The novel begins with the narration of Mr. Lockwood who at that moment a tenant of Thrushcross Grange. He encounters the owner Mr. Heathcliff in his visit to Wuthering Heights. Early on this chapter, we see the picture of the setting of the novel which is actually very exclusive. It will be realized later on that all the events happen within the vicinity of the two houses. However the outside world played an important role for the flow of the story.

One mention is the fact that Mr. Lockwood comes from neither Thrushcross Grange nor Wuthering Heights. It is important that Mr. Lockwood is not of the two houses because the whole story is actually retold to him. He is the one reason why the story is being narrated by Mrs. Ellen Dean. In other words, the reader would see the story through Mr. Lockwood’s eyes. Another significant connection to the outside world is Earnshaw’s going to Liverpool. This made way of the coming in of Heathcliff to Wuthering Heights.

Hindley’s going to boarding school is also one important event because his going away gave way for his becoming the head of the household after the death of Mr. Earnshaw and his wife. On my opinion, the most significant event related to the outside world is the running away of Heathcliff. He went away for three years and mysteriously accumulated an ambiguous amount of fortune. His going away also became a transitional stage for him. We see an extreme change of appearance and mannerism of Heathcliff but we shall realize that his objectives and personality is always the same.

The novel is quite effective as a narrative by both Mr. Lockwood. The novel however has used the frame system a lot of times which is the technique using a story within a story. The whole story of the affairs of the people of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange is narrated by Mrs. Ellen Dean. After Mr. Lockwood’s visit to Mr. Heathcliff, he then feels drawn to Heathcliff and the story around him. He asks Mrs. Dean of the story and she proves to be a very reliable story-teller. Most of the narrations were explained from first-hand experience of Mrs. Dean who turns out to be present on the major events that took place to Heathcliff and Catherine’s lives being a loyal nurse to Catherine and other major characters of the story.

However, there are times when Mrs. Dean’s narration becomes far from plausible. It is when she overstates things in her narration where she explains the details even into the minutest thing. She is also able to retell the exact words the people around her say even from years before. The story she relays on short casual nights. Mr. Lockwood also has this ability of reiterating Mrs. Dean’s story in a very accurate manner. The consistency of both story-tellers is very uncanny. That I guess is not exactly possible. But then again, we must put into mind that the intention of the author is to relay the story through narration and not to give an over-realistic way of conversation.

The story is set in the Victorian Age however a lot of elements of the novel are quite Romantic. One example is the use of the Byronic Hero. The Byronic Hero is a male archetype that has a deep dark past that contributes on who he really is. On this novel, the Byronic Hero is obviously Heathcliff. He will be discussed more later on.

Another reason why I can say that the novel is Romantic is its use of Gothic elements. The grotesque embellishments of Wuthering Heights matched with the sculptures of nude men and griffins contribute to its being Gothic. There are many allusions to the dark within the story; the appearance of the ghost of Catherine to Mr. Lockwood is one thing; Hindley was called an imp of Satan on chapter four. On the end of novel, even Mrs. Ellen Dean was entertaining the probability that Heathcliff was a ghoul or vampire. The story’s approach on death is very Gothic just like Heathcliff’s approach towards the corpse and the cemetery.

The setting Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are very symbolic to the original people living in them. This is a feature the novel possesses. More of the settings will be discussed later.

The different characters are well-rounded but they have special cases within them. Each one of them is unique.

They exhibit the binary opposition. The Lintons and the Earnshaws is one example. The Earnshaw children Hindley and Catherine were all raised well but they seem to possess their own flaws. Hindley may be well-educated but he was conceited and arrogant. There was still a glint of hope within him because of his being passionate to his child and for the love he gave his wife, Frances. He eventually turned out to be a drunkard, tormented by the one whom he tormented before-Heathcliff. Catherine was established to be spoiled. However, after being rehabilitated by their neighbors the Lintons, a new personality was born. Learn more about Catherine in the next chapter.

The novel is a good narrative. The plot is not linear. The narration of Ellen Dean frames different flashbacks. As we read the novel, we learn new truths and revelations surprises us about the different people in the story.

II-Heathcliff and Catherine

The whole novel of Wuthering Heights focuses on two main characters. Emily Brontё highlights them as the soul of the whole novel. The Byronic Hero Heathcliff is the main male character of the whole story. He is introduced in the story to be a rude and silent person through Mr. Lockwood’s first visit to Wuthering Heights.

Mrs. Dean tells Mr. Lockwood Heathcliff’s origins. He was found by Mr. Earnshaw of Wuthering Heights, father of Hindley and Catherine. He is described to be a very sourly and silent child. Obviously, of a gypsy decent, Heathcliff did not appeal to his new found foster family as someone favorable except Mr. Earnshaw who interestingly favors him more than his own children and her foster sister Catherine whom he establishes a strong bond that eventually turned out to be unbreakable bond.

