Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Literature › Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights

Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on March 25, 2019 • ( 3 )

Wuthering Heights is constructed around a series of dialectic motifs that interconnect and unify the elements of setting, character, and plot. An examination of these motifs will give the reader the clearest insight into the central meaning of the novel. Although Wuthering Heights is a “classic,” as Frank Kermode has noted, precisely because it is open to many different critical methods and conducive to many levels of interpretation, the novel grows from a coherent imaginative vision that underlies all the motifs. That vision demonstrates that all human perception is limited and failed. The fullest approach to Emily Brontë’s novel is through the basic patterns that support this vision.

Wuthering Heights concerns the interactions of two families, the Earnshaws and Lintons, over three generations. The novel is set in the desolate moors of Yorkshire and covers the years from 1771 to 1803. The Earnshaws and Lintons are in harmony with their environment, but their lives are disrupted by an outsider and catalyst of change, the orphan Heathcliff. Heathcliff is, first of all, an emblem of the social problems of a nation entering the age of industrial expansion and urban growth. Although Brontë sets the action of the novel entirely within the locale familiar to her, she reminds the reader continually of the contrast between that world and the larger world outside.

Aside from Heathcliff’s background as a child of the streets and the description of urban Liverpool, from which he is brought, the novel contains other reminders that Yorkshire, long insulated from change and susceptible only to the forces of nature, is no longer as remote as it once was. The servant Joseph’s religious cant, the class distinctions obvious in the treatment of Nelly Dean as well as of Heathcliff, and Lockwood’s pseudosophisticated urban values are all reminders that Wuthering Heights cannot remain as it has been, that religious, social, and economic change is rampant. Brontë clearly signifies in the courtship and marriage of young Cathy and Hareton that progress and enlightenment will come and the wilderness will be tamed. Heathcliff is both an embodiment of the force of this change and its victim. He brings about a change but cannot change himself. What he leaves behind, as Lockwood attests and the relationship of Cathy and Hareton verifies, is a new society, at peace with itself and its environment.

It is not necessary, however, to examine in depth the Victorian context of Wuthering Height s to sense the dialectic contrast of environments. Within the limited setting that the novel itself describes, society is divided between two opposing worlds: Wuthering Heights, ancestral home of the Earnshaws, and Thrushcross Grange, the Linton estate. Wuthering Heights is rustic and wild; it is open to the elements of nature and takes its name from “atmospheric tumult.” The house is strong, built with narrow windows and jutting cornerstones, fortified to withstand the battering of external forces. It is identified with the outdoors and nature and with strong, “masculine” values. Its appearance, both inside and out, is wild, untamed, disordered, and hard. The Grange expresses a more civilized, controlled atmosphere. The house is neat and orderly, and there is always an abundance of light—to Brontë’s mind, “feminine” values. It is not surprising that Lockwood is more comfortable at the Grange, since he takes pleasure in “feminine” behavior (gossip, vanity of appearance, adherence to social decorum, romantic self-delusion), while Heathcliff, entirely “masculine,” is always out of place there.

498ef33948cb9f8a96c90f9ebc0c770c

Even Cathy’s passionate cry for Heathcliff, “Nelly, I am Heathcliff,” is less love for him as an individual than the deepest form of self-love. Cathy cannot exist without him, but a meaningful relationship is not possible because Cathy sees Heathcliff only as a reflection of herself. Heathcliff, too, has denied an important aspect of his personality. Archetypally masculine, Heathcliff acts out only the aggressive, violent parts of himself.

The settings and the characters are patterned against each other, and explosions are the only possible results. Only Hareton and young Cathy, each of whom embodies the psychological characteristics of both Heights and Grange, can successfully sustain a mutual relationship.

This dialectic structure extends into the roles of the narrators as well. The story is reflected through the words of Nelly Dean—an inmate of both houses, a participant in the events of the narrative, and a confidant of the major characters—and Lockwood, an outsider who witnesses only the results of the characters’ interactions. Nelly is a companion and servant in the Earnshaw and Linton households, and she shares many of the values and perceptions of the families. Lockwood, an urban sophisticate on retreat, misunderstands his own character as well as the characters of others. His brief romantic “adventure” in Bath and his awkwardness when he arrives at the Heights (he thinks Cathy will fall in love with him; he mistakes the dead rabbits for puppies) exemplify his obtuseness. His perceptions are always to be questioned. Occasionally, however, even a denizen of the conventional world may gain a glimpse of the forces at work beneath the surface of reality. Lockwood’s dream of the dead Cathy, which sets off his curiosity and Heathcliff’s final plans, is a reminder that even the placid, normal world may be disrupted by the psychic violence of a willful personality.

The presentation of two family units and parallel brother-sister, husband-wife relationships in each also emphasizes the dialectic. That two such opposing modes of behavior could arise in the same environment prevents the reader from easy condemnation of either pair. The use of flashback for the major part of the narration—it begins in medias res—reminds the reader that he or she is seeing events out of their natural order, recounted by two individuals whose reliability must be questioned. The working out of the plot over three generations further suggests that no one group, much less one individual, can perceive the complexity of the human personality.

Taken together, the setting, plot, characters, and structure combine into a whole when they are seen as parts of the dialectic nature of existence. In a world where opposing forces are continually arrayed against each other in the environment, in society, in families, and in relationships, as well as within the individual, there can be no easy route to perception of another human soul. Wuthering Heights convincingly demonstrates the complexity of this dialectic and portrays the limitations of human perception.

Bibliography Barnard, Robert. Emily Brontë. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Benvenuto, Richard. Emily Brontë. Boston: Twayne, 1982. Berg, Maggie. “Wuthering Heights”: The Writing in the Margin. New York: Twayne, 1996. Davies, Stevie. Emily Brontë: Heretic. London: Women’s Press, 1994. Frank, Katherine. A Chainless Soul: A Life of Emily Brontë. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Glen, Heather, ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Brontës. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Liddell, Robert. Twin Spirits: The Novels of Emily and Anne Brontë. London: Peter Owen, 1990. Miller, Lucasta. The Brontë Myth. London: Jonathan Cape, 2001. Pykett, Lyn. Emily Brontë. Savage, Md.: Barnes & Noble, 1989. Rollyson, Carl, and Lisa Paddock. The Brontës A to Z: The Essential Reference to Their Lives and Work. New York: Facts On File, 2003. Vine, Steve. Emily Brontë. New York: Twayne, 1998. Winnifrith, Tom, ed. Critical Essays on Emily Brontë. NewYork: G. K. Hall, 1997.

Major works Poetry: Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, 1846 (with Charlotte Brontë and Anne Brontë); The Complete Poems of Emily Jane Brontë, 1941 (C. W. Hatfield, editor); Gondal’s Queen: A Novel in Verse by Emily Jane Brontë, 1955 (Fannie E. Ratchford, editor). Nonfiction : Five Essays Written in French, 1948 (Lorine White Nagel, translator); The Brontë Letters, 1954 (Muriel Spark, editor).

Share this:

Categories: Literature , Novel Analysis

Tags: Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Character Study of Catherine Earnshaw , Character Study of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Character Study of Heathcliff , Character Study of Lockwood , Character Study of Nelly Dean , Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Frank Kermode , Gothic Literature , Literary Criticism , Literary Theory , Motifs in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Nelly Dean , Study Guide of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Summary of Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Summary of Wuthering Heights , Themes of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Victorian Literature , Wuthering Heights , Wuthering Heights as a Gothic Novel

Related Articles

best essays on wuthering heights

I found it very informative. Representation of the two worlds is amazing. Thanks a lot.

' src=

VERY NICE;I LIKED THE WAY OF ANALYSIS OF WHOLE NOVEL AND DESCRIBE EVERY THING,

  • Wuthering Heights: A Journey from the Novel to the Movie - Different Truths

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

best essays on wuthering heights

Wuthering Heights

Emily brontë, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Wuthering Heights: Introduction

Wuthering heights: plot summary, wuthering heights: detailed summary & analysis, wuthering heights: themes, wuthering heights: quotes, wuthering heights: characters, wuthering heights: symbols, wuthering heights: literary devices, wuthering heights: quizzes, wuthering heights: theme wheel, brief biography of emily brontë.

Wuthering Heights PDF

Historical Context of Wuthering Heights

Other books related to wuthering heights.

  • Full Title: Wuthering Heights
  • When Published: 1847
  • Literary Period: Victorian
  • Genre: Romanticism / Realism / Gothic (e.g., mysterious family relationships, vulnerable heroines, houses full of secrets, and wild landscapes)
  • Setting: Yorkshire, England, late 18th to early 19th century
  • Climax: Heathcliff and Catherine's tearful, impassioned reunion just hours before Catherine gives birth and then dies
  • Antagonist: Heathcliff (we root both for and against Heathcliff)
  • Point of View: Nelly Dean, a housekeeper, tells the story of the Lintons and Earnshaws to Mr. Lockwood, who passes along her story to the reader.

Extra Credit for Wuthering Heights

The Bronte Family: Two of Emily Brontë's sisters are also respected writers. Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre , Shirley , Villette , and The Professor , and Anne Brontë wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall . Because the Brontës collaborated, critics love to analyze the whole family, not just the individual authors. The family also appeals to readers because it experienced so much tragedy: five of the six children died young (four daughters died of tuberculosis, or "consumption," as it was known at the time, and Branwell, the only son, turned to drugs and alcohol when his career as an artist failed).

The LitCharts.com logo.

Wuthering Heights as a Victorian Novel

Wuthering Heights as a Victorian Novel

“Wuthering Heights,” written by Emily Brontë, is a classic Victorian novel that captures the essence of the time. This literary masterwork, published in 1847, is set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. A reclusive person, Emily Brontë was one of the Brontë sisters, and her novel was published under the pseudonym “Ellis Bell.” Reflecting the dominant Victorian literary tradition, Brontë explores the intricacies of human emotions and cultural customs in this stormy and passionate tale of love, retribution, and social class. In this essay, we will explore how “Wuthering Heights” embodies the values and themes of the Victorian era, making it an enduring work of literature.

Table of Contents

Historical and Literary Context

The Victorian era, which spanned from 1837 to 1901 while Queen Victoria was reigning, was a crucial time in British history and culture. The Victorian age was defined by significant social, political, and economic developments, such as the industrial revolution, urbanization, and the growth of the British Empire. The industrial revolution, urbanization, and the growth of the British Empire were among the major social, economic, and political transformations that defined it. In addition to struggling with immediate problems like poverty, gender roles, and morality, Victorian society was firmly stratified by class hierarchies. During this time, literature was frequently used to reflect and critique these conventions and cultural developments. Among the many literary genres that shaped the Victorian era, novels in particular became extremely popular and contributed to its rich tapestry. The literary tradition of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” is noteworthy because of its exploration of the darker facets of human nature and society, coupled with its engagement with Victorian era’s themes and values.

Morality and Social Class in “Wuthering Heights”

The sharp contrast between the Earnshaws and the Lintons is one of the main ways that “Wuthering Heights” effectively captures the extreme differences in socioeconomic status. The Earnshaws, who live in the bleak and unforgiving Wuthering Heights, are symbolic of the lower class and are known for their wild and passionate personalities. On the other hand, the well-educated and sophisticated Lintons who reside in Thrushcross Grange represent the upper class. By contrasting the Earnshaws’ irresponsible behavior with the Lintons’ formality and decency, Emily Brontë draws attention to the moral principles of Victorian society. The investigation of class and morality highlights the inflexibility of Victorian conventions, since the decisions and outcomes of the characters are significantly influenced by their social status.

