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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
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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?
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
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.
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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?
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