Wuthering Heights

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Wuthering Heights

• Emily Bronte

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Emily Bronte

• Widowed father was a clergyman, raised 6 children
  alone in the wild moor territory
• Sent to boarding school at age 6 (2 sisters died
  there which profoundly affected Charlotte and
  Emily
• isolated, strange, sequestered environment
• Highly imaginative, extremely reclusive, began
  writing poetry at an early age
• Sisters novel, Jane Eyre was published in 1847
• Wuthering Heights was published in 1848 with the
  initial reaction being poorcalled a strange
  story
• 2nd edition in 1850 (after Brontes death) gained
  critical and commercial success
• WH was originally published under name of Ellis
  Bell because of the implications concerning
  female writers (common for women at the time)
• died on December 19, 1848

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Literary Context / Literary Movements

• Age of Reason Age of Romanticism Age of
  Realism
• WH was influenced by the Romantic Movement
• Reaction again the emphasis on reason and
  intellect that dominated the 18th century
• Stressed the importance of feeling rather than
  thinking
• Rise of Gothic architecture, literature,
  etc.painting style was impressionistic and
  moody, dark
• Romantic poets included Byron and Shelley

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Literary Context / Literary Movements

• Emphasis on the nature especially the darker
  aspects of existence and human nature
• Said humans could be vicious and perverse and the
  light of civilization might not always triumph
  over darkness
• Byronic hero
• Elements of Realism some characters are true to
  life and depict every day events
• Regionalism was an offshoot of Realism that
  Bronte used to realistically capture the color of
  a region such as the moor descriptions and the
  regional dialect of Yorkshire moors

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Setting

• Setting (dual settings)
• 1771-1802
• Northern English county of Yorkshire
• Wuthering Heights family home of the Earnshaws
• The Heights
• Thrushcross Grange family home of the Lintons
• The Grange

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Structure

• Two parts
• Part I focus on Catherine Heathcliff
• Part II focus on young Cathy, Linton, Hareton
  (cousins
• Story begins winter, 1801
• Story ends September, 1802
• Time span 30 years, told in flashbacks by
  multiple narrators

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Point of View

• Voice First person
• Dual narrators Nelly Dean Mr. Lockwood
• Not true players in the story but the story is
  told through their eyes and memories
• Layers of shifting speakers
• Diary of Mr. Lockwood
• Nelly Dean
• Heathcliff
• Isabella
• Cathy
• Zillah
• Linton

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Style

• Gothic novel
• Popular in the late 18th/early 19th centuries
• Gloomy settings
• Atmosphere of terror and mystery
• Wuthering Heights ghostly apparitions,
  melodramatically passionate characters,
  fascination with the spiritual union of souls

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Element to remember

• Byronic Hero dark hero who embodies the
  passionate, brooding, even evil nature of mankind
  
• Created by poet George Gordon, Lord Byron
• Proud
• Moody
• Cynical
• Defiant
• Implacable
• Seeking revenge
• Often filled with a deep, strong passion for his
  heroine

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Characters

• The Earnshaw Family
• Hindley Catherine Heathcliff
• Hareton

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Characters

• The Linton Family
• Edgar Isabella
• m. m.
• Catherine Earnshaw Heathcliff
• Young Catherine m. Linton

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Characters cont.

• Ellen (Nelly) Dean
• Joseph
• Zillah
• Kenneth
• Mr. Lockwood

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Themes

• Family history / family relationships / sibling
  rivalry
• The need for forgiveness
• Romantic or ill-fated love
• Destructive power of revenge
• Civilization versus primal passion
• The role of social class
• Darkness of the human soul
• Love creative, nurturing force vs.
  all-consuming, destructive force
• Consequences of passion that dominates reason

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Symbols

• Houses
• Wuthering Heights (stormy, wild)
• Thrushcross Grange (calm, happy)
• Natural Elements
• Weather
• Plants around the houses
• Environment of the moors

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Appeared on the AP Test

• 1971 1988 1997
• 1977 1989 1999
• 1978 1990 2001
• 1979 1991 2006
• 1983 1992 2007
• 1986 1996 2008
• 2010

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• finis

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Engaging Issues Label each statement as true or
false.

• Love is painful.
• Everyone has a soulmate.
• Love is an emotion.
• Love is a decision.
• All is fair in love.
• Jealousy is an expression of love.
• When you fall in love, it should be forever.
• To die for ones love is noble.
• You should marry only your soulmate.

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Engaging Issues Small Groups

• Choose a statement and discuss both sides
  (true/false), giving reasons for your opinions.
  Reach a consensus on the dilemma and on the
  broader issue and present your conclusions to the
  class.

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Read Early Autumn p. 353

• Explain the storys plot.
• Which character still seems in love with the
  other despite the passage of years? Explain what
  brought you to this conclusion.
• Explain the symbolic significance of the title
  and the description of the setting.
• 4. The bus started. People came between them
  outside, people crossing the street, people they
  didnt know. Space and people. She lost sight of
  Bill. How is Bill and Marys parting symbolic of
  the things that divide people?

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Book Club Discussion 1 (1-10)

• Characterize Heathcliff and Catherine
• Point of view / implications of shifting pov on
  the novel
• Discuss
• Significance of Mr. Lockwoods dream about
  preacher Branderham
• Mrs. Deans observation that young Heathcliff
  always told the truth
• If Catherine feels strongly about Heathcliff,
  why would she marry Edgar? Support your claim
  with textual evidence.