Read More: Wuthering Heights as a Gothic Novel

Love and Passion in “Wuthering Heights”

The novel “Wuthering Heights” explores the depths of love and passion, showcasing a range of relationships characterized by intensity and, occasionally, destructiveness. In addition to defying social norms, Heathcliff and Catherine’s intense and turbulent love highlights the irrational and consuming nature of love. Victorian ideas regarding marriage as a social contract are reflected in Catherine’s decision to wed Edgar Linton for social security as opposed to pursuing her deep emotional bond with Heathcliff. The results of unbridled passion are also demonstrated by Heathcliff’s spiteful and destructive acts during his relationship with Isabella Linton. Emily Brontë’s examination of love and passion highlights the inconsistencies and intricacies of Victorian mindsets, wherein deeply held feelings of passion frequently collided with social conventions.

Gothic Elements in the Novel

The Gothic elements present in “Wuthering Heights” evoke a feeling of mystery and gloom. The lonely, barren landscape of the moorland, dotted with massive, dilapidated homes, evokes a sense of dread. The supernatural aspects, such as Catherine’s spectral appearances, give the story an unsettling depth. The duality of characters like Heathcliff and Catherine as doubles reflects the Gothic preoccupation with doppelgängers. These characteristics were common in Victorian Gothic literature, where novelists used such elements to arouse anxiety, psychological complexity, and a sense of the unknown, providing a powerful background for exploring the darker facets of society and human nature. 

The Narrators and Narrative Structure

The novel “Wuthering Heights” utilizes an intricate narrative framework, featuring numerous narrators such as Mr. Lockwood, Nelly Dean, and even the diaries of other characters. This multi-layered narrative highlights the subjectivity of each character’s experiences and feelings by presenting a variety of points of view on the story as a whole. This illustrates the increasing fascination with psychology and the study of the human mind during the Victorian era. The novel explores the nuances of the inner workings, emotions, and motivations of the characters by presenting their points of view, echoing the Victorian fascination with the complexity of human psychology and the fluidity of truth.

Nature and the environment

“Wuthering Heights” perfectly captures the Victorian era’s concern for the natural world. The novel’s striking depictions of the stark, untamed landscapes and the Yorkshire moors capture the Victorians’ evolving understanding of nature and their shifting relationship to it during an era of urbanization and industrialization. The wild natural environment that Emily Brontë depicts provides a backdrop for the story’s intense human emotions and conflicts, highlighting Victorian interest in the relationship between humans and nature—a theme that grew in importance during the time. 

In conclusion, “Wuthering Heights” explores themes of social class, morality, love, and passion, all of which perfectly capture the essence of the Victorian era. Victorian societal norms and expectations are in line with the novel’s stark depiction of class differences and the moral values of its characters. The story’s intense and frequently destructive relationships highlight the conflict between strong emotional ties and society norms, reflecting Victorian views on marriage and love. The era’s fascination with psychological depth and the inner workings of the human mind is reflected in the use of multiple narrators, the dark setting, and the Gothic elements. “Wuthering Heights” stands as a striking embodiment of the Victorian literary tradition, engaging with the period’s values and complexities in a manner that continues to resonate with readers today. 

  • Critical Appreciation of Tennyson’s “Break, Break Break”
  • Tennyson as a representative poet of Victorian age
  • Short note on elegy
  • Justify the title Pride and Prejudice
  • The use of irony in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Just Great DataBase

Experience the Joy of Learning

  • Just Great DataBase
  • Study Guides
  • Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights Essays

The story of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights has been one of the most influential and powerful piece of literature ever written. After being published, it garnered a lot of interest because of the theme that was deemed misleading and critically unfit for society. The main theme of the...

1 678 words

Wuthering Heights is a novel of passion, revenge, and the destructiveness of a love that is too fierce. The book takes place in the Yorkshire moors in New England in the late 18th century. Emily Brontë, the author of the tale, makes great use of the story’s Gothic landscape and setting...

The Invention of Wings follows the peculiar institution of slavery through the eyes of two young girls, Sarah and Hetty. They both struggle with the realities of societal customs pitched against them. Sarah is futilely vying against the strong patriarchal customs of her society while Hetty has to...

1 540 words

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights can be seen as one of the most influential works of fiction produced during the Victorian age. In Brontë’s novel, the reader will encounter many oppositions across several elements of the story. These oppositions play a vital role in the...

2 471 words

Emily Bronte’s novel is an important work in the 19th century, particularity when describing the nature of people. One of the Characters, Heathcliff, is very interesting because his decent and parentage is never truly defined. Because of this uncertainty, the reader is lead to believe...

1 424 words

Set in the wild, rugged country of Yorkshire in northern England during the late eighteenth century, Emily Bronte’s masterpiece novel, Wuthering Heights, clearly illustrates the conflict between the “principles of storm and calm”. The reoccurring theme of this story is captured...

Lord David Cecil suggests that the theme of Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, is a universe of opposing forces-storm and calm. Wuthering Heights, the land of storm, is a sturdy house that is set up high on the windy moors, belonging to the Earnshaw family. The house is highly charged with...

ESSAY ON WUTHERING HEIGHTS PLOT & STORY The plot is designed in three parts: Chapters 1-3, Introduction; Chapters 4 (Volume 1) to chapter16 (Volume 2), Nelly’s report of the story; last four chapters, Hareton and Cathy’s relationship. In general, The plot is dense and fast moving...

1 980 words

A Presentation of the Personalities of Heathcliff and Murray Kempton once admitted, ? No great scoundrel is ever uninteresting. ' The human race continually focuses on characters who intentionally harm others and create damaging situations for their own benefit. Despite popular morals, characters...

1 665 words

Never have two more opposing places existed than Thrusscross Grange and Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights is a dwelling characterized by fiery emotions, primal passions, bitter vengeance, and blatant evil. Thrushcross Grange is a peaceful, beautiful abode which epitomizes all that is good and...

Heathcliff, the main character in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, has no heart. He is evil to the core - so savage that his lone purpose is to ruin others. Yet at the very moment at which the reader would be expected to feel the most antipathy towards the brute -after he has destroyed his wife...

1 379 words

Theme of the divided self within Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. <br> <br>Thematically, the divided self is one of the most interesting themes within both novels and is of great importance to the development or ruin of the characters in both ...

3 654 words

Conflict is the basic foundation for Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Much of this conflict results from a distinct division of classes and is portrayed through personal relationships, for example the unfriendly relationship between the higher-class Lintons and the lower-class Heathcliff...

Emily Bronte, author of Wuthering Heights, grew up in isolation on the desolate moors of Yorkshire, knowing very few people outside of her family. In the book, Bronte contradicts the typical form of writing at the time, the romance, and instead composed a subtle attack on romanticism by having no...

The purpose of this paper is to assess the novel, "Wuthering Heights," by Emily Bronte, particularly within the context of the character, Catherine. Catherine plays a prominent role throughout "Wuthering Heights. " For the most part, it is her love of Heathcliff which represents the crutch of the...

1 473 words

foreshadowing in Wuthering Heights Foreshadowing is a very common literary device used in classic literature. It gives a yearning of what may come ahead and an intriguing tie from the present to the past and vice versa. To foreshadow is "to shadow or characterize beforehand" (Webster's Dictionary)...

Martha Nussbaum describes the romantic ascent of various characters in Wuthering Heights through a philosophical Christian view. She begins by describing Catherine as a lost soul searching for heaven, while in reality she longs for the love of Heathcliff. Nussbaum continues by comparing Heathcliff...

Since the dawn of human thought, man has sought to define the relationships between all things surrounding him. He categorizes every living creature, labels every natural element and names every phenomenon. He then connects each object to another with a line and draws the line back to himself...

1 516 words

Title: Wuthering Heights Author: Emily Bronte Authors Bio: Emily Bronte lived an eccentric, closely guarded life. She was born in 1818, two years after Charlotte and a year and a half before her sister Anne, who also became an author. Her father worked as a church rector, and her aunt, who raised...

1 945 words

Emily Bronte incorporates various types of grief into her writing in Wuthering Heights. This may be due to the conditions of many of her own experiences, or it may not, we cannot know. Regardless, the grief that is exhibited by the many different characters, differs for various reasons. The...

2 643 words

Revenge is the poisonous sentiment which drives all human beings to commit injustice upon those who have done so upon them. This desire is one that all people feel and are susceptible to. In Emile Bronte's Wuthering Heights, revenge can be seen as the most visible theme, as it is the factor which...

1 162 words

1. Women of the 1800s did not have the same independence that women have today. A woman was meant to constantly be under the care of a man. As a child, women were ruled by their fathers. As they got older, their husbands would take on responsibility for them. If a woman remained unmarried, her...

1 416 words

Most literature tells a story combining the elements of love, hate, and revenge. Everyone can relate to these universal emotions. The way in which characters deal with these emotions varies greatly. Some characters let their head rule their heart, others let their hearts overrule every objection...

2 539 words

The novel Wuthering Heights is written by Emily Bronte and discusses the social trend on gender relationships that time. Basically, an in depth look on masculinity and femininity has been expressed to be able to define the roles of a man and woman. The story was presented as a recollection of the...

1 860 words

Wuthering Heights: Summary Emily Bronte was born in Thorton, Yorkshire, in 1918. Wuthering Heights was Bronte's only book; however, she died in 1848 and never knew of the book's success. It is said by many to be the finest novel in the English language. Just before she dies, Catherine Earnshaw...

Sarah

Literopedia

  • English Literature
  • Short Stories
  • Literary Terms
  • Web Stories

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte | Summary, Setting & Analysis

“Wuthering Heights” is a classic novel written by Emily Bronte. It is renowned for its intense portrayal of love, revenge, and the complexities of human nature. In this article, we will delve into the various aspects of this timeless piece of literature, including its summary, setting, and analysis.

Table of Contents

Emily Bronte, born in 1818, was an English novelist and poet. She, along with her sisters Charlotte and Anne Bronte, is best known for her contribution to English literature. Emily’s only novel, “Wuthering Heights,” was published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.

Overview of the Plot

The narrative of “Wuthering Heights” revolves around the passionate yet destructive love story between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. The novel is set in the harsh Yorkshire moors and spans several decades, depicting the lives of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

Introduction to Characters

Key characters include Heathcliff, an orphan taken in by the Earnshaw family; Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff’s childhood friend and love interest; Edgar Linton, Catherine’s husband; and Nelly Dean, the housekeeper and narrator of the story.

Physical Setting

The novel is primarily set in two neighboring houses: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The former is depicted as a dark, gloomy mansion on the Yorkshire moors, while the latter represents a more refined and civilized environment.

Historical Setting

“Wuthering Heights” is set against the backdrop of early 19th-century England, a time marked by social and economic upheaval. The novel reflects the rigid class structure and societal norms of the period.

Themes Explored

Love and revenge.

At its core, “Wuthering Heights” explores the destructive power of love and the desire for revenge. The tumultuous relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine drives much of the plot, as their love becomes entangled with themes of jealousy, betrayal, and vengeance.

