didn’t let Heathcliff into their house because he looked different than : shabby clothes, darker skin)
PRESENTATION OF HEATHCLIFF:
o wild and passionate
o his name suggests that he’s a part of nature à heath = moors (łąki; green landscape)
o disappears for a while and returns; he’s quite mysterious
o behaves like an animal after Catherine’s death – he howled like a beast (chapter 16: he’s standing like a tree, animals accept him like a part of their surrounding – birds are building their nest near him.
o somebody who is seen differently by different characters:
· Edgar Linton’s sister thinks that he’s a romantic hero, because she falls in love with him. But after she marries him, she changed her opinion – in a letter to Molly, she clearly compares Heathcliff to devil, she suggests that he is devil himself.
· Lockwood says that he’s a gentleman, but even devil is a perfect gentleman.
o he’s always outside running along moors
o he follows a kind of a natural rhythm – wakes up very early, and goes to bed very early too, together with his household.
o we don’t know who his parents were. They may have been Gipsies or even kings as Nelly suggested
o he’s driven by revenge which motivates him
o Why does he behave so? What’s his motivation?
· lost love and suffering
· in his revenge he’s similar to Byron’s character à the Giaur – it’s not the name, but the word suggesting a stranger (Giaur means someone who is not a Muslim). We don’t know his name, or his past; he takes revenge, and he has no satisfaction. Heathcliff is similar to Giaur:
Ø they both lost their beloved women
Ø they both are mysterious
Ø they both take revenge without any satisfaction
o So Heathcliff is the BYRONIC HERO
HEATHCLIFF AS A BYRONIC HERO:
· unknown origin, his past is shrouded in mystery; his parentage is never discovered
· looks different than others: black-haired, referred to as a “gypsy” because of his dark colouring
· his lack of surname stresses the mystery of his background, and even as he grows older he maintains this air of secrecy – for example, when he returns to Wuthering Heights a wealthy man after a long absence, no-one is ever able to say where he made his money
· he doesn’t feat to the society
· he looks for revenge ( after the death of Cathy) but he cannot find it
PRESENTATION OF CATHERINE EARNSHAW
o First introduced in Lockwood's discovery of her diary and etchings, Catherine's life is almost entirely detailed in the first volume.
o She seemingly suffers from a crisis of identity, unable to choose between nature and culture (and, by extension, Heathcliff and Edgar).
o Her decision to marry Edgar Linton over Heathcliff has been seen as a surrender to culture, and has implications for all the characters of Wuthering Heights.
o The character of Catherine has been analysed by many forms of literary criticism, including: psychoanalytic and feminist.
GOTHIC ELEMENTS:
o mysterious setting: hostile nature, fog from the moors, weather conditions, dark rooms in W. H., wind
o ghost of Cathy and supernatural phenomena of haunting house – Cathy is told to haunt Heathcliff and W. H.
o the protagonist manipulates the others, he’s a tyrant, he even imprisoned Cathy creating atmosphere of a terror
o women imprisoned and forced to marriage
o the house is old (from 15th C), small windows, it’s dark; locked parts of house (e.g. Catherine and Heathcliff’s rooms) à that makes the house mysterious. In gothic novels we have got hidden rooms, passages, etc.
Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" is a fine instance of a Victorian 'female gothic' novel which features women entrapped within the confines of their domestic space and victimized by patriarchal bullying.
SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE GOTHIC ARE:
o The architecture: ancient dilapidated houses, "before passing the threshold...the date 1500." Ch1. These houses are usually haunted by ghosts. In Ch3 Lockwood encounters the ghost of Catherine.
o Ghosts: In Ch.34 "a little boy with a sheep and two lambs" sees the ghosts of Catherine and Heathcliff.
o Death and decay: In Ch29 Heathcliff disturbs the grave of Catherine and in Ch34 he is buried alongside Catherine so that their decaying bodies can become one.
o Madness: Both Catherine and Heathcliff are hysterical and almost insane before their deaths, Chs15 and 33 and 34.
o Hereditary curses: Heathcliff's adoption is referred to as, "so from the very beginning he bred bad feeling in the house."
o Tyrants: First Hindley and then Heathcliff exercise their authority over the household of Wuthering Heights.
o Persecuted maidens: Both the Catherines and Isabella are treated cruelly.
BY WAY OF CONTRAST, THE ELEMENTS OF ROMANCE ARE:
o Love for Nature: The novel is full of the beauty of moors of Yorkshire.
o Egoistical: All the characters are egoistical and fiercely independent.
o Love and its concurrent dilemmas: Catherine in love with two men at the same time.
NATURE
o ...
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