Wuthering Heights
by
Emily Bronte (1818—1848)
A. Introduction
1.
Background on the Brontes
a. The father
b. The kids—Charlotte, Branwell, Anne, and
Emily
c. 1826—Angria (five
years work)
A. Introduction (continued)
d. Gondal—Emily’s imaginary world (rebels)
e. Yorkshire—wild weather,
wild landscape
f. Three sisters all publish
(under male pseudonyms,
Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell)—early deaths
A. Introduction
2.
The Romantic Mind
a. Early 1800s—new way of seeing and
understanding the worldsubjective,
emotional, imagination, energy
b. Nature as the
expression of
the forces of the
universeGod
A. Introduction
C.
rebellion against reason
The Imagination—the key to
understanding
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
A. Introduction
D. The Byronic Hero
B. The Narration
1.
Two filters
a. Mr. Lockwood
b. Nelly Dean
B. Narration (continued)
2.
Method
forces (spirit, love, soul, passion)
Physical Manifestations
Nelly (eyewitness)
Lockwood (understands little)
Reader
3.
Covers 30 years (1771—1802) and three
generations
B. Narration
4.
Use of: diary (chapter 2)
letters
narration within narration
(chapter 17—
Isabella)
5.
There is no objective truth
—only a series of
subjective pieces
C. Structure
1.
Two main parts:
last meeting with Cathy
Heathcliff’s motivation for revenge
Heathcliff’s Revenge
C. Structure (see chronological
handout)
2.
Shakespearean Structure
III
Act I: Introduction—childhoods
II
IV
Act II: Hindley’s abuse
I
V
Cathy’s marriage
Heathcliff leaves and returns
Act III: Climax—last meeting and
Cathy’s death
Act IV: Heathcliff’s Revenge on the children
Act V: Heathcliff’s reconcilliaton, reunion with
Catherine; love of Catherine and
Hareton
D. Major Themes
1.
The love theme
Nature
Natural
Earthy
Passionate
Physical
Destructive ?
Real (?)
vs Civilization
Civil
Protected
Orderly
Kind
Caring
Artificial (?)
D. Major Themes
2.
Psychological Level
individual’s (Catherine’s) battle between
the id (passion, nature, sensuality) and
the super-ego
(civilization, order,
tenderness)
D. Major Themes
3.
The social themes
a. Marxist level: class, society, money,
“ownership” of the lands
1. the “civilized” world is
repressive,
artificial
2. the natural world is
real, powerful,
alive, subline
D. Major Themes
b. Moral theme: love and revenge
1. evil against Heathcliff (his
motivation? thrown into
lovelessness)
2. Heathcliff’s revenge is cosmic in
scope—not just against
Hindley/Linton thru Hareton/Cathy
but:
D. Major Themes (psychological)
--Revenge against the past through the
future
--Revenge against the class system
through the takeover of the
houses
D. Major Themes
4.
Universal Level of
Themes
a. illusion vs. reality
Surface
Transcendent
appearance real
Physical
Spiritual
(soul)
Sublime
D. Major Themes
b. Organized religion vs true spirituality
man-made vs nature
D. Major Themes
c. Life after Death
in spirit
through
children
Major Themes
5.
The Two Great Social Forces:
Nature
vs
Civilization
E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast
(see map)
The Houses:
Wuthering Heights
1.
Thrushcross Grange
Moors
E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast
2. The Moors: The natural world
a.
b.
c.
E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast
3. the weather: sympathetic nature
a.
b.
E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast
4. the Kirkyard
5. Penistone Crags
F. Characters (see family charts)
1.
Mr./Mrs Earnshaw:
2.
Mr. Mrs. Linton
3.
Catherine Earnshaw:
4.
Heathcliff:
F. Characters (see family charts)
5.
Edgar Linton:
6.
Isabella Linton Heathcliff:
7.
Hindley Earnshaw
8.
Hareton Earnshaw:
F. Characters (see family charts)
9.
Cathy Linton Heathcliff:
10.
Linton Heathcliff:
11.
Joseph:
F. Characters (see family charts)
The spirit lives on in the Children Theme
a. The journey of Catherine
Catherine Linton
Catherine Earnshaw
Cathy Linton
Catherine Earnshaw (2)
Catherine Heathcliff
Social Studies is cool
12.
F. Characters (see family charts)
b. The journey of Hareton
Mr. Earnshaw
Hareton Earnshaw (1500)
Hareton Earnshaw
Hindley Earnshaw
G. Art and Style of WH
Imagery
1.
a.
Animal
a.
Elements
a.
Weather
G. Art and Style of WH
2. symbolism
a. Characters
b. Setting
c. Books
d. Nature
e. References to heaven, hell and the
devil
H. Final thoughts on Wuthering Heights