Social Class

The novel also delves into the theme of social class, highlighting the divisions and tensions between the characters from different backgrounds. Heathcliff’s rise from poverty to wealth underscores the fluidity of class distinctions and the complexities of social hierarchy.

Nature vs. Culture

The rugged landscape of the Yorkshire moors serves as a powerful backdrop for the story, emphasizing the contrast between the untamed forces of nature and the constraints of human civilization.

Analysis of Characters

Heathcliff is a complex and enigmatic character whose dark and brooding nature captivates readers. His intense love for Catherine is overshadowed by his thirst for revenge, making him one of literature’s most compelling antiheroes.

Catherine Earnshaw

Catherine Earnshaw is portrayed as a spirited and passionate young woman torn between her love for Heathcliff and her desire for social status. Her tragic fate reflects the novel’s exploration of the destructive effects of societal expectations on individual happiness.

Edgar Linton

Edgar Linton represents the opposite of Heathcliff, embodying the refined manners and social status prized by Victorian society. Despite his gentleness and kindness, he is ultimately unable to compete with Heathcliff for Catherine’s affections.

Nelly Dean serves as the primary narrator of the story, providing insight into the lives of the characters and the events that unfold at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Her perspective offers a nuanced understanding of the complex relationships within the novel.

Narrative Structure

Framing device.

“Wuthering Heights” is structured as a series of nested narratives, with the story being recounted by multiple characters. This framing device adds depth and complexity to the narrative, allowing readers to see events from different perspectives.

Multiple Perspectives

The use of multiple narrators in the novel allows for a rich and multifaceted exploration of the characters and their motivations. Each narrator brings their own biases and interpretations to the story, adding layers of complexity to the overall narrative.

Symbolism in “Wuthering Heights”

The weather in “Wuthering Heights” often mirrors the emotional states of the characters, with storms and tempests reflecting their inner turmoil. The harsh and unforgiving landscape of the moors serves as a metaphor for the tumultuous relationships depicted in the novel.

The houses of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are symbolic of the characters who inhabit them. Wuthering Heights represents passion, wildness, and untamed nature, while Thrushcross Grange symbolizes civility, refinement, and social order.

Writing Style and Language

Gothic elements.

“Wuthering Heights” is characterized by its Gothic elements, including themes of madness, the supernatural, and the macabre. The novel’s dark and atmospheric prose creates a sense of unease and foreboding, adding to its haunting appeal.

Psychological Depth

Bronte’s exploration of the inner workings of the human psyche adds a layer of psychological depth to the novel. The characters’ inner thoughts and emotions are laid bare, allowing readers to empathize with their struggles and motivations.

Critical Reception

Despite receiving mixed reviews upon its publication, “Wuthering Heights” has since been recognized as a literary masterpiece. Its unconventional narrative structure, complex characters, and powerful themes have cemented its place in the canon of English literature.

Influence and Legacy

“Wuthering Heights” has had a profound influence on subsequent generations of writers and artists. Its themes of love, revenge, and redemption continue to resonate with readers around the world, ensuring its enduring legacy.

Comparisons with Other Works

“Wuthering Heights” is often compared to other works of Gothic literature, such as Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” Its exploration of dark and taboo subjects sets it apart from more conventional Victorian novels.

Film Adaptations

Numerous film adaptations of “Wuthering Heights” have been produced over the years, with directors seeking to capture the novel’s haunting atmosphere and complex characters on screen. Notable adaptations include the 1939 film starring Laurence Olivier and the 2011 version directed by Andrea Arnold.

READ MORE : 

  • What is George Orwell’s real name?
  • Which Brontë sister wrote “Jane Eyre”?
  • Beowulf | Summary, Poem, Characters, Monster, Analysis

“Wuthering Heights” continues to captivate readers with its timeless tale of love, revenge, and redemption. Emily Bronte’s masterful storytelling and richly drawn characters ensure that the novel remains a classic of English literature.

Is “Wuthering Heights” based on a true story?

No, “Wuthering Heights” is a work of fiction, although it may have been inspired by elements of Emily Bronte’s own life and experiences.

Why is “Wuthering Heights” considered a Gothic novel?

The novel features many elements typical of Gothic literature, including a dark and foreboding atmosphere, supernatural occurrences, and themes of madness and obsession.

What is the significance of the title “Wuthering Heights”?

The term “wuthering” refers to the fierce winds that often blow across the Yorkshire moors, emphasizing the wild and untamed nature of the setting.

Why did Emily Bronte use a male pseudonym for “Wuthering Heights”?

During the 19th century, it was common for female authors to use male or gender-neutral pen names to avoid gender bias and discrimination in the publishing industry.

What is the legacy of “Wuthering Heights” in popular culture?

“Wuthering Heights” has inspired countless adaptations in various media, including film, television, and music. Its themes and characters continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.

Related Posts

When was the golden notebook first published, the title of the first book in j.r.r. tolkien’s “the lord of the rings” series, who wrote “the chronicles of barsetshire” series.

best essays on wuthering heights

Attempt a critical appreciation of The Triumph of Life by P.B. Shelley.

Consider The Garden by Andrew Marvell as a didactic poem.

Consider The Garden by Andrew Marvell as a didactic poem.

Why does Plato want the artists to be kept away from the ideal state

Why does Plato want the artists to be kept away from the ideal state

MEG 05 LITERARY CRITICISM & THEORY Solved 2023-24

MEG 05 LITERARY CRITICISM & THEORY Solved Assignment 2023-24

William Shakespeare Biography and Works

William Shakespeare Biography and Works

Discuss the theme of freedom in Frederick Douglass' Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Discuss the theme of freedom in Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

How does William Shakespeare use the concept of power in Richard III

How does William Shakespeare use the concept of power in Richard III

Analyze the use of imagery in William Shakespeare's sonnets

Analyze the use of imagery in William Shakespeare’s sonnets

Which australian author wrote “the narrow road to the deep north”, what cultural diversity is reflected in australian literature, who wrote “the natural way of things”, name an australian author known for their short stories.

  • Advertisement
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Other Links

© 2023 Literopedia

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Remember Me

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?

Are you sure want to cancel subscription.

65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best wuthering heights topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 good research topics about wuthering heights, ⭐ simple & easy wuthering heights essay titles, ❓ research questions about wuthering heights.

  • Gothic Masculinity in the Wuthering Heights Masculinity may explain the character of the forceful male or the threatening female who bears the forces of a man. Cottom explains that the Gothic uses “manipulation of the thoughts, and images to the figure […]
  • “Wuthering Heights” a Novel by Emily Bronte The dilemmas of the communication between the members of different classes and social strata become the most evident in the conflicts that are related directly to the relationships between the characters in the Wuthering Heights.
  • Women’s Bodies in Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” With the help of her mistress who tried to raise Catherine’s self-respect “with fine clothes and flattery,” the character changed her manner of dressing.
  • Heathcliff in “Wuthering Heights” Novel by Emilia Bronte The place of residence of the neighbor and the man himself made a mixed impression on the guest. A gentleman in dress and manner, Heathcliff was more like a gypsy with “black eyes”, and the […]
  • The Different Types of Love Shown in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Male-Female Relationships and the Mores and Values of Victorian Society in “Wuthering Heights” and “Great Expectations”
  • Central Images and Characters Featured in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” and the Art of Characterization
  • Feelings Surrounding the Need for Forgiveness in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”: A Great Romantic Novel
  • Reading “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte Through Psychoanalysis Theory
  • Relationship Between “Persuasion” by Jane Austen and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte: The Destructiveness of a Love That Never Changes
  • Narcissism Within “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Challenging the Status Quo: Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Gothic and Romantic Themes in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Passion, Love, and Betrayal in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Bonds That Are Unbreakable in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • The Main Features of the “Wuthering Heights” and “The Woman in Black”
  • Different Narrative Voices: “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Positive and Negative Influences in “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens, “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo, and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Narrative Structure and Gothic Elements in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Social Class and Its Effect on Love: “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff’s Relationship in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Emily Bronte’s Writing Technique in “Wuthering Heights”
  • Individuality: Imagined and Defined in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte and “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley
  • Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Catherine and Heathcliff’s Passion in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Role of Education in “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Change Causing Conflict-Comparative of “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte and “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
  • The Conflict Between Romantic and Victorian Values in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Emily Bronte’s Life and Its Mirror Image in “Wuthering Heights”
  • Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” and Shelly’s “Frankenstein”: A Comparison of Gothic Stories
  • Emily Bronte and Gender Issues in “Wuthering Heights”
  • Love, Class, and Consequence in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • The Natural World Is Used Symbolically by Thomas Hardy and Emily Bronte in “The Return of the Native” and “Wuthering Heights”
  • Remembrance Compared and Contacted in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • The Different Styles of Writing of the Time in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte: How the Book Relates to the Time of European History
  • Comparing and Contrast Darcy and Heathcliff of “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Love and Revenge Themes in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • The Gothic Elements in the Novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Physical and Emotional Pain in the Novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Revenge and Love Theme in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”: Apollonian and Daemonic Influences
  • How Does Bronte Shape the Reader’s Response to “Wuthering Heights”?
  • What Do You Think of the Statement That “Wuthering Heights” Is “Truly a Novel Without a Hero or Heroine”?
  • How Does Bronte Use Language in “Wuthering Heights” and What Does She Show?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Present the Character Isabella in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • Does Heathcliff From “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte Deserve the Reader’s Sympathy?
  • What Is the Message of “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte?
  • Is Heathcliff a Hero or Villain? What Do You Think About This Character of “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Bronte Create Atmosphere and Suspense in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • What Are Some Life Lessons We Can Learn From “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Bronte Present Heathcliff and Isabella’s Relationship in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Present Heathcliff in the Novel “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Young Cathy, Hareton, and Linton Compare and Contrast With Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar in “Wuthering Heights”? What Differences and Similarities Do You Find Between These Two Generations?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Use Gothic Elements to Enhance the Novel “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Use Language to Contrast Setting and Atmosphere in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • Violence, Madness, and Desire Are Significant Themes Within “Wuthering Heights.” What Methods Does Emily Bronte Use to Explore These Issues?
  • What Is the Story of “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte About?
  • Why Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” Is a Cult Classic?
  • Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”: Who Is Heathcliff?
  • How Does Bronte Use Language and Structure in “Wuthering Heights” to Present the Theme of Violence?
  • How Emily Bronte Introduces the Reader to the Themes of Enclosure and the Supernatural in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • Edgar Allan Poe Paper Topics
  • Language Arts Research Topics
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray Questions
  • Neoclassicism Topics
  • The Raven Essay Titles
  • Sexism Essay Ideas
  • The Tell-Tale Heart Research Ideas
  • Forgiveness Essay Ideas
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, May 31). 65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/wuthering-heights-essay-topics/

"65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 31 May 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/wuthering-heights-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 31 May.

IvyPanda . 2024. "65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." May 31, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/wuthering-heights-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." May 31, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/wuthering-heights-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." May 31, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/wuthering-heights-essay-topics/.

Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

Wuthering Heights Material

  • Study Guide
  • Lesson Plan

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2361 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11007 literature essays, 2769 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Wuthering Heights Essays

Heathcliff's obsessions olivia l.h. garnett, wuthering heights.

Throughout Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff's personality could be defined as dark, menacing, and brooding. He is a dangerous character, with rapidly changing moods, capable of deep-seeded hatred, and incapable, it seems, of any kind of forgiveness...

