Wuthering Heights by

Emily Bronte (1818—1848)

A. Introduction

1. Background on the Brontesa. The father

b. The kids—Charlotte, Branwell, Anne, and Emily

c. 1826—Angria (five years work)

A. Introduction (continued)d. Gondal—Emily’s imaginary world (rebels)

e. Yorkshire—wild weather, wild landscape

f. Three sisters all publish (under male pseudonyms, Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell)—early deaths

A. Introduction

2. The Romantic Minda. Early 1800s—new way of seeing and understanding the worldsubjective, emotional, imagination, energy

b. Nature as the expression of the forces of the universeGod

A. Introduction

C. rebellion against reason The Imagination—the key to understanding

To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.

A. Introduction

D. The Byronic Hero

B. The Narration

1. Two filtersa. Mr. Lockwood

b. Nelly Dean

B. Narration (continued)2. Method

forces (spirit, love, soul, passion) Physical Manifestations

Nelly (eyewitness)Lockwood (understands little)

Reader

3. Covers 30 years (1771—1802) and three generations

B. Narration4. Use of: diary (chapter 2) letters narration within narration

(chapter 17—Isabella)

5. There is no objective truth —only a series of

subjective pieces

C. Structure

1. Two main parts:last meeting with Cathy

Heathcliff’s motivation for revenge Heathcliff’s Revenge

C. Structure (see chronological handout)

2. Shakespearean Structure III Act I: Introduction—childhoods II IV

Act II: Hindley’s abuse I V Cathy’s marriage

Heathcliff leaves and returnsAct III: Climax—last meeting and

Cathy’s deathAct IV: Heathcliff’s Revenge on the childrenAct V: Heathcliff’s reconcilliaton, reunion with

Catherine; love of Catherine and Hareton

D. Major Themes

1. The love themeNature vs Civilization

NaturalEarthyPassionatePhysicalDestructive ?Real (?)

CivilProtectedOrderlyKindCaringArtificial (?)

D. Major Themes

2. Psychological Levelindividual’s (Catherine’s) battle between the id (passion, nature, sensuality) and the super-ego (civilization, order, tenderness)

D. Major Themes3. The social themes

a. Marxist level: class, society, money, “ownership” of the lands

1. the “civilized” world is repressive, artificial

2. the natural world is real, powerful,alive, subline

D. Major Themes

b. Moral theme: love and revenge1. evil against Heathcliff (his motivation? thrown into lovelessness)

2. Heathcliff’s revenge is cosmic in scope—not just against

Hindley/Linton thru Hareton/Cathy but:

D. Major Themes (psychological)

--Revenge against the past through the

future

--Revenge against the class system through the takeover of the houses

D. Major Themes4. Universal Level of

Themesa. illusion vs. reality

Surfaceappearance

Transcendentreal

Physical Spiritual (soul)Sublime

D. Major Themes

b. Organized religion vs true spiritualityman-made vs nature

D. Major Themes

c. Life after Death

in spirit through

children

Major Themes

5. The Two Great Social Forces:

Nature vs Civilization

E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast (see map)

1. The Houses:Wuthering Heights Thrushcross Grange

Moors

E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast

2. The Moors: The natural worlda.b.c.

E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast

3. the weather: sympathetic naturea.

b.

E. Setting: Worlds of Contrast

4. the Kirkyard

5. Penistone Crags

F. Characters (see family charts)

1. Mr./Mrs Earnshaw:

2. Mr. Mrs. Linton

3. Catherine Earnshaw:

4. Heathcliff:

F. Characters (see family charts)

5. Edgar Linton:

6. Isabella Linton Heathcliff:

7. Hindley Earnshaw

8. Hareton Earnshaw:

F. Characters (see family charts)

9. Cathy Linton Heathcliff:

10. Linton Heathcliff:

11. Joseph:

F. Characters (see family charts)

12. The spirit lives on in the Children Themea. The journey of Catherine

Catherine LintonCatherine Earnshaw Cathy LintonCatherine Earnshaw (2)

Catherine HeathcliffSocial Studies is cool

F. Characters (see family charts)

b. The journey of HaretonMr. Earnshaw

Hareton Earnshaw (1500)Hareton Earnshaw

Hindley Earnshaw

G. Art and Style of WH

1. Imagerya. Animal

b. Elements

c. Weather

G. Art and Style of WH

2. symbolisma. Charactersb. Settingc. Booksd. Naturee. References to heaven, hell and

the devilH. Final thoughts on Wuthering Heights