The rest of the household did not approve of Heathcliff. Mrs. Earnshaw does not care for him. Ellen Dean, then a young woman, a servant’s daughter, was guilty of not liking the new addition to the family. Joseph the old servant of the Earnshaws, religious but self-righteous was one of the chief characters responsible in bullying Heathcliff. The most antagonistic character for Heathcliff in his earliest years in Wuthering Heights was young Hindley, eldest child of the Earnshaws.

Despite the different maltreatment Hindley inflicts on Heathcliff, he remains silent and sulky. He broods and nurses bitter anger against his foster brother. We can see in the novel that at an early age, Heathcliff already knew how to blackmail Hindley into giving him his pony in exchange of his silence of Hindley’s abuses to him. Hindley is a very significant factor in developing Heathcliff’s character. It would be safe to assume that half of who Heathcliff is now is attributed to Hindley’s efforts.

Heathcliff is shown to have very strong obsessive feelings toward Catherine. The development of the two intensifies as both of them are of the same age bracket and because the two of them are both bullied and usually reprimanded by the same people namely Hindley, his wife Frances and Joseph the obnoxious servant.

Catherine is the central female character of the novel. She is depicted to be a very difficult lady. As a child, we get the impression of her being spoiled and mischievous. Even her own father who is know to be loving and caring tells her that of all his children, it was Catherine who was the most wicked of them all.

However, despite that, Catherine is seen in the story to be a charming and lively character. She is quite favorable to everybody in the area. But it was Heathcliff who loved her the most, to the point of obsession.

After her being rehabilitated to the Lintons after their attempt to run away failed, Catherine developed another identity. Her transition from being a childhood friend into his mistress for Heathcliff is quite intolerable. But Heathcliff being who he is kept it to himself and stayed as vindictive and surly as ever.

It is a very important event when the Lintons entered the lives of the residents of Wuthering Heights. It generated a very powerful impact to the story. The Lintons represented refined lifestyle and civilization, quite opposite to the Earnshaw’s wild and uncivilized pretense. Their act of taming the wild Catherine also paved way a friendship between the two families.

It is Heathcliff who did not approve of the arrangement as jealousy starts to burn within him because of Edgar Linton, the eldest of the Linton children, being attracted to Catherine. Here, a great example of binary opposition can be discussed. It is the difference between Heathcliff and Edgar. I could not see any other characters more different than the two of them.

Heathcliff is menacing and uneducated while Edgar is seen to be cowardly but sophisticated. Catherine is in a dilemma when it reached to the point when Edgar asked her to marry him. In this, she resolves to talk to her confidante and nurse Mrs. Dean of her feelings to both men. In this conversation, Catherine struggles. She has said yes when Edgar proposed and she seems to be satisfied with that decision but then she rethinks of her feelings towards Heathcliff. She emphasized that Edgar is the husband she really wants. But she strongly stated that she loved Heathcliff more than Edgar. What justifies her decision is the fact that Heathcliff would not be a practical choice for her. She abhors the idea of living as a beggar with him and she resolves that she and Heathcliff would not be separated even if she were married.

Unfortunately, Heathcliff has overheard the conversation. He did not listen anymore after he heard Catherine remark that she wouldn’t want to marry Heathcliff. He was not able to finish Catherine’s speech talking about her love for him. I think that crucial moment was the turning point of Heathcliff’s revenge.

It came to a point that Heathcliff ran away from Wuthering Heights. He was absent for three years. He went back to Wuthering Heights a changed man. His countenance was as dark as ever but he learned how to carry himself as a civil person. He has accumulated a mysterious sum of money which the author did not elaborate on anymore.

In that part of the novel, we come across clues of Heathcliff’s plan of owning Wuthering Heights then we see that he too wants to own Thrushcross Grange. He becomes a scheming person using every resources he can to fulfill his goal.

We can see Heathcliff as cold-blooded. He went back to Wuthering Heights where Hindley remains a drunkard because of the loss of his wife. Hareton, Hindley’s only son became Heathcliff’s way of revenge to Hindley. He spoiled the little boy and raised him with no values and manners. He was not educated. Hindley was no longer financially capable to support the household and he depends on Heathcliff who had money. That is the ironic twist of things for Hindley.

Catherine was still torn between the two men that loved her deeply. One was the perfect husband for her, the other his lifetime passionate lover. I guess it must have driven her mad. Edgar being very devoted to her, allowed her freedom to correspond with Heathcliff in a friendly basis. I think he’s also afraid of the possible outcome if he deliberately separate Catherine from Heathcliff. He resents the idea, for sure.