The Setting in Wuthering Heights Ryan Frishberg

Wuthering Heights is a timeless classic in which Emily Brontë presents two opposite settings. Wuthering Heights and its occupants are wild, passionate, and strong while Thrushcross Grange and its inhabitants are calm and refined, and these two...

Mirrors, Windows, and Glass in Wuthering Heights Robert Klein

Various glass objects, usually mirrors and windows, play a seemingly ubiquitous role in the construction of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights; rarely does a chapter go by where the reader is not given some description of a character passing by a...

The Problem of Split Personalities in Wuthering Heights Emily Flynn

Note: Oxford University Press Version of Wuthering Heights used for this paper

In Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights, a person has the capacity to attain happiness only if his external state of being is a true and accurate manifestation of his...

The Main Characters in Wuthering Heights and Their Resemblance To Children Garrison Cross Woodfield

Life would be strangely different if no person matured past the state of childhood: if one possessed the physical qualities of an adult, but the faculties of only a juvenile. The environment would most definitely be a harsher, more difficult one....

A Clash between Nature and Culture Melissa Bradley

Wuthering Heights is essentially a romantic novel in which the author, Emily Bronte, brings two groups of people with different backgrounds into contact with each other. Close analysis of the novel reveals a key theme. When the reader examines the...

Heathcliff as a Reflection of the Age in Bronte's Wuthering Heights Shira Traison

Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights is a perfect parallel to the time in which it was composed. Heathcliff, her protagonist turned antagonist, was brought into a world in which he did not belong, in both a social and economic sense. As he joined the...

The Three Faces of Wuthering Heights Anonymous

In Wuthering Heights, Bronte depicts the turbulence of the psyche through her characters. Heathcliff, Edgar and Catherine are portrayed not as three distinct personas, but instead as three parts of a single psyche. Heathcliff, Edgar and Catherine...

Reconceptualizing the Plight of Isabella Chloe Mead

Readers of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Maryse Conde's Windward Heights can easily become overwhelmed by the deluge of voices that permeate each of the respective novels. After sorting through the complicated filtering of narratives in...

Wuthering Heights: A Tale of Two Loves Bryce Goodman

In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Catherine redeems her mother's inability to love another tenderly with her love towards Linton. Catherine's lovingness is not one of intense self-consuming passion where the object of love is over-looked and...

Lovengeance Spencer James

Emily Bronte, in her novel Wuthering Heights, characterizes the protagonist Heathcliff as both a recipient and a perpetrator of the continually domineering forces of both love and revenge existing within the novel. Through complex...

Charlotte's Error: Isolationism in Wuthering Heights Jordan Reid Berkow

Charlotte Bronte's greatest error in her preface to Wuthering Heights is her striking underestimation of Emily Bronte's understanding of the world and human nature. Charlotte writes that her sister had little knowledge of the practicalities of the...

Bronte's Influence on Readers' Attitudes Towards Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights Stephanie Nicole Bonham

In Emily Bronte's famous novel Wuthering Heights , Heathcliff is indisputably an evil character. He commits innumerable atrocious acts, yet Bronte ensures that one cannot help but feel sympathy towards him. One reason that the book is considered a...

The New Gnosticism: Reading Romantics in Wuthering Heights Anonymous

The New Gnosticism:

Reading Romantics in Wuthering Heights

Like the romantic poets who so influenced her, Emily Bronte explores the redefining of religious categories in her most famous novel, Wuthering Heights. Through the relations between her...

A Victim of His Environment Liz Zak

In Wuthering Heights, author Emily Bronte depicts Heathcliff, one of the main characters, as an incarnation of evil. Heathcliff is first introduced in the novel as the unpleasant, unwelcoming landowner of Wuthering Heights, and from this first...

The Beggarly Interloper and The Bright, Graceful Damsel Meghann E. Stubel

"Heathcliff was hard to discover, at first . . . that naughty swearing boy" (Wuthering Heights pp.51-3).

From his arrival, nearly all the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights treat young Heathcliff disdainfully and as "the other" who has intruded into...

Allusions: Parallels to the Garden of Eden in Wuthering Heights Scott Christopher Graham

“Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” Genesis reads (Gen 2.9). In the Genesis story...

Breaking Down the Wall: Catherine and Hareton’s Discovery of Love Britani Hollis

In Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë develops a conflict between Catherine Linton and Hareton Earnshaw and uses the resolution of their conflict to resolve that between Catherine and Heathcliff. Though their social classes and upbringings differ,...

Emily Bronte and Gender in Wuthering Heights Kimberly Schreiber

In Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë explores the gender identity of both herself and her characters. She published the book under the name of Ellis Bell, which many readers took to be that of a man. As critic Nicola Thompson points out, most...

The Purpose and Effect of Structure in Wuthering Heights Anonymous

A complete structural study of a novel demands preoccupation with structure as both organizational and temporal; in the case of Wuthering Heights especially, the two are inextricably linked. The novel is largely predicated on organization and...

The Notion of the Foreign Invader and Other Gothic Elements in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights Anonymous College

The popularity of gothic fiction varied in Victorian England. During the Romantic period Horace Walpole published The Castle of Otranto (1764), which is often considered the first gothic horror story. Many more stories followed but the popularity...

Victorian, Romantic and Modernist Literature: Style as Cultural Commentary Anonymous College

Tony Harrison’s “A Cold Coming,” William Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,” Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and George Orwell’s 1984 each display distinct sensibilities that reflect the time from which they emerged....

Marxist Criticism and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Anonymous College

Emily Bronte’s classic novel, Wuthering Heights, is not simply the tragic love story it may appear to be on the surface, but is an example of class differences and the role of capital in eighteenth century Victorian England. Using Karl Marx’s...

Heathcliff and Cathy's Relationship as a Symbol of Breaking Normal Moral and Social Codes George Grun 12th Grade

In the words of Professor Fred Botting, within the Gothic, “transgression is important not only as an interrogation of received rules and values, but in the identification, reconstitution or transformation of limits.” Emily Bronte’s Wuthering...

best essays on wuthering heights

We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us!

Internet Archive Audio

best essays on wuthering heights

  • This Just In
  • Grateful Dead
  • Old Time Radio
  • 78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings
  • Audio Books & Poetry
  • Computers, Technology and Science
  • Music, Arts & Culture
  • News & Public Affairs
  • Spirituality & Religion
  • Radio News Archive

best essays on wuthering heights

  • Flickr Commons
  • Occupy Wall Street Flickr
  • NASA Images
  • Solar System Collection
  • Ames Research Center

best essays on wuthering heights

  • All Software
  • Old School Emulation
  • MS-DOS Games
  • Historical Software
  • Classic PC Games
  • Software Library
  • Kodi Archive and Support File
  • Vintage Software
  • CD-ROM Software
  • CD-ROM Software Library
  • Software Sites
  • Tucows Software Library
  • Shareware CD-ROMs
  • Software Capsules Compilation
  • CD-ROM Images
  • ZX Spectrum
  • DOOM Level CD

best essays on wuthering heights

  • Smithsonian Libraries
  • FEDLINK (US)
  • Lincoln Collection
  • American Libraries
  • Canadian Libraries
  • Universal Library
  • Project Gutenberg
  • Children's Library
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library
  • Books by Language
  • Additional Collections

best essays on wuthering heights

  • Prelinger Archives
  • Democracy Now!
  • Occupy Wall Street
  • TV NSA Clip Library
  • Animation & Cartoons
  • Arts & Music
  • Computers & Technology
  • Cultural & Academic Films
  • Ephemeral Films
  • Sports Videos
  • Videogame Videos
  • Youth Media

Search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet.

Mobile Apps

  • Wayback Machine (iOS)
  • Wayback Machine (Android)

Browser Extensions

Archive-it subscription.

  • Explore the Collections
  • Build Collections

Save Page Now

Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future.

Please enter a valid web address

  • Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape

Wuthering Heights : complete, authoritative text with biographical and historical contexts, critical history, and essays from five contemporary critical perspectives

Bookreader item preview, share or embed this item, flag this item for.

  • Graphic Violence
  • Explicit Sexual Content
  • Hate Speech
  • Misinformation/Disinformation
  • Marketing/Phishing/Advertising
  • Misleading/Inaccurate/Missing Metadata

skewed text inherent from the book

[WorldCat (this item)]

plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews

7 Favorites

DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

No suitable files to display here.

IN COLLECTIONS

Uploaded by station14.cebu on March 16, 2020

SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Wuthering Heights — Reading Wuthering Heights Through Marxist Ideas

test_template

Reading Wuthering Heights Through Marxist Lens

  • Categories: Marxist Criticism Wuthering Heights

About this sample

close

Words: 1939 |

Pages: 4.5 |

10 min read

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1939 | Pages: 4.5 | 10 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, marxist ideas in wuthering heights, works cited.

I was frightened, and Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out of doors: she did fly up - asking how he could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house, when they had their own bairns to feed, and fend for? What he meant to do with it, and whether he were mad? The master tried to explain the matter... seeing it starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb in the streets of Liverpool where he picked it up and inquired for it’s owner- Not a soul knew to whom it belonged, he said, and his money and time, being both limited, he tought it better to take it home with him.
Cathy stayed at Thrushcross Grange five weeks, till Christmas. By that time her ankle was thoroughly cured, and her manners much improved. The mistress visited her often, in the interval, and commenced her plan of reform by trying to raise her self-respect with fine clothes and flattery, which she took readily: so that, instead of a wild, hatless little savage jumping into the house, and rushing to squeeze us all breathless, there lighted from a handsome black pony a very dignified person... Hindley lifted her from her horse, exclaiming delightedly, “Why, Cathy, you are quite a beauty! I should scarcely have known you - you look like a lady now...
The guest was now the master of the Wuthering Heights: he held firm possession, and proved it to the attorney, who, in his turn, proved it to Mr.Linton, that Earnshaw had mortgaged every yard of land he owned for cash to supply his mania for gaming; and he, Heathcliff, was the mortgage. In that manner, Hareton, who should now be the first gentleman in the neighborhood, was reduced to a state of complete dependence on his father’s inveterate enemy; and lives in his own house as a servant deprived of the advantage of wages, and quite unable to right himself, because of his friendlessness, and his ignorance that he has been wronged.
  • Bronte, Emily. “Wuthering Heights.” Wuthering Heights: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism . Ed. Linda H. Peterson. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003. 25-288. Print.
  • Marx, Karl. “Wage Labor and Capital.” Literary Theory: An Anthology . Ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. 659-664. Print.

Image of Dr. Charlotte Jacobson

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Literature

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2.5 pages / 1117 words

2.5 pages / 1192 words

3.5 pages / 1498 words

2 pages / 887 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Reading Wuthering Heights Through Marxist Lens Essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë's classic novel, "Wuthering Heights," is a masterpiece of Gothic literature, known for its turbulent and darkly passionate narrative. At its heart, the novel explores the destructive power of love, revenge, and the [...]

Emily Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights, is a complex and dark tale that explores the depths of human cruelty. The theme of cruelty is prevalent throughout the novel, depicted through the actions and interactions of the [...]

Heathcliff, the central character in Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights, has been a subject of fascination and analysis for literary scholars and enthusiasts alike. His enigmatic and complex nature has led many to [...]

