Love above life, or a lifelong tragedy?

            “Wuthering Heights”, a tragic love story which has always inspired the notion of love. Is it love when you defy your own heart, or when your selfishness “curses” your lover’s destiny? “Wuthering Heights”, a story about the dark irony of life, a love which was never fulfilled and three grave stones lined on the same hill.

Writing Style

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë is a complex love story, which many readers consider romantic and many actually tragic. The novel is a frame narrative story, presented subjectively, through the two narrators’ eyes: Nelly Dean and Mr. Lockwood. The narration, along the whole reading, alternates between the first and third person, offering its readers a complete perspective regarding the action.

There’s a pleasant and easy transition between the present, when the story is told, and the past, when the events occurred. The story-telling is focused on the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine, and, totally astonishing, it continues to highlight its effects and consequences even when the female protagonist dies. The character died, but her memory would never. This is something I met for the first time: a romantic relationship which takes place in a very short part of the story, but which influences the whole book.

Nevertheless, I found about 10% of the book a little bit incoherent, not because of the narration, but because of the accents that are present along. Some characters, as old Joseph, seemed to have a particular specific accent. As I can only think, the transcription of his lines was more phonetically, which made my reading experience a little bit harder. As I am not an English native speaker, but I wished dearly to read this novel in its original language, reading this book brought me few obstacles… all of them regarding Joseph’s lines.

All the description passages came in my help to understand better the setting of the story and deepen my perception upon the characters’ mentality and personality. They were short and on the subject, most of the time intriguing and tempting me to become starver and starver for what was next. Considering the writing techniques, the descriptions were undeniably my favorite. They were complex, most of the time explaining certain key moments or character’ reactions. In the end, I felt like “Wuthering Heights” never had a confusing sequence, but made me feel a real witness of its action.

I really loved that this story never had a moment which got me tired. The amount of descriptive paragraphs was perfectly measured, not more, nor less. Everything was finely connected, with taste and relevance.

“Wuthering Heights”	My experience	Online sources
Age Rating	+16	7-9 (Amazon)
Star Rating	5/5	3.88/5 (Goodreads)
Reading Time	10 h	5h and 12m (Reading Length)
Narrative pace	slow pacing
Genre	Novel; Gothic Fiction; Romance; Tragedy; Historical Romance; Adventure Fiction, Horror Fiction; YA Fiction
Book Length	485 pages

The Main Themes

The main themes of the story – the romantic suffering, the “satisfaction” of revenge, the selfishness, betrayal and obsession – all seem to be debatable. Whether the characters consider the course of events a good reason for revenge and causing pain, the readers are free to read the story and judge themselves the characters’ morality. A subjective narration always comes with a subjective perspective.

Read here another interpretation of the story, which might help you get ready for your exams.

What goes around, comes around

Hindley has always bullied Heathcliff, beat him and even mocked him. The new head of the family had no humanity or mercy: he was a racist, hateful man. Heathcliff had always dreamed about the day when he would become powerful enough to take everything from Hindley and get revenged.

Returning after 3 years of being away, Heathcliff was a new man: he was rich, powerful and truly noble, at least in appearance. He tricked the man, stole his lands and destroyed his dignity. Hindley was therefore a guest in his own home, and his son… Heathcliff’s servant. No bad is missed from being punished one day. What goes around, comes around.

Heathcliff & Catherine

“Wuthering Heights” would be normally considered a love story: two people who fell in love unexpectedly, but who could never be together because of the circumstances. But was it really a love story?

Heathcliff

Heathcliff’s love was intense and honest; he felt every tiny emotion more fiercely than the other persons, which brought him to actual obsession. He was a starved orphan when Catherine’s dad found him many years before, left alone to make do. Heathcliff, initially, had no one to care for him or make him feel loved.

When the old Earnshaws died and Hindley, the older son, became the new head of the family, Heathcliff was pushed to become a servant: he confronts Hindley and the Lintons’ racism and mockery. Therefore, Catherine was the only person he ever had by his side. He became obsessed with her love and person, but the pure and innocent feeling shortly, I think, became something else: a need for social validation and identity.

From my point of view, Heathcliff’s gestures – drawing a cross for each day the girl spent with the Lintons and a dot for the ones spent with him – became exaggerated, selfish and even obsessive. He wanted Catherine to spend her whole time with him, without ever considering her feelings.