Being the one in charge in Wuthering Heights made him like another master of the house. He’s assured of owning it because Hindley being inclined to gambling and alcohol was full of debt. He was concerned to the well being of his only son, Hareton. He had no choice; Wuthering Heights was as good as Heathcliff’s.

With Wuthering Heights assuredly on his hands, Heathcliff plans in securing his ownership over Thrushcross Grange. His obsessive mind has put his mind into the fulfillment of owning the houses of those whom he hated. To get Thrushcross Grange, he found it prudent to be a part of the Linton family.

It was convenient for him that Isabella has developed an attraction to him. Catherine was against this. She tells to Isabella not to be tricked into Heathcliff’s trap. However, Isabella is quite young and quite stubborn that she insists that Heathcliff was truly in love with her. She said that Catherine was just jealous, and partly, I think that it is true that Catherine is not really doing this just for Isabella’s sake but also for hers. Catherine managed to tease Isabella by telling Heathcliff that she was in love with him in her presence; she was held by Catherine so she couldn’t run away.

After she scratched Catherine’s hand and walked away, Heathcliff expressed his interest to marry Isabella for her money and when she’s his wife, he plans on beating her for having a mawkish and waxen face.

In chapter 11, we experience a very important scene where Heathcliff is seen by Nelly kissing Isabella outside Thrushcross Grange. He is scolded by Catherine when he came in. Heathcliff replied that he had the right to do whatever he wanted because she was already married; and that she can torture him in any way she liked but she should let him also do so in his the same style. We can see that there is an implication that Catherine is jealous of the affair. Edgar comes in the picture but was instantly humiliated by both Heathcliff and Catherine. He was simply ignored by Heathcliff. In this scene, we see how cowardly Edgar Linton is. Though Heathcliff and Catherine may behave and dress as refined and civilized as him, they were still wild-mannered and violent. Edgar was not accustomed to violence, he prefers a civilized and genteel was in handling difficult matters. He hits Heathcliff in the back and runs away to get reinforcements.

This event distressed Catherine so much that she decides to break her own heart to break the hearts of those who loved her. We can see here that she is also scheming and shrewd. She is willing to sacrifice her mental and physical well-being for the sake of her objectives thus she faked her health to be failing.

Long story short, Isabella being so infatuated eventually eloped with Heathcliff and became mistress of Wuthering Heights. Almost instantly after the wedding, we learn that Isabella realized of how grievous her mistake was in marrying Heathcliff. She was disowned by his brother who apparently did not enjoy the fact that his sister married his enemy.

Chapter 15 is the climax of the whole story. Here Heathcliff went inside Thrushcross Grange to converse with the ill Catherine. Their meeting was bittersweet. Catherine accused Heathcliff of having killed her. In here, we see that the intense love between Heathcliff and Catherine are not based on the happy moments or pleasure. She managed to tear some of Heathcliff’s hair and he left some bruises in her arms. Love for them is like madness. Their dire need and obsession of each other is what keeps them alive and whole.

Catherine eventually died hours after she gave birth to a daughter also named Catherine known as Cathy. Nelly wished for the child to be a boy but as it is, Isabella becomes the direct heir of Thrushcross Grange.

Later on, Isabella runs away from Wuthering Heights. Hindley dies. Hareton is treated as a common servant, the same treatmest Hindley did to Heathcliff when Hindley was master of Wuthering Heights. Hareton was uneducated and rude. He was Heathcliff all over again. Young Catherine, commonly known as Cathy, grew up to be a blooming young woman. She was her mother all over again though the influence of Edgar Linton was quite instilled to her. She was not as wild as her mother but was as haughty, insensitive and curious.

Isabella died and left with her a son named Linton Heathcliff. He was a sickly and effeminate boy and was to be taken care of his uncle Edgar Linton. However, Heathcliff took him being the legal guardian. He hated his son because of his being a weakling.

Here we see Heathcliff in action as he schemes to take over Thrushcross Grange. Edgar eventually died and Heathcliff eventually managed to force his son Linton into marrying his cousin Cathy. Linton dies not long after the marriage.

Heathcliff managed to be master of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

Heathcliff and Catherine didn’t grow up. Time for them, is nothing. Their ideals and feelings are the same; wild, free and true. They have shown a different kind of love, different from love that is derived from happiness and pleasure. The two of them are mad! They are the craziest characters in the novel, crazier than Joseph.

III-Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange

The novel’s features two prominent houses, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Wuthering Heights is the mansion where the Earnshaws live. The Lintons are those who reside in Thrushcross Grange.

