Emily Brontes Novel Wuthering Heights - Essay Example

? Emily Bronte’s Novel Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte’s Novel Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte wrote the novel, Wuthering Heights and published it in 1847 as her first published novel (Borg, 2011). The novel focuses on the relationship between Earnshaw and the Linton’s families (Borg, 2011). The story begins with Lockwood renting the Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire moors and his interaction with his neighbor Mr. Heathcliff, who lives at Wuthering Heights and who doubles as the property owner in Thrushcross Grange. Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights portrays the aspects of wildness and civilization in a very clear manner. As such, this paper will analyze the relationship between the wild and the civilized in Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights. The novel Wuthering Heights uses symbols, themes, imagery, flashbacks, and allegory to portray the different aspects of civilization and wilderness as manifested by the characters and the story setting. Notably, passionate and unrestricted actions characterize wildness while order and modernity characterizes civilization (Rathje, n.y). The most significant element that brings out the aspects of wildness and civilization is the differences between the Thrushcross Grange and the Wuthering Heights farmhouses. We can see cold, muddy, and desolate moors separating the two farmhouses, which stands alone. Indeed, the separation by the moors can only mean that there is an aspect of isolation in the characteristics and meaning of the two houses (Rathje, n.y). This isolation reveals the aspects of wildness and civilization in the setting as the entire novel setting takes place in Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Actually, the appearance and atmosphere of Wuthering Heights differ from that of Thrushcross Grange where Wuthering Heights sits and manifests on a stormy hilltop while Thrushcross Grange sits on calm and protected valley. In this context, we can derive that Wuthering Heights symbolizes the wildness of nature while Thrushcross Grange symbolizes comfort and civilization as the surrounding walls protects Thrushcross Grange from violence, and tumult of the separating moors (Bronte, 1858). In addition, the novel portrays all the violent and vicious acts happening in Wuthering Heights and all the enticing and confortable acts happening in Thrushcross Grange (Chen, 2012). Indeed, violent acts like Heathcliff’s abuse by Hindley and Heathcliff’s mistreatment of Hareton take place in Wuthering Heights. This depicts Wuthering Heights as an aggressive, violent, and wild environment. More so, the weather surrounding Wuthering Heights and its inhabitants is also violent (Bronte, 1858). Indeed, the novel opens with a description that, "Wuthering" is "a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather (Bronte, 1858)." On the other hand, the novel describes the life at Thrushcross Grange as one that manifests luxury, cultivation, and propriety. Indeed, the novel quotes that Thrushcross Grange is the house that Catherine aspires to socially, the house that will make her a "lady (Bronte, 1858)." These distinctions portray Thrushcross Grange as a representation of civilization and Wuthering Heights as a representation of wildness. More so, we can also see Catherine boxing Edgar Linton on the ear when Edgar seeks to leave Wuthering Heights (Bronte, 1858). Additionally, there are haunting figures in Wuthering Heights, which depict wildness. Most assuredly, Thrushcross Grange is more luxurious than Wuthering Heights. The luxury in Thrushcross Grange reflects civilization. On the other hand, order and societal expectations defines life at Thrushcross Grange while nature drives life at Wuthering Heights. For example, we can see a snowstorm forcing Lockwood to stay at Wuthering Heights (Rathje, n.y) where he equally experiencers a hostile dream of a ghost child at the window. Indeed, the ghost child was crying, "let me in! Let me in!"“; I’ m come home: I'd lost my way on the moor (Chen, 2012).” However, instead of Lockwood helping the crying child, we can see him treating the ghost girl in a very ruthless manner: "I pulled its wrist on to the broken pane, and rubbed it back and forth till the blood ran down and soaked the bedclothes (Chen, 2012).” This portrays the violence in Wuthering Heights. Nevertheless, Heathcliff comes to the rescue of the child when he comes to the window and passionately wails in tears seeking to help the ghost child saying, ‘Come in! Come in (Chen, 2012)!’ Notably, Heathcliff and Catherine’s window acts as the separation between wildness and civilization. Ideally, the moors act as a literal wilderness surrounding Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange and antagonize the lives of the characters. Indeed, even the term “wuthering” refers to fierce, wild winds and therefore Heathcliff who lives in Wuthering Heights adopts the aspect of “wildness” in his life and surrounding (Rathje, n.y). Furthermore, we can see all furniture in Wuthering Heights bearing the features of coarseness while those in Thrushcross Grange bear the features of refinement (Chen, 2012). In addition, the window in Wuthering Heights is "narrow" and "deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large, jutting stones while the window of Thrushcross Grange is different with light coming from thence as there were no shutters, and the curtains were only half closed (Chen, 2012). This equally manifests the wildness in Wuthering Heights and the civilization in Thrushcross Grange. More so, the reference window symbolizes the point of separation between wildness and civilization. The behaviors and characteristics of the characters also draw a clear manifestation of wildness and civilization