Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
WUTHERING HEIGHTS First, we´ll listen to a well-known 1970s song by the English singer-songwriter, Kate Bush about Cathy and Heathcliff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Yi0BW0ps4 The Novel: Passion, sex, violence and revenge Themes Many people, generally those who have never read the book, consider Wuthering Heights to be a straightforward, if intense, love story — Romeo and Juliet on the Yorkshire Moors. But this is a mistake. Really the story is one of revenge. It follows the life of Heathcliff, a mysterious gypsy-like person, from childhood (about seven years old) to his death in his late thirties. Heathcliff rises in his adopted family and then is reduced to the status of a servant, running away when the young woman he loves decides to marry another. He returns later, rich and educated, and sets about gaining his revenge on the two families that he believed ruined his life. Unrequited love is another major theme of the novel. Readers of Wuthering Heights quickly observe that it is a love story, but by the end of the book realize that couples who appeared to be in love did not end up together. Catherine is courted by several young men in the book and while Heathcliff is the one she truly loves, he is the one she turns away. She feels less passionately, however, toward Edgar, whom she marries. The theme also continues in Heathcliff’s daughter-in-law, as seen by Lockwood. Heathcliff treats her poorly and she does not show daughterly love for him at all. The narrator goes so far as to describe her as a “little witch,” handsome but not at all happy. Social class is also a theme discussed by Bronte. Heathcliff may be thought of as an indicator for how quickly social class can change and also how devastating it can be. An obvious example is when Catherine chooses Edgar as a husband over her other suitors (including Heathcliff) so that she can rise in her status among her neighbours. Heathcliff is virtually destroyed by her choice. However, he manages to manipulate the situation so that he 1 becomes the owner of Thrushcross Grange and while his class status is high, he is not truly happy. Another motif is that of nature, specifically nature vs. culture. The countryside manor where the story takes place is almost another character. Brontë writes consistently throughout the novel of the heather-covered hills, and this is where much of the action takes place. Lockwood is nearly lost in a snowstorm trying to reach the house at the beginning of the novel. Later, Catherine is nearly overcome by grief when Heathcliff fails to return from an outing across the moors. Nature’s destruction, therefore, even plays a catalyst in the development of Catherine’s and Heathcliff’s love story. In Heathcliff’s mind, Wuthering Heights is inextricably tied in with Catherine. This leads him to extreme measures to become owner of the land, even after she is dead. The following is an excellent web page about Wuthering Heights, with background information to help you understand the novel: http://wuthering-heights.co.uk/index.htm ASSIGNMENT The Brontë Family Emily Brontë was a member of this famous literary family. Many people often wonder how three young Victorian ladies living in a very isolated part of England could possibly have written such impressive novels. Write a report about Emily, Charlotte, Anne and Branwell Brontë. The Yorkshire Moors: Location, location, location The setting of the novel is an integral part of the plot. Write a short report about the Yorkshire Moors and specifically the village of Haworth, using maps, photos and diagrams. Genre Wuthering Heights is often considered both a gothic and a romantic novel. Write a definition of these two genres. How do they apply to the novel? Analysis Theme: The Role of Social Class Describe the social class of the Earnshaws, the Lintons, and Heathcliff. Which are of a higher social class? Why is this significant? How does social class motivate Catherine's actions? How does she try to change her class? 2 How does Heathcliff's social class influence the way he is treated and his own actions? How does Heathcliff's class change? What is the role of class in the novel? How do tensions in the book result from class struggles? What role do the servants Nelly, Joseph, and Zillah play in the novel? Theme: The Significance of Setting Describe the setting of the Yorkshire moors. How do the houses Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange reflect their inhabitants? Do the houses symbolize their inhabitants? Give examples. How do the settings influence the novel's characters? Theme: Love Beyond the Grave How is love treated in the novel? Describe the relationships between the different characters How is the tempestuous love between Cathy and Heathcliff resolved at the end of the novel? Vocabulary 1. Moor Definition: A wide open area of high land that is usually too wet for farming. Context: The writers Emily, Charlotte, and Ann Brontë lived on the moors in Yorkshire, England. 2. Plot Definition: The pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama. Context: As the chief narrator, Nelly recounts the many twists and turns of the novel's plot. 3. Setting Definition: The environment in which a story takes place. Context: Emily Brontë's environment of desolate windswept expanses is the setting of Wuthering Heights. 4. Social class Definition: People having the same social or economic status. Context: Despite her love for Heathcliff, Catherine married Edgar Linton to enter a higher social class. 5. Wuthering Definition: A local term describing the fierce and wild winds that blow during storms on the moors. Context: In the novel, the house was named Wuthering Heights because it was exposed to the moor's harsh weather. 3 The Film The 1939 black and white film adaptation of Wuthering Heights starred Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon and David Niven. How does it differ from the novel? 4