Both houses are representatives of their tenants. Wuthering Heights is derived from the local word “wuther” which more or less means tempestuous weather. The name of the place gives a very significant impact to the novel. The people within the place were raised in a way that’s quite disturbing in a sense.

The first clue of the oddness of the household in Wuthering Heights is the adoption of Heathcliff by Mr. Earnshaw. In addition, he favors Heathcliff more than his own children. It was apparent from the start that Mr. Earnshaw had a good heart but his feelings towards his family and with Heathcliff is questionable. Because of the sullen personality of Mrs. Earnshaw, I can actually speculate and assume that Heathcliff is Mr. Earnshaw’s real son. Though it was not formally revealed in the story nor was elaborated by Brontё, it is much likely that they are father and son. That would explain his fondness to the boy. But that’s my speculation.

Heathcliff, of course, the main character is a sinister and dark figure that contributes a lot in the mystery of Wuthering Heights. Hindley and Catherine’s being spoiled children is also a factor that makes the household problematic. The servant Joseph is also a prominent character of religious and self-righteousness. Except for Ellen Dean, I would really have to conclude that everyone in Wuthering Heights is eccentric.

Thrushcross Grange, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of Wuthering Heights. The clash between the residents of the two houses actually heightens the passion of the story. Of course, Thrushcross Grange is as important as Wuthering Heights despite the fact that the two main characters, Heathcliff and Catherine, are from the other house.

Named after a bird, the “thrush”, Thrushcross Grange also exhibits its own pleasant effect to the reader. The Linton family is one of the most prominent families in that area. They are well-respected by the community and they are known for their being genteel and refined.

Edgar and Isabella, children to Mr. and Mrs. Linton, are exact opposites of Heathcliff and Catherine. They are civilized and refined. The family is a perfect embodiment of society in the novel. Everything about them is quite goodly and sophisticated. It is evident that Hindley when he was master of Wuthering Heights, he was pleased to establish a relationship with the Lintons.

Wuthering Heights was described to have gothic and grotesque elements. Thrushcross Grange is a pleasant-looking little villa. As we read the novel, we feel the uncomfortable life in Wuthering Heights starting when Hindley took over the household. Oppression and abuse were always there almost every day. Heathcliff was no better in managing the house. After the transferring of Nelly to Thrushcross Grange, there remained no reasonable person in the house anymore.

Thrushcross Grange on the other hand is depicted to be a warm and welcoming house. People there shared intimate relationships with each other. There was no reason for everybody there to be uncivil with each other. There was proper decorum and good food. What’s important was that everyone was reasonable.

Everything changed when people started to live in the other house where they do not originally belong to. Catherine living in Thrushcross Grange drove everyone crazy there. She was loved though. Isabella living in Wuthering Heights drove her mad which provoked her to run away. I suppose the only person there who wouldn’t be driven mad into living in any of the two houses is Nelly Dean.

The houses represent a sense of victory for Heathcliff. Both of them were his objective. He wanted to own the two houses. The families of which hated him and so he resolved into taking the two houses through his devious plans.

Catherine died in Thrushcross Grange and Heathcliff died in Wuthering Heights. Perhaps the meaning of this is that both of them were not meant to live and die together. But they didn’t care. They lived wanting and obsessed with each other. Both I suppose achieved their own heaven together in the very end.

IV-Conclusion

Wuthering Heights is one of the most amazing and awful novels I have ever read. It’s all about love, obsessive and passionate love between two powerful characters. Emily Brontё is to be commended to this marvelous work! It definitely stands out in the literary canon during the Victorian Period.

Her characters are either very whole or very flat. She made rich characters like Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar and Hindley. But he also made flat ones like Mr. Earnshaw or the Lintons’ parents.

The plot is very devious and scheming like Heathcliff. Brontё has succeeded in making her characters alive. Her characters are quite consistent and life-like. Though there is of course the hint of being eccentric in her work, Brontё made it in such a way that her message about life and love is told to the reader.

The novel centralized to the plot. After the significance of one character has expired, Brontё immediately eliminates them. Examples of this scenario are the death of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, Mr. and Mrs. Linton, Isabella and Linton Heathcliff. Brontё’s killing of these characters are so sudden that it actually sounds too much of a coincidence.

Wuthering Heights is the kind of novel that would leave you astounded, amazed and at the same time creeped out. It was said before that Wuthering Heights was a work of a mad person.

The novel is very intriguing with its themes and motifs. Considering the fact that it was made in the Victorian Period where propriety is observed, I would say that Wuthering Heights is one of the best works in that time.

Until now, it still does not fail to get the admiration of young readers of today’s generation. Wuthering Heights has definitely worthy enough to be called as one of the greatest additions to literature.