I strongly feel like Heathcliff’s temper and actions were strongly influenced by his abandonment issues. He feared to be alone again, so his love for Catherine became a desperate one. She was not only the girl he loved, but also the one he needed to be socially and emotionally validated. This aspect of his character is somehow masked, but still present and observable.

I can’t really determine the exact nature of his feelings for Catherine. On many times, she was the only light of his soul, but he was still driven by his wish for revenge and causing pain. Was he really gone, for 3 years, to become the man Catherine deserved, or to become able to get revenge on everybody who once had done him wrong? When he returns, his main purpose and first journey is to get Wuthering Heights from Hindley, not to find Catherine.

Her death changes his character forever. Heathcliff lets himself be driven by revenge and madness. I can perfectly understand his wish for her to haunt him: the only chance he had to feel her presence again; this might’ve been pure love. Even so, where was the pure love when he made Catherine’s daughter suffer so much?

Young Cathy was Edgar Linton’s daughter, but she was also Catherine’s. How could he provoke so much suffering to the child of the woman he loved so dearly? After Catherine’s death, his only wish in life was to get all the lands, no matter the way or the persons he had to use for it. His madness and poor morality therefore, make this story an actual tragedy. Heathcliff lived more than 18 years missing Catherine and drowning himself in hate and soul poverty.

I’ve met some readers who considered Heathcliff an actual victim: damned to remain alone in life, to live without his soul.

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞?

“Wuthering Heights”, Emily Brontë

There’s a difference between being a victim and victimizing yourself. All his actions made him, later, the villain of the story, as all the other characters saw him. So, a victim of the circumstances, or the villain in everybody’s story?

Do you think Heathcliff was a victim or the villain? Let us know in the comments.

Judging Heathcliff’s “weak” moments

I initially thought Heathcliff’s curse might’ve been profound and painful, a proof of love above life or death. That was all before I analysed closer his character: the inner darkness, the hate, the desperate need of validation, and his wicked nature. It’s unmerciful in the end to call love something which is so selfish, a need for love which is not due to the desire of feeling alive, but the one for social validation. They might’ve loved each other actually – in an ill way, which only they were able to understand – but their poor nature and character were unfavorable for having a happy ending.

“Wuthering Heights” has always been looked at as an inspiring classic love story, when it’s actually a life lesson. Even though the novel was written in 1847, the protagonists’ human typologies are still current: the undecided spoiled young girl, who thinks it’s the world’s duty to kneel before her; and the ill-soul man, who strongly believes love is going to change him, but it never does… not because love is not powerful enough, but because he can’t love purely and interest free – his love will always be selfish and its consequences heavy for the others around him.

The novel shows us a painful face of love, a tragic story of a character who embraced darkness when his “light” died. He was so preoccupied of getting revenge on everyone who once had done him wrong, that he forgot to love Catherine fully while she was still alive. Nevertheless, I can’t stop wondering whether it’s fair or not to call love what he felt for Catherine. What they wanted their story to be and what it actually was were two different dots on parallel barriers – between life and death; between forgiveness and revenge.

I still prefer to act like it didn’t happen: he unburied Catherine. How an action as that one would ever be considered normal? His desperation passed any decency limits; Heathcliff wanted to be with her no matter what… or Catherine’s form. Maybe the gesture was supposed to show how much he missed her and all the excruciating pain he was going through, but it actually showed his poor mental health. He might’ve always been like that, or his hard life transformed him, but this sequence completely horrified me.

Catherine

Catherine, even though she was physically present for a short amount of time, influenced the whole novel and her memory determined the development of all the other characters. At this point, she became a symbol for the story: a ghost which continued to haunt Wuthering Heights and its tenants.

Catherine and Heathcliff were wild and free, driven by feeling and passion. They were rebellious and inseparable, two souls who found each other because of fate. The girl had a meaningful importance for the story, but I still couldn’t stand her morality. She was spineless, selfish, sometimes even rude and definitely stubborn. Catherine, as the protagonist of “Wuthering Heights” is seen as a heroine in the classic literature. Even so, she was no close to being a role model.