If the setting of a novel is 19th century Europe, there is a good chance that the women in the novel will be treated as a means to an end rather than as autonomous beings who have intrinsic value in and of themselves. This is [...]

The characters in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights treat class hierarchy as if it is something natural and immutable, but the author shows that the way characters treat each other is largely based off the class they come to [...]

In the literary work Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë, there is clear conflict within the issues of social class, race and love among the characters. In a society where money and power are necessary for success, Heathcliff, a [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

best essays on wuthering heights

Wuthering Heights

Guide cover image

94 pages • 3 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Before You Read

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-9

Chapters 10-13

Chapters 14-17

Chapters 18-22

Chapters 23-27

Chapters 28-31

Chapters 32-34

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

In an article about Wuthering Heights by British journalist Kathryn Hughes, Emily Brontë is described as “the patron saint of difficult women.” Defend or refute this notion, using Brontë’s depiction of female characters as evidence of your argument.

Analyze Heathcliff’s status as “other.” To what effect does his dark appearance impact his experience in the Earnshaw family?

Comment on your particular strategy of differentiating between the female and the male characters, especially the ones with similar or identical names. How do you imagine them as individuals despite their similar names and tones of voice?

blurred text

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Featured Collections

Audio Study Guides

View Collection

British Literature

Romanticism / Romantic Period

Victorian Literature

Victorian Literature / Period

Student Essay: Fate and Choice in Wuthering Heights

best essays on wuthering heights

By Anastasia Leffas

Though often hailed as a story of love spoilt by circumstance, brontë's novel is in truth a story of self-inflicted tragedy..

Heathcliff and Catherine, two figures in Emily Brontë’s masterpiece Wuthering Heights,  share a bewitching and devastating relationship. Both characters, as well as their relationship, serve as a tribute to the notion that circumstances, while powerful, do not–and cannot–take away the power of one’s will. Wuthering Heights poses, by these two wildly different characters, the question, “Can one be a product of one’s environment?” Emily Brontë strives to answer this age-old problem of human nature through Catherine and Heathcliff’s tumultuous relationship, a relationship that spans through generations, and is explored in the moors and estates found in Yorkshire. Through their mutual desire and destruction, Brontë proves that humanity can choose courageous love, or its opposite, beyond what one’s circumstances provide.

Brontë first introduces the reader to Heathcliff as the villainous (yet, some claim, misunderstood) anti-hero of Wuthering Heights . Heathcliff, taken in by the Earnshaw family as  an orphaned child, is often scorned and abused for his wayward nature and lack of known heritage. Of the few who show him kindness in his new home, Catherine stands out as an ideal playmate and eventual lover. In return for Catherine’s acceptance, Heathcliff endeavors to better himself for her sake, dressing with dignity and presenting himself with manners. This action of Heathcliff, while he was still a young teen, shows a glimpse at what his future could have been if he would have chosen beyond himself for the sake of his love. Yet this is not to be the courageous path that he chooses: in a fit of anger following a tragic misunderstanding, Heathcliff abandons his newfound purpose, and resigns himself to a deviously twisted temper and a lifetime of revenge and aggressive resentment.

While some may argue that Heathcliff comes to approach life in such a manner because of the abuse he experiences, and the rejection with which he is met, Brontë clearly denies this claim—as the masterful storyteller that she is, she provides the reader with the glimmer of hope that is Heathcliff’s brief yet powerful transformation. However, this ideal world is not to be in the tempestuous and brooding setting of Wuthering Heights ; Heathcliff is quickly shown to descend into a hellish state of hideous evil that he will remain in for the rest of the book. He is not merely a victim, but rather chooses to abandon that which provided him hope. This is the start of the demise of his love story with Catherine. It is doomed from this moment onward, and it is doomed through his freely-made choice.

Turning now towards Catherine, Brontë provides an alternate example of this treacherous choice that her characters are afforded. Catherine is initially depicted as a sort of carefree nymph, a symbol of civilized love that provides an opposite to the abuse and resentment that is occurring around her. Yet is this idealized image of Catherine a true one? Once again, Brontë dives into ugly realities by proving that she is not. Catherine is conceited and selfish more often than not; although she truly cares for Heathcliff, first as a companion and then as something more, she too lacks the courage to go beyond herself. Her own ego, fed by her status as a somewhat upper-class, pampered girl, begins to be what she loves more. She teases Heathcliff to her nurse, busying herself with her newfound “rich” friends. In fact, it is this unfortunate habit of discussing what she wants, and the shortcomings of others like Heathcliff, that leads to a misunderstanding catastrophic enough to end their love. Catherine, shaped by her status and ego, eventually chooses to love another man and let Heathcliff go. 

Brontë here provides an example that is opposite, and yet in a way identical, to Heathcliff’s situation. In contrast to Heathcliff’s scornful environment, Catherine lives in one of acceptance and freedom. She is not met with a hateful home, and yet what is her choice? The same as Heathcliff’s. It is one of selfish pettiness and hatred, not one of courageous love. She cannot, or perhaps more accurately does not, choose to love Heathcliff despite his lower-class status. While it was Heathcliff’s lack of character that led to his downfall, it was Catherine’s seemingly overfull one that destroys her. She fixates on her own desires, driving those whom she truly loves away and leaving her empty and broken. While it is Heathcliff’s choice to leave Catherine’s love, it is also Catherine’s choice to leave Heathcliff’s. 

Both Heathcliff and Catherine are the epitome and example of reckless, selfish, and destructive choices. While they claim to love each other, neither one is able to fully choose the other, not due to circumstances, but their own broken attitudes. Brontë, through her shadowy, haunting novel, tells this tale of doomed and miserable desire so beautifully, touching on the exact root of the problem. Circumstances and tendencies do not predestine the outcome; people have the power to choose to love with extreme and sacrificial courage—or not. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love could have been a great love, a love for the ages, if they chose in such a manner. Yet Brontë allows them to choose the opposite; to choose themselves, in such a primal and devious manner that their so-called “love” is doomed from the start.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Anastasia Leffas is a seventeen-year-old senior at her Catholic high school in northern VA. She loves pursuing beauty by means of her academic studies, Irish dance, and music, and is considering collegiate study of psychology or history.

The top forty students from every CLT are invited to contribute an essay to the Journal. Congratulations to Miss Leffas on her high score! If you’d like to read more from our top students, try these posts on the double-edged influence of social media and the productive paradox of mercy and justice ; or you might enjoy this author profile of Henrik Ibsen . And be sure to check out our weekly podcast on education, policy, and culture, hosted by our founder Jeremy Tate.

Page image of High Cup in the Yorkshire Pennines, taken by John Clive Nicholson ( source ).

Share this post:

Start typing and press enter to search.

Wuthering Heights - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë, known for its tragic love story, complex characters, and exploration of social class distinctions. Essays on this novel might explore the gothic and romantic elements, the symbolic use of the natural environment, or the psychological complexities of characters like Heathcliff and Catherine. Other discussions could delve into the novel’s commentary on social mobility and morality, or its influence on Victorian literature and subsequent literary trends. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Wuthering Heights you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

A Deeper Meaning of Wuthering Heights

A symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else and suggests a larger significance. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is full of significant symbols that are important to analyze in order to understand the novel to its fullest. From the ghosts, to the architecture and furnishings (décor) of the two main houses in the novel; and to the moors; this book is full of dark but symbolic aspects. To give readers a realistic point of view, the […]

‘Byronic Hero’ in Wuthering Heights

Haunting and filled with unconventional love, the gothic tragedy Wuthering Heights is a prime example of Emily Bronte’s obsession and inspiration with George Gordon’s own character. The satanic characteristics and lack of “heroic virtue” gives the Byronic Hero a twist compared to a morally sound hero (Thorslev 187). Lord Byron’s extensive collection of poems provided a template for Bronte to include a perfect Byronic Hero in her novel. Inspired by the Byron myth and his personality, Heathcliff and his dark […]

Destructive Love in Novel Wuthering Height

"In the novel, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, two families, the Lintons and the Earnshaws, are forced together which causes conflict described as destructive love, mostly caused by the raging love Heathcliff has for Catherine throughout the novel. Emily Bronte was born July 30, 1818 in Yorkshire, England she was one of three english sisters. Her and her sisters had books published in the mid-1800’s. She is the daughter of Maria Barnwell and Patrick Bronte. She was a poet and an […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights”

Throughout Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, several characters exhibit a palpable hatred not for men or for women in particular, but for the general population; such misanthropy contributes a curious depth to the novel that could hardly be accomplished otherwise. However, with the multitude of circumstances in which these individuals are granted latitude to express their cynicism, the reader begins to subconsciously decipher the misanthropic qualities and rank characters, compartmentalizing them by level of misanthropy. The most naturally antagonistic character, Heathcliff, […]

Revenge and Justice in Wuthering Heights

"There is a blurred line between revenge and justice. Is revenge, justice? Is revenge, justified? The difference, may be nothing but a shuffling of the same words to make oneself feel morally sound. If we can agree on the idea that revenge is a feeling or act of retribution, and also that justice is no more than a ‘just’ act of retaliation, then we can begin to question the fine structure of moral values and how that affects the definition […]

Discussion of Nature Vs Nurture is the Eerlasting Issue

Genetic Development Nature vs Nurture is the everlasting issue of one’s genetics or outside environmental influence on one’s behavior and actions. One’s nature refers to the hereditary or genetic factors one is born with that influences who one is as a person. However, one’s nurture refers to the outside environmental factors that controls who one becomes. Although outside factors such as one’s childhood experiences, people one associates themselves with, and/or trauma can influence one’s decision making. Their naturally born, or […]

The Romantic-Gothic Nature of Wuthering Heights

Section 25 Throughout the class period, we have talked about several different genres that have caught my eye in terms of relatability and interests. One of those genres is the Gothic period. There are many books that are considered part of this era such as, Dracula, Frankenstein, and Jane Eyre, but the one that tops them all is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Wuthering Heights brings to the surface many different parallels for the more romantic aspects of the book […]

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights

The origins of an individual usually serves as a solid indication of their inherent nature and works of literature throughout history have utilized the origins of characters to manipulate the nature of the plot and the conflicts that comprise the narrative. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is an intense tragedy that is driven by the complexities of love and betrayal as a man named Heathcliff, with an abnormal origin, explores the relationship he has with the only woman he truly ever […]

Behind the Life of Emily Brontë and her Works

During the Victorian period, the inequalities between genders were tense because the gap distinction was increasing. Women were tired of the discrimination and the injustice that society was implementing on their shoulders. The frustration of pretending to be the submissive wife and hiding under male pen names to have their works published was pushing women to their limit. Females such as the Brontë sisters used pen names because they knew the receiving backlash inputs them into the group of outcasts. […]

Wuthering Heights Plot Summary

The book Wuthering heights begins at a place called Thrushcross Grange, a manor house that a man named Lockwood rents and describes as a misanthropist’s heaven. This is where he meets his landlord named Heathcliff, a rich man who lives close by in a house called Wuthering Heights. Lockwood has his suspicions about the servants and people that live in there. One night he couldn’t leave because the snow was so bad and kept piling up so he spent the […]

Character Heathcliff in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”

Of all the characters in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is arguably the most fierce and combative as well as the most complex. Branded as a demon even in childhood, Heathcliff develops into a sadistic, cruel, and almost cliché gothic villain in the second half of the novel (John Coper Powys). However, it would be an oversight to fail to examine the correlation of both the role of his horrible childhood and social exclusion as a demonized member of the […]

