WUTHERING HEIGHTS – Emily Bronte

best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights British novelist and poet Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother Branwell.  published under the pen name Ellis Bell. Born : 30 July 1818 Thornton, West Riding of Yorkshire, England Died : 19 December 1848 (aged 30) Haworth, Yorkshire, England

Genre: gothic novel (combines elements of both horror and romance) published in 1847 the title of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors of the story Wuthering Heights was met with mixed reviews when it first appeared has also given rise to many adaptations and inspired works, including films, radio, television dramatizations, a musical

Characters Heathcliff - orphan, found and taken by Mr. Earnshaw - grew up with Catherine and fell in love with each other Catherine Earnshaw - the daughter of Mr. Earnshaw , fell in love with Heathcliff, but married Linton Mr. Earnshaw - the father of Catherine and Hindley, adopted Heathcliff Edgar Linton – the man to whom Catherine was promised Isabella Linton – the sister of Edgar, who married Heathcliff Nelly Dean and Lockwood – narrators of Wuthering Heights Young Catherine – Catherine and Linton’s daughter Linton Heathcliff – Isabella and Heathcliff’s son

PLOT Heathcliff is adopted by Mr. Earnshaw, the owner of the Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff and Catherine are raised together and start to fall in love with each other , during this period. After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights in order to start working to earn money. In the meantime, Catherine marries Edgar Linton in order to be introduced in the world of materialism, despite her love for Heathcliff . After an absence of 3 years, Heathcliff returns with the desire of destroying Hindley and Edgar, blaming them on losing Catherine. Heathcliff marries Isabella Linton in order to inherit the Thrushcross Grange and later they had a son named Linton, born in London. Catherine becomes ill and dies after giving birth to her daughter, Catherine. Hindley also dies and the Earnshaw estate and Hareton fall into the hands of Heathcliff. Young Catherine and Linton begin a secrete romance. Heathcliff forces his son, Linton, into marriage with Catherine Linton in order to gain control of Thrushcross Grange. Both Linton and Edgar die and the Grange goes to Heathcliff who now owns both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.  After the death of Heathcliff, Catherine and Hareton fall in love and marry, inheriting both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

Themes Clash of elemental forces.  The universe is made up of two opposite forces, storm and calm. Wuthering Heights and the Earnshaws express the storm; Thrushcross Grange and the Lintons, the calm. Catherine and Heathcliff are elemental creatures of the storm. The clash of economic interests and social classes.  The novel is set at a time when capitalism and industrialization are changing not only the economy but also the traditional social structure and the relationship of the classes.  Love gone wrong. Relationships in Wuthering Heights are like the moors: dark, stormy, twisted. Cathy loves Heathcliff but marries Edgar Linton. Heathcliff loves Cathy but marries Isabella Linton.  

SYMBOLS Wuthering Heights symbolizes anger, hatred and jealousy. Thrushcross Grange  represents the materialism and superficiality Moors wide, wild expanses, but somehow infertile. Hareton and Cathy symbolize Heathcliff and Catherine showing what they could have become if their situations were slightly different. Ghosts symbolize the manifestation of the past within the present, and the way memory stays with people, permeating their day-to-day lives.