Wuthering
Heights
(1847)
by Emily Bronte
Discuss with colleagues!
• Is love a decision, or is it more like a force of
nature?
• In what ways do our surroundings—the places
where we live—help shape our personalities?
• Can people change significantly? Or do their
basic natures always stay the same?
• Is passion a virtue or a vice?
Geographical Setting - Yorkshire, England
The Setting, cont.
Wuthering Heights is set in
three locations:
• Wuthering Heights
• Thrushcross Grange
• The Yorkshire Moors
Moors
Moors
Thrushcross Grange
The Moors
Wuthering Heights
Two Households/Estates
• Wuthering
Heights
–Earnshaw Family
–Heathcliff
–Joseph
• Thrushcross
Grange
–Linton Family
Narrative Framework
• Wuthering Heights is highly praised for the unique
narrative technique Emily Bronte used to execute the
novel, often referred to as a frame narrative.
• The two main narrators are Lockwood and Nelly Dean,
but other narrators arise throughout the novel when
Nelly quotes what other characters have told her.
• Since the story passes through layers, the reader must
question the reliability of all that he or she reads.
– Example: Nelly glosses over events to minimize her own guilt.
– Example: Lockwood is naïve and lacks good judgment.
Novel Structure
• Wuthering Heights is told in medias res (Latin
for "into the middle of things”).
• It usually describes a narrative that begins, not
at the beginning of a story, but somewhere in
the middle — usually at some crucial point in
the action.
• The purpose in Wuthering Heights is to add a
sense of mystery, suspense, and
foreshadowing.
Industrial Revolution and Social Class
• Wuthering Heights was written in 1847, which
was a time when capitalism and the Industrial
Revolution were the dominant forces of the
British economy and society. It was a time of
rapid, often confusing, change that led to
violence. As a result of the changing
economy, the traditional relationships
between classes and the social structure
began to change.
Rise of Middle Class
While wealth had traditionally been measured by
land ownership, the eighteenth century had
begun a trend toward a cash-based economy.
This created a middle class who were more
economically powerful than its landowning
superiors (gentry).
The power of yeomen, or the respectable farming
class, as well as the traditional power-holding
gentry was challenged by the newly wealthy
capitalists.
Social Changes...
Each of these classes is represented in the
novel by various characters.
• Hareton is a member of the respectable
farming class
• the Lintons are members of the gentry
• Heathcliff makes his fortune (somewhat
mysteriously) as a capitalist
Women’s Rights…
During this time period women’s
rights were progressively evolving.
Why this is relevant to novel:
• Emily Brontë wrote Wuthering Heights during the
beginning of the women’s rights movement in England.
• The primary concerns of the movement were the lack
of women’s right to vote and the lack of married
women’s property rights. The latter issue arises in
Wuthering Heights.
• Women couldn’t own or control property. If a woman
inherited wealth/land, it would go to their husband. If
they were unmarried, it would be controlled by closest
male relative.
Romanticism, the Gothic novel, and
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights contains elements of Romanticism and the
Gothic novel.
Romantic elements:
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nature as a powerful spiritual force
descriptions of the countryside
elevated emotional levels and passion
a desire to rise above the limitations of ordinary human
existence
a strong interest in death
a portrayal of opposites – escape and pursuit, life and death
isolation, both emotional and geographical
elements of the supernatural
The Gothic novel
Elements of the Gothic novel
– a castle, sometimes
ruined or haunted
– sinister, ruined buildings
– extreme landscape and
weather
– death and madness
– omens
– ancestral curses
– terrifying events
– taboo and sensational topics
– a suggestion of the
supernatural
– a villain or villain-hero
(Byronic hero) driven by
passion
– a heroine wooed by both a
good and a dangerous suitor
– revenge
Byronic Hero
Heathcliff is regarded as a classic Byronic hero. The
Byronic hero was defined by Lord Byron’s epic narrative
poem , Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in 1812.
Elements of the Byronic hero:
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a distaste for social institutions and social norms
conflicting emotions or moodiness
high levels of intelligence and cunning
self-criticism
mysterious origins and a troubled past
self-destructive tendencies
a loner, rejected from society
Keep In Mind…
• Keep track of dates and how the story
progresses.
• Keep track of who is speaking. This will help
you keep your reading organized.
• Keep track of whether or not the story is
flashback mode or not.
• It is not necessary to understand all of
Joseph’s dialogue, but you need to keep in
mind his characterization and the meaning
behind what he says.
Some Motifs to Keep in Mind.
Write in front of book/notes.
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Passion
Cruelty and its effects
Revenge
Success and Social
Standing
Class Distinctions
Fate
Prejudice
Confinement and
Freedom
• GEOGRAPHY!
• Weather (symbolic
importance)
• Eyes
• Windows
• Animals and savagery
• Doubling and Identity
• Nature vs. Nurture
• Dreams
• Ghosts
Some Activities as We Read
Add to your character web based
on the plot events that occur in
our reading so far.
Ch. 1-4 Learning Adventures
• Summarize the plot so far.
• Differences between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange
• Characterize the following:
– Heathcliff
-- Lockwood
– Hareton Earnshaw -- Cathy Heathcliff
– Joseph
-- Ellen “Nelly” Dean
• What’s the deal with Lockwood’s dream (Ch. 3)?
• What’s the deal with the ghost of Catherine
Earnshaw?
• Why does Bronte confuse the reader in these
opening chapters?
In your groups, write down
• 2 themes we can glean
from the novel so far.
Discuss how the novel
presents them.
• Discuss the novel’s social
commentary. Consider aspects
such as the role of social class,
the role and perception of
servants, the role and status of
women, and the idea of
marriage. Be sure to include
manners, speech, education,
and values in your discussion.
• Characterize (using at
least 2 strong adjectives)
the following:
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Heathcliff
Hindley Earnshaw
Catherine Earnshaw Linton
Edgar Linton
Hareton Earnshaw
Isabella Linton
Cathy Linton Heathcliff
Linton Heathcliff
Nelly Dean
Byronic Hero
Elements of the Byronic hero:
– a distaste for social institutions and social norms
– conflicting emotions or moodiness
– high levels of intelligence and cunning
– self-criticism
– mysterious origins and a troubled past
– self-destructive tendencies
– a loner, rejected from society
Using concrete examples from the text, explain how
Heathcliff fits the Byronic Hero archetype.
Complete the following character
continuums. No ties!
Least
Least
SUCCESSFUL
VIRTUOUS (high moral character)
Most
SYMPATHETIC
Least
Most
Most
Questions!
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Which character sacrifices the most?
Which character is most interesting?
Which character is most realistic?
Who most deserved what they got?
What is this novel’s argument about human nature?
Where would you want to live? Wuthering Heights,
Thrushcross Grange, neither?
• To whom in history would you recommend this book?
Why?
• How is this novel relevant in 2015? (or isn’t it?)
• How does this novel stack up against others we’ve
read this year?
Identify specific examples of these motifs
and analyze them with regard to greater
themes, purposes, characterization, etc.
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Passion
Cruelty and Its Effects
Revenge
Success and Social
Standing
Class Distinctions
Fate
Prejudice
Confinement and
Freedom
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GEOGRAPHY!
Weather as a Symbol
Eyes
Windows
Animals and Savagery
Doubling and Identity
Nature vs. Nurture
Dreams
Ghosts