Destructive Love is an Emotional Process

"Destructive love is an emotional process of tearing down the love and affection between 2 people in a relationship. The idea of knowing the difference between having a disagreement that is trying to clear up something in comparison to a disagreement that is destructive toxicity can come. The theme of destructive love between different relationships in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Shakespeare's Hamlet Robert Browning's My Last Duchess results in the characters having […]

“Wuthering Heights” and “Rebecca” Analysis

Not every romantic novel is about true love. Books such as Wuthering Heights and Rebecca are far from being romantic. From romance comedies to gothic romance, the novels have plots that are quite different from the normal storyline. These novels are more mysterious and full of suspense. Clearly, authors Daphne du Maurier and Emily Brontë wanted a romantic plot that was unusual and unexpected from readers. Luckily, many people who read either Rebecca or Wuthering Heights were quite surprised with […]

Meaning of Love and its Unintended Consequences in “Wuthering Heights”

True love is often pictured as the cliched ending of romance novels or movies with the scene of the girl riding off into the sunset with the perfect prince on a white stallion. In The Notebook, Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun had the fairy-tale ending with their happily ever after, but does life really end like that? Would one give up everything just to be with their true love? In Wuthering Heights, the true love between Heathcliff and Catherine was […]

Abuse and Trauma in Wuthering Heights

In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, characters are subject to different types of abuse/trauma both mental and physical. This mental and physical stress affects characters such as Catherine Earnshaw, Isabella and Heathcliff in various manners, such as in their daily interactions with others and themselves. How they handle this stress varies among each character, they each choose a distinct type of coping mechanism to help them get through the day. Bronte grew up between 1818 and 1848 during […]

Wuthering Heights Break Assignment

In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, revenge is an eminent theme. One of the main Heathcliff, is illustrated as a hermit and after of people. He’s greedy and is always looking for ways to complicate the lives of people around him. He gets more and more revengeful as the story progresses. Every action Heathcliff does is destined to hurt the Earnshaw and Linton families, and take ownership over everything. All of these revengeful thoughts and desires actually makes […]

Rage and its Power in Bronte’s Emily

Falling madly in love, then traumatized by betrayal, leading to rage and pain is all experienced by a special character named Heathcliff, in Emily Brontë’s famous novel Wuthering Heights. He is the one who sits at the center of the story. Heathcliff, a resentful and revenge seeking man is the chosen character, to analyze and illustrate from the novel. As an orphan, he was fostered by Mr. Earnshaw and taken to Wuthering heights which is image of a mansion like […]

Wuthering Heights Written by Mary Shelley

"In Wuthering Heights written by Mary Shelley portrayed a similarities and differences between the two families, the Earnshaw and the Lintions, in order to show how they interact with each other. Shelly tries to show the readers how these two families become the major issue of the novel. Shelly try to demonstrates the differences that exists between the social class whereas Lintion’s family is rich and the Earnshaw family is poor. The Linton family is established as an gentry of […]

Emily Bronte’s Novel Wuthering Heights

In 1847, when a novel by Emily Brontë Wuthering Heights was published, feminism or gender equality was an unknown concept, and it was just beginning to emerge as it seemed to be a radical idea to many people. Brontë can be therefore considered a proto-feminist. Women in the Victorian period belonged mainly to the domestic sphere, and the public sphere was for their husbands. All characters in the novel live in a patriarchal society, in women are submissive to men […]

Wuthering Heights Reading Journal: Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Edgar has passed away, leaving the title of Thrushcross Grange master unfilled. Nelly, Edgar’s servant, seeks a new job at Wuthering Heights as a servant for Heathcliff but he denies. Right before the death of Edgar, his daughter Cathy forcedly marries Linton, Heathcliff’s son. The marriage gives Linton and Heathcliff say over the Grange estate after Edgar’s death, therefore making Heathcliff the new master, replacing Edgar. Now the master, Heathcliff use the Grange as a space to rent […]

Wuthering Heights Novel

The five examples that I have come across with, that represent the gothic theme in the novel from chapter 1 through 10 are weather, supernatural, revenge, suffering, and death. One day a huge snowstorm has approached that prevent Mr. Lockwood from leaving, and no one seems to be interested in helping him to reach home, Mr. Heathcliff shows no hospitality and “Gnasher and Wolf—become so excited by the scene that they floor Lockwood, giving him a bloody nose”(chapter 2). Weather […]

Essay about Abuse Cycle

Each person has a different personality. Some people are influential, impulsive, perfectionist, and/or strong-willed. One of the components that influence someone’s personalities is their environment. Just like in “Wuthering Heights” Heathcliff’s abusive environment at such a young age leads him to have an aggressive abusive behavior towards others. When most people think of the word environment they usually just think about their home they live in. But this word actually mean way more than that. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary […]

Novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights takes place in the early 19th century. During this time, women were considered second-class citizens. They had the responsibility for the care of their family, as a wife and a mother, and the household. Outside of the home setting, women had no real significance as they were only expected to have a minimum education and were not encouraged to pursue a professional career. Men were highly relied on by women to be the ""power force."" Women did not […]

Wuthering Heights Reading Journal: Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Nelly, the servant from Thrushcross Grange heads over to Wuthering Heights hoping to talk to Hindley, Heathcliff’s ultimate enemy but cannot. The next day at the Grange she, along with Catherine see Heathcliff with his new “lover” Isabella. Catherine, who loves Heathcliff but is married to Edgar Linton, confronts him asking for her true feelings and offers to allow the marriage if their love is true. Heathcliff becomes disgusted at the idea of marrying Isabella, confessing his hate […]

Heathcliff in “Wuthering Heights”

Symbols - mostly settings Wuthering Heights - an old farmhouse that Heathcliff and Catherine grew up together symbolizes energy, excitement and affection. Thrushcross Grange is the house owned by the Lintons and later visited by Lockwood. It symbolizes a place with disciplined, elevated and civilized culture. Moors- A place where great adventures dwell in Catherine’s and Heathcliff’s memories. It symbolizes ferocious tendencies and exciting and mysterious mood of the unknown. The moor helps establish a certain mood in the novel […]

The Analysis of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a remarkable piece of literature, the books character development is one of it’s most appealing features. For example, we all know about Heathcliff, the young boy taken in by Mr. Earnshaw who he raised as his own son and grew to love him more than his actual son. Initially, only Mr. Earnshaw cared for Heathcliff, but soon, his daughter would madly with him, and he with her. There love for one another grew as they did, they […]

Novels – Plot of the Story

"The majority of the time, novels will use hate to create havoc in the plot of the story. Wuthering Heights uses Heathcliff’s hate toward the other characters to insert conflict in the story. Wuthering Heights illuminates the source of Heathcliff’s hate as well as the effect it has on the other characters throughout the story. Heathcliff’s relationships with other characters also suggest the theme that hate only breeds hate. Heathcliff never finds peace through his revenge. With every act of […]

Emily Bronte – Facts of Life

"Emily Bronte was born on July 30, 1818, in a village located in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. She had five other siblings but sadly lost her mother to cancer when she was only three years old. Emily was extremely shy and loved animals. She had a passionate nature and wrote several poems with her two sisters in 1845. They published the poems under pseudonyms, which began her literary endeavors. Emily began her teaching career at Law Hill School in November of […]

Devon Komar Honors English

The book is set in an extremely secluded area within England. This suits Lockwood extremely well, as he defines himself as a “misanthropist”. Lockwood states, “‘Wuthering’ being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather. Pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed: one may guess the mower of the north wind blowing over the edge…” (2). This shows that the property is often exposed to harsh […]

The Extraordinary Life of Novelist and Poet Emily Brontë

“Emily Brontë has become mythologized both as an individual and as one of the Brontë sisters” ("Overview of Emily Brontë"). Emily made her way as an individual with the release of her best selling and only novel, Wuthering Heights, in 1847. Life before Emily found her passion in writing was chaotic. Emily’s life was unusual and often unhappy, but everything changed when she learned how to sit down and write ("Overview of Emily Brontë"). Emily Brontë is an English novelist […]

Additional Example Essays

  • Colonism in Things Fall Apart
  • The short story "The Cask of Amontillado"
  • Beowulf and Grendel Comparison
  • “Allegory of the Cave”
  • “The Cask Of Amontillado” Analysis
  • Victorian gender roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray
  • 'The Cask of Amontillado' and 'The Tell-tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe
  • Who is the Worst Character in The Great Gatsby
  • What Kind of Person Was Chris McCandless?
  • What does the A in The Scarlet Letter Signify
  • The Importance of Professional Bearing in the Military
  • Homeschooling vs Traditional Schooling

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

21 of the Best Wuthering Heights Quotes

If you’re here to dive into the best Wuthering Heights quotes, you may be surprised to learn that this now-classic novel was far from successful when it was first released. Published in 1847 by English author  Emily Brontë  (1818-1848),  Wuthering Heights  was quickly denounced as “strange,” “disagreeable,” and “confused.”

Fast-forward over 150 years…and it’s safe to say that Emily Brontë has the last laugh!

Not only is  Wuthering Heights  now regarded as a literary masterpiece, it’s also a fan favorite with dozens of film adaptations (and a pretty funny Monty Python sketch , too!). Impressively, a recent poll published by  The Guardian  found that most readers believe  Wuthering Heights  is the “Greatest Romance Novel in English Literature.”

What is it about this passionate tale of love and revenge in the Yorkshire moors that inflames the imaginations of so many readers? Perhaps taking a quick peek at some of the best  Wuthering Heights  quotes will help us understand the enduring power of Emily Brontë’s novel.

Unforgettable Quotes from Wuthering Heights

“He shall never know I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same.”

Perhaps the most famous of all Wuthering Heights quotes, this snippet from Chapter 9 has Catherine expressing her deepest feelings for Heathcliff to the housekeeper Nelly Dean.

Despite her obviously powerful feelings towards Heathcliff, Catherine also makes it clear that she’s decided to marry the more “proper” Edgar Linton.

This quotation best reveals Catherine’s unique vision of love. Rather than simply declare she “loves Heathcliff,” Catherine feels the need to say Heathcliff is “more myself than I am.” For Catherine, where “I” ends and “Heathcliff” begins seems to be blurred…and that might not be such a good thing.

Indeed, considering how the rest of this novel turns out, this egoless passion might be something Brontë wants to warn readers about rather than champion. Read in this way, Brontë’s “romantic” novel serves a very un-romantic purpose. This is similar to the cautionary effect Goethe hoped his first novel  The Sorrows of Young Werther   would have .  Goethe’s story of the lovesick Werther was meant to serve as a warning against the potentially destructive nature of human emotions. Unfortunately, many impressionable young men were so moved by Goethe’s novel that the ended up committing  suicide  in imitation of Werther.

Both of these novels show in vivid detail the violent consequences of unbounded emotions—and yet, ironically, they are both are staples of Romantic literature!

“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.”

This is yet another quote from Chapter 9 where Catherine tells Nelly about her feelings for both Heathcliff and Edgar.

Catherine admits that her love for Edgar will most likely ebb and flow, but her love for Heathcliff will remain for all eternity. Shockingly, Catherine admits that if the entire universe were destroyed, yet Heathcliff remained alive, she would still live through him…yeah, that seems to be taking the whole “soul mate” thing to another level!