in the novel. For example, the novel uses the characteristics of Edgar Linton and Heathcliff to portray the distinct elements of wildness and civilization. The novel manifests Heathcliff’s ungoverned actions and his rebellious way of life, that contradicts with the societal expectation (Rathje, n.y). The societal expectation reflects civilization. Indeed, Edgar stands for the society and what the society values most. As such, Edgar is civilized while Heathcliff is wild. In fact, Heathcliff’s lack of education also portrays his wild nature that negates civilization. The novel also introduces another character called Catherine who significantly manifests the aspects of civilization and wildness through her relationships with Edgar Linton and Heathcliff (Borg, 2011). We can actually, see Edgar telling Catherine that she cannot have both him and Heathcliff as her friends, and that she must choose between them. An assertion makes Catherine go into a fit, as she wanted to have both (Borg, 2011). This also portrays the unique characters of Edgar Linton and Heathcliff and the fact that they cannot integrate as Catherine thinks. Indeed, the novel asserts that Catherine and Edgar had a calm life together as newly married until when Heathcliff returned. The calmness in their marriage reflects civilization while the scrambles that emanated from Heathcliff’s return manifests his wild nature. Ideally, Catherine juggles between civilization and wildness as she wonders whether to keep her wild childhood love, Heathcliff or get married to the civilized, Edgar Linton (Borg, 2011). The novel equally asserts that the relationship between Catherine and Edgar is in conformity with the societal expectations since both belong to the high class (Rathje, n.y). This depicts civilization, which appreciates the marriage of partners in the same class. On the other hand, the society has been against the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff from the beginning (Rathje, n.y). This is because they do not belong to the same class as Catherine is from a higher class and Heathcliff comes from a lower class. Furthermore, Heathcliff’s notion that not even death can contain their love is irrelevant in the society since civilization dictates that there is more to love and marriage than just feelings (Rathje, n.y). Indeed, the modern society treats love and marriage like a business agreement. For example, Edgar’s love for Catherine depends on his young age, wealth, good looks which undermines Heathcliff’s request to marry Catherine as degradation (Borg, 2011). Notably, the competition between Edgar and Heathcliff to marry Catherine reflects the existence and uniqueness of civilization and wildness. Moreover, the novel portrays Heathcliff’s wild nature and ungoverned view of life while he makes his final request in his death that his coffin join with that of Catherine to avoid separation in death. On the other hand, we experience Edgar’s civilized nature where he appreciates Catherine’s spirit by burying her on the Moors instead of where he is expected (Borg, 2011). More so, Heathcliff’s earlier request that Catherine appears to him after her death is equally wild (Rathje, n.y). Furthermore, the aspect of civilization comes out again when Catherine agrees in her dream that she does not belong in heaven and that heaven belongs to Edgar and Thrushcross Grange (Borg, 2011). Additionally, she portrays wildness when she realizes in her dream that she belongs to Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights, which represent wildness. The novel also depicts the distinction between civilization and wildness by showing Edgar’s difficulty handling Catherine’s wild temperament where he opts to and locks himself up with the books in the library (Borg, 2011). Ultimately, the novel depicts a clear distinction between the two aspects where the society buries Edgar, Catherine, and Heathcliff next to each other with Catherine’s grave in the middle. It is worth noting that the comparisons between Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights, or Heathcliff and Edgar manifest the opposing world-views of civilization and wildness that Bronte illustrates in the novel (Rathje, n.y). More so, the differences depict the general conflict between the storm and the calmness as portrayed by Emily Bronte. As such, I can ascertain that being civilized is admirable and being wild is against the societal expectations. Notably, the novel’s treatment of wildness and civilization relate to the historical phenomena ongoing during Bronte’s time. Indeed, in 1847 colonization was at center stage and sought to bring civilization in the colonized countries. The colonialists sought to liberate the colonies from wildness as seen in the novel. Moreover, at the same time, the colonies sought to embrace civilization by eliminating wild way of living like slavery. In addition, the novel’s treatment of wildness and civilization relate to the industrialization of the British countryside where the abolition of the Corn Laws civilized the British labor force making it highly industrialized (Crafts & Harley, 2002).   References Borg, E. (2011). Catherine’s Double Character in Wuthering Heights. Retrieved from: http://lnu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:429633/FULLTEXT01.pdf Chen, Y. (2012).The Moors in Treacherous Love: Whose Fault?-Re-reading on Wuthering Heights. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(18). 45-49. Crafts, N., & Harley, C. (2002). Precocious British Industrialization: A General Equilibrium Perspective. Retrieved from: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/22368/1/wp67.pdf Emily B. (1858). Wuthering Heights. London: Oxford University Press, 1858. Rathje, N. (n.y). Wuthering Heights Responses. Retrieved from: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jgarret/446/sample5-4.htm Read More