Her friendship and, later, romantic connection with Heathcliff only made her “wicked” side stronger and more visible. Catherine was careless to the others; she only saw herself and Heathcliff, nothing else mattered to her. Conflictingly to her flaws, she was unique. All the characters saw her inner flame, burning with liveliness and desire for freedom. I think she was part of the moors more than she was part of the world. In that place, she and Heathcliff would always be two foolish little kids in love with each other, protected from the outer world.

The only times Catherine suffered was because of Heathcliff. The boy was her whole world, but neither did this stop her from defying her heart. She aspired to be a “lady”, but also to be able to offer Heathcliff a roof above his head. Catherine married Edgar Linton, hoping that she would still be able to have the other boy close to her. She was selfish and wanted it all; Catherine never considered she wouldn’t be able to have both boys in her life. She defied her heart ’till the very end and, from my point of view, made Heathcliff and Edgar her own puppets, playing with their hearts.

As selfish and spoiled as she was, I think Catherine was actually thrilled regarding her power over the boys. They were “victims” of her beauty, liveliness, but also to her careless nature. She cried for Heathcliff on the death bed, but she was the one who married out of interest, afraid for her social status if she had married him. Catherine was cold and ruthless, having no mercy for his soul.

𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞! 𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥?

“Wuthering Heights”, Emily Brontë

The girl was incapable of admitting her feelings and listen to her heart. Therefore, she couldn’t admit her mistakes, not even on her death bed, and blamed Heathcliff for everything. It was cruel from her, in those emotional moments of saying goodbye, to make his heart so heavy, with guilt for her death. Her actions were a true paradox: she chose Edgar over Heathcliff, but claimed that the latter killed her.

Title explanation

The title of the book is used both connotatively and denotatively. While it named Heathcliff’s lands and the Earnshaw’s childhood home, it also came from the tempestuous weather, which was suggestive for the character’s cold hearts. Therefore, the title is a premonition of the characters’ unhappy destiny.

You should also read the title explanation given by the Colins Dictionary Blog post

𝐖𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐫. 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟’𝐬 𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. ‘𝐖𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠’ 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

“Wuthering Heights”, Emily Brontë

A “legendary” ending

   This book is incredibly passionate and meaningful, completely surprising the readers with its authentic perspective. The protagonists are captured thoughtfully in the hazard in which desire and consequence interfere. There’s a strong connection between Catherine and Heathcliff’s deaths. While the first’s was preceded by hallucinations about the moors and flashbacks from her early childhood, the latter’s were about her, who was impatiently waiting for him on “the other side”. Therefore, right before their death, they experienced once again their happiest moments alive, the ones spent together.

Keeping the similarity to the legend kind, the ending of the story gets the two lovers back together in the afterlife. They seem to find each other again and become an urban legend of two lovers, holding their hands and haunting the moors. Catherine and Heathcliff’s legend was going to be spread by the locals long after they died.

In the end, the moral of the story – if you can name it so – reaches a symbolical nature: 3 grave stones lined on the same hill. Heathcliff and Edgar – it might sound morbid or cynical – were finally by their lover, no matter… her condition.

Therefore, I even find this story sad: 2 protagonists who were never brave enough to listen to their hearts or hold on to kindness; a girl who wanted to have everything, but ended up all alone; three souls which were split by death and hate. “Wuthering Heights” is an impressive, deep story, but not a love one. It’s tragic, built up on human weaknesses and vices; a story with a social impact and a deeper message than an unfulfilled love.

Symbols

Doubles

In the very beginning of the novel, there is contoured a powerful parallel between Heathcliff and Catherine: both wild and free, unstoppable and stubborn. The girl herself admitted that she and Heathcliff were one single person “I am Heathcliff”. Therefore, she embodies the woman who identifies, in person and feelings, with her lover, assuming they’re one. She is a double of his character, but not the only one.

𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐚𝐦. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞

“Wuthering Heights”, Emily Brontë

Contributing to the irony of the story, Heathcliff finds his second double, later, in Hareton’s character. Both boys became orphans sooner or later, and servants as well. Heathcliff decided to get revenge on Hindley by stealing the lands and inheritance of their family. As this all wasn’t enough, Heathcliff wanted to avenge all the mockeries he had suffered: he made Hareton his servant, as the boy’s father had made him once.

