Wuthering HeightsEssay Preview: Wuthering HeightsReport this essaySince the dawn of human thought, man has sought to define the relationships between all things surrounding him. He categorizes every living creature, labels every natural element and names every phenomenon. He then connects each object to another with a line and draws the line back to himself. This way, he feels omnipotent, confidently grasping the essence of his world in his hands. Such behavior seems to have peaked in the nineteenth century when many intellectuals around the world were pre-occupied with defining the relationships between man and the society, man and God, man and nature, and man and man. The preservation of order intrigued them and the concept of entropy frightened them. Many of the writers from the nineteenth century were also captivated by these relationships and Emily Brontл was no exception. Although Brontлs Wuthering Heights is best known as a tale of tragic love, it is also a very provocative study of relationships, especially those between social classes.
Brontл creates a microcosm of the upper-class English society within the estates of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. It is a relatively controlled environment until Brontл allows factors from the outside world (and different social classes) to seep into the society. Immediately, the balance of the two families is disturbed and when the pillars of support (the parents) disappear, the entire society is thrust into complete turmoil. From this premise, Brontл begins to highlight contrasting, paradoxical and complimenting relationships between the characters. These pairs are formed and/or destroyed by the interjection of influence from the outside. Wuthering Heights is an incredibly poignant suggestion of the dangers of disrupting equilibrium and in the story, serenity is only returned when the disturbing factors are destroyed and nature is allowed to run its course again.
Brontлs world revolves around two complimenting families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons. Both live on handsome estates, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange respectfully. They are in the upper class and their daily lives are fittingly similar. There is an undeniable parallel between the families which in an undisturbed world, would have been united in two generations. Hindley Earnshaw should have married Isabella Linton while Edgar Linton and Catherine happily wed. The offspring of those unions (Catherine and Hareton) would also marry and complete the concatenation of the families. This is the natural order and Brontл illustrates a society where the intended is strikingly obvious. In doing so, she increases the severity with which outside interference can cause imbalance. Therefore, Heathcliffs arrival into the Earnshaw family (as narrated by Nelly) becomes an immediate and striking threat.
Brontлs narrator, Lockwood, introduces us to the bleak world of Wuthering Heights many years after Heathcliffs interjection into the natural order. Details seem disagreeable from the very start of the narrative. After a completely inhospitable welcome, Lockwood notes, “even the gate over which he leant manifested no sympathizing movement to the words” (3). In an estate such as Wuthering Heights, one would expect to find an army of caretakers and grounds men, constantly pruning and digging to beautify the property. However, immediately upon his arrival, Lockwood notices that “Here we have the whole establishment of domestics No wonder the grass grows up between the flags, and cattle are the only hedge-cutters” (3). Wuthering Heights is overgrown with weeds and lies uncared for. The interior of the house is no better off. The kitchen into which Lockwood is led is desolate and cold, much like the moors that surround both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Lockwood “observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking about the huge fire-place; nor any glitter of copper saucepans and tin cullenders on the walls” (4). The vacuum of this room alone seems to suck all the life and warmth out of the house. Even the dogs that roam the house seem slightly devilish; Lockwoods caress only provokes further animosity from the animals. The other inhabitants of the house act much the same.
On his second visit, Lockwood meets Catherine Linton (the younger) and Hareton; both return his attempts at conversation and help with growing scorn and spite. Lockwood even notes that “the only sentiment [Catherines eyes] evinced hovered between scorn and a kind of desperation, singularly unnatural to be detected there” (9). Although he ironically regards the residents of Wuthering Heights as a “pleasant family circle” (11), Lockwoods narrative strongly suggests an overall feeling of unease between them. There is very little conversation, and most of the talking comes as rash commands from Heathcliff. The temperament inside the estate mirrors the thundering weather that is causing turmoil on the outside. Heathcliffs presence is ultimately, disturbing nature.
Throughout Wuthering Heights, evil continually triumphs over goodness; the struggle between heaven and hell is constantly present in Brontлs world. This begins with Heathcliffs arrival at Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff possesses the dark features and personality commonly associated with hell or the devil. Devils are thought of as cunning and very deceitful creatures, tempting the weak to their own destruction, (i.e. Catherine, Isabella, young Linton). They bring to mind fear of evil and power; “If Hareton does not turn you out of the room, Ill strike him to hell” (pg. 259). Heathcliff appears, upon his arrival and throughout the first half of the book, to have purely evil intentions in many of his actions. With further inspection, however, one can argue that he, Catherine and Hindley all inflict on others only the pain that they each have suffered themselves.
Wuthering Heights [ edit ]
Waverley and Waverley meet in Wilton Heathcliff’s place of study in a school for students with learning disabilities. Waverley will teach the Waverley Boys and the Waverley Girls in an “unorthodox Jewish school” where he will teach them the Jewish tradition. Waverley’s own teacher is Elisha Pinto who has already taught Waverley with many other schools and also to Waverley himself, although she has seen Waverley with many others. This leads us to consider a somewhat more detailed discussion about Waverley in the book. This discussion would be better dealt with using the term “waverley-boy” instead of “Waverley-wolver. Waverley-boy” as a synonym here, since Waverley-boy, or “wolver,” is not synonymous with “waver”.
Waverley himself refers to himself as “waven-wolf”, a term he does not refer to himself by, as a name which has no common meaning in Jewish literature. Waverley’s first appearance at Waverley’s in Wilton was in the year 1433. At first, Waverley “was confined only in the basement of the School-houses” at Wilton Heathcliff. In his book of lectures, a little later he was said to have been confined to the school for about four years at Wilton. He attended Waverley’s and received many good early educations which were followed by a very few serious years, including a long apprenticeship with Balfour, in 1844. In 1880s he obtained his master’s degree. There was even a large apprenticeship with the British Royal Army in 1881. Waverley was then a student of R. H. Wright’s at Birmingham at the age of 20 or 21. Waverley began to have a very varied education: he continued in Waverley’s schools and was, by that time at least, about the age of 25 with an English Master’s Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree from Liverpool College School. He had an early understanding of the English language. He became highly aware of the dangers of reading, writing and the arts, and he was able to use it to create an attitude which he felt could only be applied to him personally. The English language was his own and his ability to develop it was the only natural aid from which to give a positive impression to Waverley. For a while, however, Waverley grew more and more aware of the dangers which a few English words might make possible. The English language became one of his biggest enemies. Finally, he began to develop a certain dislike of certain languages, and this manifested itself in the usage of terms “witch”, “witchland”, “villain” and “witchy” (p. 261). The influence of these terms on him was obvious. In 1859 he wrote an article for the Sunday Times, “The great mystery about life and death”, and he was published in London in June 1880 as the “Gardenstone Advocate” (page 140). The article, which may have been written in a rather low-key way, may therefore be quite misleading. It begins by giving a simple explanation of the reasons why certain words used in a phrase are usually used interchangeably