Historical Context
This book was written in a period where romance was huge in reading. This book is meant to deconstruct the trope of the "wild man" vs the "good sensible pick" and show what might really happen in this love triangle scenario. It is meant to strip away the veneer of wild infatuating love and instead show the reality of what obsession can create, at a time when obsession and passion were esteemed in the common literature. The book is morally ambiguous. In a time where lots of books focus on the fight of good vs evil, Wuthering Heights makes the argument that there is good and evil in all of us.
Major Themes
Love vs Obsession
Catherine is a crutch for Heathcliff. Heathcliff grows up a victim of abuse, and learns to lean on Catherine as a respite from his suffering. He doesn't just love her, he feels she is a part of him and she feels he is a part of her. Heathcliff is wild, weird, and interesting at first appearance. While he later turns out to be a huge dick, while they are young he is a mystery waiting to be discovered. Realistically, he is just a suffering person, deeply hurt by those meant to raise him. Once Catherine chooses Linton, Heathcliff's obsession turns to hatred.
Cycle of Abuse / Generational Trauma
Heathcliff grows up abused constantly by Hindley. Hhe is the victim of lots of physical and psychological torment. This along with his obsession for Catherine and the pain he feels when she doesn't pick him lead him to abuse the next generation. Hareton is given no praise ever, not taught civility and ends up being a brute with a large inferiority complex. Cathy Linton is imprisoned in the house and stripped of her inheritance, and Linton Jr. is physically tortured, refused medical services, and used as a means of gaining the Thrushcross Grange estate through Cathy's hand in marriage.
Heathcliff also sees bits of his Catherine in Cathy, Hareton, and Linton Jr. This has a dual effect of making him sad and also increasing his hatred towards them for this unrequited love.
The cycle of abuse is stopped once Hareton and Cathy make up in the end. This shows that the cycle was not inevitable and was in fact optional. This further strengthens the idea that this whole shabang did not even have to occur, making this tragedy even sadder.
Classism
Catherine chooses Linton over Heathcliff because of Linton's social standing. Catherine loves how Linton obeys her, truly loves her, bows to her every command, and gives her material comfort. Because Heathcliff does none of this she refuses him. Another example of this occurs when Isabella chooses Heathcliff. She finds him mysterious, interesting, enticing. Once they get married she quickly finds that he was using her to get back at Linton and does not truly love her. Upon doing this, Linton Sr. cuts all ties with Isabella. She is effectively no longer a part of the family now that she degraded herself to his class.
Moral Ambiguity / Free Will
No character is entirely good or bad. However, they have the ability to change where they fall on the spectrum of bad to good. While most don't, Cathy and Hareton do, eventually breaking the cycle of abuse. Heathcliff grows up a victim of abuse. He then becomes a major abuser. Hindley is disfavored by his father and then goes on to be a really bad dad. Catherine is given whatever she wants whenever she wants as a child and never told no. She then becomes infatuated with Heathcliff and can never seem to be content with what she already has. Linton grows up in a house of privilege and in "high class". His father is a racist, classist person that instills those values in his children.
My take is that the characters are both a product of their creation, yet retain a level of free will to change how they perceive the world around them. This is proven when Cathy and Hareton both change their ways in the end. Cathy starts out classist like her dad but then softens when she sees the good natured, intelligent, and loving nature inside Hareton. Hareton starts out an insecure, brutish fellow due to the constant abuse and lack of learning instilled in him during childhood. However, he softens, learns how to read, write, and speak, and gains confidence through Cathy's teaching.
Revenge
Heathcliff systematically destroys every character in the book! What a beast. I should probably expand on this section at some point.
Symbols
- The Grange: Civility, High-Class, Gilded (impressive and calm on the outside, exclusive on the inside), "love everyone"
- Wuthering Heights: Raw, emotional, passionate, nature, "every man for himself"
- Burial sites: Represent an end to suffering as well as a victory (who gets to be buried next to the person they love)
- Books: A temporary respite from the pain of the Heights. Reading is a form of rebellion to Heathcliff's tyranny.
Plot Summary
Part 1
- Heathcliff brought to Heights as a child
- Heathcliff and Catherine fall in love
- Catherine and Linton get married
- Heathcliff leaves
- Catherine and Linton have Cathy
- Heathcliff comes back rich, Hindley dies poor, Heathcliff buys the Heights
- Hareton lives with Heathcliff
- Heathcliff and Isabella get married
Part 2
- Linton Jr. comes to live with Heathcliff
- Edgar Linton dies
- Linton Jr. and Cathy get married
- Linton Jr. dies, now Heathcliff owns the Grange and the Heights
- Cathy and Hareton make up
- Heathcliff dies
Writing Style
The writing is typical of this era. It's really nice to read with lots of vivid detail and great imagery. However, it can be pretty dense and require a couple reads to understand what a paragraph is saying. I can't understand what Joseph is ever saying. I honestly just glossed over that part.
The story is told through the perspective of another narrator, Ms Dean. She imparts a lot of her own feelings and opinions into the story. For example, she explicitly labels people as "wicked", "fiendish", "foolish" so as readers we must try to understand the truth under it (I personally think she was painting Catherine in too negative of a light). She is also telling the story from many years in the past. She sometimes contradicts herself and how certain events make her feel.
She clearly likes civility, peace, and rules, which is why she hates Catherine and Heathcliff so much. This also colors the perspective through which the story is told. My personal guess is that Emily Bronté sees herself in Ms Dean and almost uses her as her own personal spokesperson through which she can channel her own values and beliefs.
What did this book teach you?
This book was a remarkable look into generational trauma for me. It taught me to think deeper about what factors can cause a person to become the way they are. It's also very sad because it makes me feel as though a lot of trauma could be mitigated if people weren't so close-minded.
This book uses its characters to display various archetypes. Lintons are people that are outwardly polite and cordial, but hold many racist / classist feelings a layer beneath.
Catherines are people that live on their emotions. While it may feel good to "live in the moment" at times, Bronté thinks this is a trap. Catherine's story is a cautionary tale into what could happen if you live a life governed by emotion and how always sticking to them can lead to a lot of suffering.
There are Heathcliff's everywhere in life though (maybe they just stand out the most though)! The people that you see that really just suck. People that go out of their way to make other people miserable. That kind of behavior is not excusable, but I really don't think that berating them will help. Maybe being berated (abused) is how they became that in the first place! Instead take a page out of Cathy's book. She was kind and warm and was able to take the abused, mean-spirited Hareton and turn him into a gentle, loving creature through compassion, warmth, and care.
In one sentence
Hurt people hurt people (but they don't have to).
Score
7/10