Some might argue one reason Catherine marries Edgar is because she unconsciously fears what she believes Heathcliff represents in her own psyche. In confronting Heathcliff, Catherine is forced to examine the potentially destructive impulses of human desire. Borrowing a term from Joseph Conrad, we might even say Catherine can’t help but look into her own “ Heart of Darkness ” when she reflects on Heathcliff’s furious passion and violence.

“I wish I were a girl again, half-savage and hardy, and free.”

It should be obvious by now that Catherine is a pretty conflicted character. In this Wuthering Heights quote from Chapter 12, she looks back longingly on the time before she was introduced to the Lintons and, by extension, to the “civilized” world. Catherine seems to be wondering whether the civilizing influence of Thrushcross Grange prevented her from living a more “authentic” life with Heathcliff.

A question that often comes up when reading  Wuthering Heights  for the first time is why Catherine would be at all concerned with societal expectations and deny herself a life with Heathcliff. After all, this novel is set in the remotest area of England where society’s laws don’t really apply.

Brontë seems to be posing complicated questions here on the ever-present conflict between our desire for the civilizing influence of culture (the Lintons/Thrushcross Grange) versus our uncontrollable and, oftentimes, self-destructive passions (Heathcliff/the moors)…or, if you want to get Freudian, the superego vs. the id.

“If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn’t love as much in eighty years as I could in a day.”

Heathcliff makes this comment in Chapter 14 to “prove” his love for Catherine is greater than Edgar Linton’s could ever be. If Heathcliff loves Catherine as much as he does, however, wouldn’t it be nobler to let her go? Indeed, after witnessing all the suffering this “ love ” causes Heathcliff and those around him, readers might reasonably consider love to be a negative force in Brontë’s novel.

Instead of inspiring selflessness, love drives Heathcliff down a path of obsessive revenge. So, is love portrayed as a kind of sickness in  Wuthering Heights ? This quote from Shakespeare’s  As You Like It  might help readers explore this issue in greater depth:

“Love is merely a madness; and, I tell you, deserves  As well a dark house and a whip as madmen do; and  The reason why they are not so punish’d and cured Is that the lunacy is so ordinary that the whippers Are in love too.”  (III. ii.)
“Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living. You said I killed you–haunt me then. The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe–I know that ghosts have wandered the earth. Be with me always–take any form–drive me mad. Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”

Heathcliff’s passion is so great that it’s no wonder some readers don’t even view him as a human being. Instead, some literary critics argue Heathcliff represents the power of the untamed, natural world. Some even see Heathcliff as representative of the  Satan , perhaps in the sense that Milton characterized the great fallen angel in  Paradise Lost .

Interestingly, readers often have the same conflicting emotions towards Milton’s Satan as they do to Heathcliff. On the one hand, we admire their sense of freedom and high ideals; on the flipside, we can clearly see what these characters perceive as a “justifiable quest” leads to great disharmony and destruction.

“I have not broken your heart – you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.”

Author Virginia Woolf’s essay on  Jane Eyre  and  Wuthering Heights might help explain this “fused identity” of Catherine and Heathcliff that keeps appearing in this novel.

In contrast to  Jane Eyre , Woolf says, “There is no ‘I’ in  Wuthering Heights .” Rather than trying to express personal ambitions, Woolf believes Emily Brontë was interested in expressing a more “general conception” than her sister. So, instead of writing “I love” or “I hate,” Emily Brontë’s main characters are really directing their quotes to “the whole human race” or “the eternal powers,” Woolf argues.

This reading of  Wuthering Heights  could account for why both Catherine and readers have conflicting feelings towards Heathcliff. Although on the surface we are repulsed by many of Heathcliff’s actions, we also feel that he expresses a primal truth we all have bitter experience with: frustrated desire. In this sense, Heathcliff stands for something far larger than his tiny ego; he represents a universal truth in Brontë’s cosmic drama.

“I gave him my heart, and he took and pinched it to death; and flung it back to me. People feel with their hearts, Ellen, and since he has destroyed mine, I have not power to feel for him.”

As readers come across Wuthering Heights quotes like this one from Catherine, it’s understandable to wonder whether Emily Brontë drew on personal romances in her novel.

Interestingly, Emily Brontë never married and lived an extremely secluded life in the Yorkshire moors. All of  Wuthering Heights ‘ most memorable characters seem to have been born out of Brontë’s fecund imagination.

The only character in  Wuthering Heights that might be based on a real person is Catherine’s brother Hindley. Biographers believe Brontë partially based Hindley on her own brother Branwell. Like Branwell, Hindley descends into alcoholism later in the novel. The reasons for Hindley’s descent into drink, however, differs from Branwell’s. Hindley seeks consolation in booze after his wife Frances passes away, but Branwell seems to have been involved a steamy relationship with a married woman.

“I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself.”

Although we often focus on Heathcliff and Catherine when discussing  Wuthering Heights , it’s important to keep in mind that Emily Brontë’s main narrator is Lockwood. It might seem curious at first why Brontë chose to frame her narrative in such a way, but one theory is that Brontë uses  Lockwood  as a foil to Heathcliff.

In the quote above, Lockwood calls himself a “sensible man” who enjoys the splendors of solitude…but at almost every opportunity Lockwood awkwardly tries to become the center of attention! Unwittingly, Lockwood brings the pretensions of “society” with him into the moors. Heathcliff probably has more experience with true solitude than Lockwood has ever experienced.

Also, unlike Heathcliff’s strong passions, Lockwood has some serious issues with emotional repression. Remember that Lockwood admits to shrinking “icily into [himself], like a snail” when he receives advances from a young woman in a seaside town. So, while Heathcliff might be overzealous in expressing his passions, Lockwood’s passions are, well, all locked up!

“I’m wearying to escape into that glorious world, and to be always there: not seeing it dimly through tears, and yearning for it through the walls of an aching heart: but really with it, and in it.”

Shortly before her death, Catherine confides in Nelly her hope to transcend into a “glorious world.” So, does this “glorious world” refer to salvation in heaven?

Wuthering Heights  can’t really be considered a Christian text, but it certainly has spiritual and supernatural elements. We also know from previous quotes that Catherine has a deep awareness of the all-pervading power of nature, which are best represented by Heathcliff and the moors.

Perhaps taking a peek at Virginia Woolf’s essay might help us understand what Brontë is getting at here. Woolf writes that, “It is this suggestion of power underlying the apparitions of human nature and lifting them up into the presence of greatness that gives [ Wuthering Heights ] its huge stature among other novels.”

There seems to be some kind of “power,” or perhaps an apprehension of eternity, that Catherine catches glimpses of throughout the novel. Brontë never states her metaphysics clearly in  Wuthering Heights , but it’s highly likely this novel’s enduring power has something to do with its complex ideas on the mysteriousness of nature and the power of man’s Being.

“It was not the thorn bending to the honeysuckles, but the honeysuckles embracing the thorn.”

In this quote from Chapter 10, the “thorn” refers to Catherine and the “honeysuckle” to the civilizing influence of Thrushcross Grange. The Lintons are able to transform this wild “thorn” in the moors into a proper lady by slowly introducing her to the refinements of society. As we’ve seen in other quotes, however, Catherine has reservations about the benefits of leaving the moors after entering the Lintons’ society.

Since the moors play such a critical role in the mood of  Wuthering Heights , it’s a good idea to look up a few images of the moors in  Haworth , Yorkshire, before reading this text.

Emily Brontë spent most of her life in Haworth, so it’s highly likely this area served as inspiration for the setting in  Wuthering Heights.  Of course, if you happen to be in the UK, you could always stop by this incredible area for a  Wuthering Heights  field trip.

“I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind. And this is one: I’m going to tell it – but take care not to smile at any part of it.”

Although we often consider  Wuthering Heights  a romance, it’s impossible to ignore the many Gothic features Emily Brontë employs. One such Gothic element is the heavy use of dreams throughout the text.

In the Wuthering Heights  quote above, Catherine describes dreams that have had such a deep impression on her psyche that they’ve “altered the color of [her] mind.” Catherine seems to be especially sensitive to this more mysterious region of the psyche. Unfortunately for Catherine, this sensitivity also leads to her early death due to a “ brain fever .”

Perhaps a question Brontë is asking here how far we should go in analyzing our dreams. Are dreams really the gateway to the subconscious? If so, how do we retrieve the wisdom of these nightly visions without completely losing our sanity? Unfortunately, we’re still  struggling  to accurately answer these questions hundreds of years after  Wuthering Heights ‘ publication.

Receive the 8 Best Literary Stories, Every Week

Want the top bookish content from across the internet? Join our Weekly Literary Roundup to receive the most popular and relevant literary news every Tuesday at 10 am.

“Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living. You said I killed you – haunt me then. The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe – I know that ghosts have wandered the earth. Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad. Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”

If Heathcliff can’t be Catherine’s husband, then he’d rather be her murderer and allow Catherine’s ghost to haunt him for eternity. Yeah…is there really any clearer illustration of how “love” for another human could become so perverted? Perhaps.

You see, after Catherine’s death, Heathcliff becomes obsessed with her dead body. Some have suggested there’s a tinge of necrophilia here, but Heathcliff only admits to Nelly that he feels Catherine’s ghostly presence and derives comfort from seeing her body.

Whether Catherine’s ghost is real or not, however, is something every reader of  Wuthering Heights  has to decide for him/herself.

“A person who has not done one half his day’s work by ten o’clock, runs a chance of leaving the other half undone.”

Nelly Dean chastises Lockwood with this quote at the end of Chapter 7. Lockwood wants to hear more about Wuthering Heights’ past, but Nelly advises the new guest to get a good night’s rest so he can complete a full day of work tomorrow.

This is a good example of Nelly Dean’s more conservative, God-fearing character. It’s critical for readers to keep in mind that the whole Earnshaw-Linton story is filtered through Nelly Dean’s value system. Readers might also call into question Nelly’s lack of responsiveness to some of the more violent acts she witnesses during the course of the novel. Some critics have gone so far as to call Nelly Dean the “ villain ” of  Wuthering Heights .

Is Brontë criticizing traditional piety through the characterization of Nelly Dean?

“I have to remind myself to breathe – almost to remind my heart to beat!”

Although Heathcliff says he is not afraid of death, he also admits that he “cannot continue in this condition.” Heathcliff then makes the above confession to Nelly Dean, adding that he wishes the “long fight” of his life were over.

Thankfully, it’s physically impossible to forget to breathe or beat our hearts because they are a part of the autonomic nervous system. When we experience chronic or acute stress, however, it’s likely we will feel as if we’ve lost control of our breathing, digestion, and heart rate.

Interestingly, recent scientific  studies  show people who practice daily breath meditation have significantly lower anxiety rates than those who don’t. In addition to helping you relax, meditation could boost your  concentration  and  memory  skills, which are sure to help you tackle all those classic novels on your bucket list!

“A wild, wicked slip she was.”

Let’s be honest, this Wuthering Heights quote from Chapter 5 isn’t all that memorable. Indeed, it’s just a description of Catherine as a young girl. The only reason why this phrase deserves extra attention is because it’s one of the most frequently misattributed quotes in  Wuthering Heights .

