Wurthering Heights

Wurthering Heights

 

                Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte introduces us to the ‘Byronic Hero’. This is a classic novel from the Nineteenth century which closely follows the bizarre family dynamics which are isolated in the moors.  The main characters Heathcliff and Catherine who grow up together and despite their love for each other cannot seem to make the connection, possibly due to simple stubbornness and as a result Catherine marries Linton and creates an unbalanced world for her daughter Cathy to grow up in.

                Heathcliff is a very interesting character, as one reads this novel his character seems to pull at emotions of both sympathy and disgust. Emily Bronte’s creation of Heathcliff is genius; how is a character able to be both beloved and loathed? I found an internal battle going on inside as I read this book, why do I feel sympathetic for Heathcliff? How can I despite all the truly awful things he has done? Heathcliff by all accounts was not a nice man, coming back to the moors for one reason…to take revenge on the family that raised and segregated him, which he very successfully does: he forces Catherine’s daughter to live with him and torments her. The original Catherine is a less sympathetic character, she clearly uses people and torments anyone who loves her, from her husband Linton, to Heathcliff. Catherine carries many of the same unbalanced characteristics as Heathcliff but is unable gain sympathy from the reader as she comes across more as a spoiled brat than a person hard done by.

                Symbolism is strong throughout this novel, the creepy moors which must be traversed between the two homes is a clear visual of Heathcliff’s tormented nature just as the moors are creepy and easy to become lost in they can also be beautiful. There is the repetition of names: Catherine’s daughter Cathy who carries all her mother’s last names at one point, Heathcliff’s son Linton Heathcliff taking names from both his uncle and his father which suggests history is bent on repeating itself.

                Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte creates a tug of war in the reader between the heart and the mind. The heart sympathizes with Heathcliff while the mind yells at the heart that he is a horrible man. This novel is worth reading for many reasons, but this character makes it an essential read.