If you’ve gone onto popular websites looking for quotes from  Wuthering Heights , then you’ve probably run across the phrase, “She burned too bright for this world.” People often attribute this quote to Brontë’s  Wuthering Heights , but  scholars  cannot find this sentence in the text. The only phrase that comes close to this description of Catherine is the quote from Chapter 5 listed above.

This just goes to show you can’t trust everything you read on the Internet!

“Time brought resignation, and a melancholy sweeter than common joy.”

Found in Chapter 17, this quote describes Edgar Linton shortly after the death of Catherine. At first glance, it seems like this sentence is nonsensical; melancholy and joy are polar opposites, right? Well, recent science shows a healthy dose of pessimism might actually stave off depression.

Indeed, psychological studies have shown that people who are “ depressed ” often see the world more objectively than their optimistic counterparts. As with everything else in life, of course, balance is key. If we get overly pessimistic and cynical, then it could lead to excessive self-loathing and self-harm. On the flipside, we can’t come to grips with reality if we wear rose-tinted glasses all the time.

“Treachery and violence are spears pointed at both ends; they wound those who resort to them worse than their enemies.”

Isabella Linton makes this moral proclamation in Chapter 17 when arguing with Hindley. Unfortunately, so many  Wuthering Heights characters (and people in the real world, for that matter!) fail to heed these words and instead cause great suffering for themselves and those they love.

Although Elizabeth Brontë didn’t have access to ancient Buddhist texts like the  Dharmapada , the above quote bears a striking resemblance to the famous verse 125:

Who offends the inoffensive, the innocent and blameless one, upon that fool does evil fall as fine dust flung against the wind.
“Honest people don’t hide their deeds.”

Many of Nelly’s statements are overly simplistic. While they may appear relatively true on the surface, they ignore a great deal of nuance.

How often have we heard of or seen honest people with good intentions hiding their deeds? For instance, think of people who donate  anonymously  to charity. Yes, it makes sense people up to no good would want to hide their deeds, but that doesn’t mean honest people don’t hide good deeds every now and again.

Speaking of “hiding one’s deeds,” did you know Emily Brontë published  Wuthering Heights  under the penname  Ellis Bell ?

“I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.”

These are Lockwood’s final observations after he passes by the graves of Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar. Just like the start of the novel, these closing words have a kind of nightmarish quality that begs the question: how much of what we’ve heard was reality and how much fantasy?

Although these words mark the end of Emily Brontë’s literary career, one  letter  suggests she had plans for another novel. Thomas Cautley Newby, a London publisher, wrote to “Ellis Bell” in 1847: “I am much obliged by your kind note & shall have great pleasure in making arrangements for your next novel.” Sadly, we don’t know any of the details of what this second work might’ve been about.

Fun fact: in addition to  Wuthering Heights , Thomas Cautley Newby is responsible for publishing the major novels of Emily’s sister Anne Brontë:  Agnes Grey  and  The Tenant of Wildfell Hall .

“I was frightened, and Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out of doors: she did fly up, asking how he could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house, when they had their own bairns to feed and fend for?”

A question readers often have when reading  Wuthering Heights  is why Mr. Earnshaw decided to bring Heathcliff from Liverpool to the moors. Was it just out of Christian charity? Or, perhaps, is there something more sinister going on here?

Some critics believe Heathcliff could be Mr. Earnshaw’s child from an  affair . That certainly would explain why Mrs. Earnshaw has such a violent reaction to Heathcliff!

Of course, this also brings up the icky issue many readers would rather avoid: the intimations of incest. Readers are understandably put off by the idea that Catherine and Heathcliff grow up like brother and sister and later want to become lovers. Some  critics  have gone so far as to suggest that Emily Brontë might be sublimating taboo sexual feelings for her brother Branwell through  Wuthering Heights . Of course, these theories became more fashionable in the 20th century with the emergence of Freudian psychoanalysis.

Like it or not, these questions remain unanswered in the text, which has led to many uncomfortable discussions in English literature classes.

“It is hard to forgive, and to look at those eyes, and feel those wasted hands,’ he answered. ‘Kiss me again; and don’t let me see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer—but yours! How can I?”

Forgiveness is rather difficult to find in  Wuthering Heights.  Sure, Heathcliff says he forgives Catherine in this quote, but his actions throughout the novel tell quite a different story. It seems Heathcliff, like many other characters, is motivated more by vengeance than selfless love.

One of the only rays of true hope in  Wuthering Heights  is the relationship between young Cathy and Hareton Earnshaw. Both of these children bear certain physical and psychological traits of their parents, but they are able to transcend their past. Rather than forming a relationship based on vengeance, Cathy and Hareton show the possibility for mutual respect and compassionate understanding. With this redemptive ending, Brontë suggests that our actions define our destiny rather than the decisions made by our ancestors.

As we mentioned at the start, when it was first released, Wuthering Heights was far from a critical darling.

One critic named  James Lorimer  went so far as to say, “Here all the faults of  Jane Eyre  (by Charlotte Brontë) are magnified a thousand fold, and the only consolation which we have in reflecting upon it is that it will never be generally read.” Even Emily’s more successful sister Charlotte felt the need to  apologize  for the characterization of Heathcliff in her  preface  to the novel’s 1850 edition.

Despite the critical poor reception (which unfortunately continued past Emily’s own death), Emily Brontë’s only-published work has clearly found its way into readers’ hearts and minds. It may be dark, tragic, and indeed “strange,” but characters, stories, and quotes from Wuthering Heights still resonate with readers around the world today.

What do you think? Which of these unforgettable  Wuthering Heights quotes has been most impactful to you?

If you want to know more about the complicated web of characters in this novel, check out our  Wuthering Heights  family tree. Warning, though, spoilers ahead!

Leave a Reply

Be the First to Comment!

Recommended For You

15 pride and prejudice quotes: elizabeth bennet, mr. darcy, and more, the work of fyodor dostoyevsky: “composed purely and wholly of the stuff of the soul”, from confucius to the communists: five of the best chinese writers.

IMAGES

  1. Wuthering Heights Essay

    best essays on wuthering heights

  2. Wuthering Heights essay/analysis

    best essays on wuthering heights

  3. Wuthering Heights by Silvia Plath Analysis Free Essay Example 1570

    best essays on wuthering heights

  4. Chapter Twenty-Six. The original title page of Wuthering Heights (1847

    best essays on wuthering heights

  5. Wuthering Heights Essay on Love

    best essays on wuthering heights

  6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Essay Example

    best essays on wuthering heights

VIDEO

  1. My review of Wuthering Heights

  2. Wuthering Heights

  3. WUTHERING WAVES DAY 1 ESSAYS & DRAMA!?

  4. "Wuthering Heights" By Emily Bronte

  5. Wuthering Heights

  6. Why Twilight is a Gothic Romance: Twilight Was Marketed Wrong (Twilight Essay)

COMMENTS

  1. Wuthering Heights Essays and Criticism

    The two dreams Lockwood experiences early in Wuthering Heights—the first of a visit to Gimmerton Kirk, and the second of a visit from the ghost-child Catherine—have recently received critical ...

  2. Analysis of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

    The fullest approach to Emily Brontë's novel is through the basic patterns that support this vision. Wuthering Heights concerns the interactions of two families, the Earnshaws and Lintons, over three generations. The novel is set in the desolate moors of Yorkshire and covers the years from 1771 to 1803. The Earnshaws and Lintons are in ...

  3. Wuthering Heights Study Guide

    Full Title: Wuthering Heights. When Published: 1847. Literary Period: Victorian. Genre: Romanticism / Realism / Gothic (e.g., mysterious family relationships, vulnerable heroines, houses full of secrets, and wild landscapes) Setting: Yorkshire, England, late 18th to early 19th century. Climax: Heathcliff and Catherine's tearful, impassioned ...

  4. Wuthering Heights as a Victorian Novel : Thinking Literature

    November 14, 2023 by Shyam. "Wuthering Heights," written by Emily Brontë, is a classic Victorian novel that captures the essence of the time. This literary masterwork, published in 1847, is set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. A reclusive person, Emily Brontë was one of the Brontë sisters, and her novel was published under ...

  5. Wuthering Heights Essays for College Students

    Wuthering Heights - Short Analysis Essay Conflict is the basic foundation for Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Much of this conflict results from a distinct division of classes and is portrayed through personal relationships, for example the unfriendly relationship between the higher-class Lintons and the lower-class Heathcliff...

  6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

    173. SHARES. "Wuthering Heights" is a classic novel written by Emily Bronte. It is renowned for its intense portrayal of love, revenge, and the complexities of human nature. In this article, we will delve into the various aspects of this timeless piece of literature, including its summary, setting, and analysis.

  7. 65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    Gothic and Romantic Themes in "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. Passion, Love, and Betrayal in "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. Bonds That Are Unbreakable in "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. The Main Features of the "Wuthering Heights" and "The Woman in Black". Different Narrative Voices: "Wuthering Heights ...

  8. Wuthering Heights Essays

    In Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë develops a conflict between Catherine Linton and Hareton Earnshaw and uses the resolution of their conflict to resolve that between Catherine and Heathcliff. Though their social classes and upbringings differ,... Wuthering Heights essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by ...

  9. Wuthering Heights : complete, authoritative text with biographical and

    Wuthering Heights : complete, authoritative text with biographical and historical contexts, critical history, and essays from five contemporary critical perspectives ... Wuthering Heights: the complete text -- pt.2. Wuthering Heights: a case study in contemporary criticism Notes. skewed text inherent from the book. Access-restricted-item true

  10. Violence in Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights"

    Emily Brontë's classic novel, "Wuthering Heights," is a masterpiece of Gothic literature, known for its turbulent and darkly passionate narrative. At its heart, the novel explores the destructive power of love, revenge, and the cyclical nature of violence. In this essay, we will delve into the theme of violence in "Wuthering Heights" and how ...

  11. Reading Wuthering Heights Through Marxist Ideas: [Essay ...

    Introduction. Emily Bronte's classic novel, Wuthering Heights, is not simply the tragic love story it may appear to be on the surface, but is an example of class differences and the role of capital in eighteenth century Victorian England. Using Karl Marx's essay Wage Labor and Capital, one can see the ways in which Wuthering Heights uses the rise and fall of Heathcliff as a reminder that ...

  12. Wuthering Heights Essay Topics

    Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student ...

  13. Fate and Choice in Wuthering Heights

    Brontë first introduces the reader to Heathcliff as the villainous (yet, some claim, misunderstood) anti-hero of Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff, taken in by the Earnshaw family as an orphaned child, is often scorned and abused for his wayward nature and lack of known heritage. Of the few who show him kindness in his new home, Catherine stands ...

  14. Wuthering Heights

    33 essay samples found. Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë, known for its tragic love story, complex characters, and exploration of social class distinctions. Essays on this novel might explore the gothic and romantic elements, the symbolic use of the natural environment, or the psychological complexities of characters like ...

  15. 21 of the Best Wuthering Heights Quotes

    If you're here to dive into the best Wuthering Heights quotes, you may be surprised to learn that this now-classic novel was far from successful when it was first released. Published in 1847 by English author Emily Brontë (1818-1848), Wuthering Heights was quickly denounced as "strange," "disagreeable," and "confused." Fast-forward over 150 years…and it's safe to say that ...

  16. Wuthering Heights Key Ideas and Commentary

    Wuthering Heights is a story of passionate love that encompasses two generations of two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons. It is a framed tale narrated by two different characters, one with ...