Catherine gives birth to her own second double, little Cathy, her only daughter. The girl presents the same fascination for nature and, especially, for the moors and Wuthering Heights, as her mother. Cathy longs for freedom, radiating of liveliness; she is stubborn and determined, never fearing to confront Heathcliff in the end.

Both characters prove to be irresponsible and spoiled, always trying to blame somebody else for their thoughtless reactions. While Catherine Earnshaw hit Edgar and victimized herself for being forgiven, young Cathy hit Linton, but made him feel guilty for her later sadness.

Along the reading, details as the moors, the weather or the ghosts are put under the spotlight, defining a consistent base for a literary acclaim like “Wuthering Heights”. While some of them are discrete symbols, difficult to be observed initially, the others are strategically suggested along the story.

The lands and their tenants

The symbolism of “Wuthering Heights” is mainly focused on the continuous generational fight between good and evil. While Wuthering Heights was portrayed as the residence of coldness and grey morality, Thruscross Grange was surrounded by kindness and joy. The Lintons and the Earnshaws prove later to share the same character as their own homes. While the first were blonde, an embodiment of light and happiness, the latter were brunette and, just like their destinies, dark and sober.

𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë

The moors

A broader research upon the symbolism of the story, brought me closer to the true meaning of the moors. They were an intermediating space, between Wuthering Heights and Thruscross Grange… between good and evil. The fact that, in their early childhood, Catherine and Heathcliff were fascinated about playing in the moors determined their destiny as adults to be. Being seated between hope and loss, the children’s fate was still undecided.

When Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton over Heathcliff, she not only chose the boy, but also her exit from the moors: she chose Thruscross Grange, the hope. On the other side, Heathcliff took the other part and let himself be driven by madness and hate. The same moors, two different exits. Therefore, the two friends had to split in the end and take different ways in life.

The weather

The tempestuous weather, which gave Wuthering Heights its name, is used symbolically for the characters’ unfortunate destiny. The weather is wild and unforgiving, exactly like the female protagonist, Catherine Earnshaw. It only aggravates the rumination present at Wuthering Heights.

Read about the other symbols in the “Wuthering Heights Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory” study guide from shmoop.com.

Haunting ghosts

Along the story, there are several moments in which the ghosts, metaphorically or not, are mentioned. They are not described as supernatural beings, but persons who died and are missed dearly, spirits who didn’t find their peace. Whether we talk about characters as Nelly Dean, who is a very spiritual person, Heathcliff, who “curses” Catherine to haunt him, or old Joseph, who is very faithful, they have all mentioned or seen those ghosts.

Beside the ones who died and returned for one last time, there are also “the ghosts” of the past. Heathcliff, most of all in the end of the book, is haunted by Catherine’s memory, which he sees in her daughter and also in Hareton, her nephew.

The children bring him painful memories, because they’re not only his enemies’ children, but also Catherine’s descendants. I think this is the actual reason he couldn’t stand seeing them any close: they were Heathcliff’s reminder that he and Catherine were never going to be together ever again.

Generational Trauma

The narration realizes an incredible connection between the two generations and couples: Catherine and Heathcliff; Cathy and Hareton. It is created a great parallel, like a mirror, between the moments each couple shares together. Both mother and daughter insult unknowingly their lover and both couples defy social status. While the girls were rich and part of the high society, the boys were orphans and powerless servants.

The moment in which Cathy is told her birth day was Heathcliff and Edgar’s most hurtful day, made me realize that her birth is also symbolical. When she was born, Catherine died: a soul has to leave for another one to arise. I think, as Cathy and Hareton were Catherine’s and Heathcliff’s doubles, their amorous fulfilment was the originals’ happy ending in the earthly plane.

Incipit & Dénouement

The incipit and the dénouement find themselves in a tight symmetry relation. Beside Nelly Dean’s narration, which drives the whole course of action, Mr. Lockwood’s storytelling and perspective are found along the incipit and dénouement of the novel.

The story begins with Lockwood’s haunted night at Wuthering Heights, where in the middle of the night he is woken up by Catherine’s ghostly appearance. In complete symmetry, in the dénouement of the story, her ghost and unmissed presence are Heathcliff’s death reason. Scientifically, the male protagonist died of starvation, but we all know what actually happened there: Catherine was calling him “home”.

Long Story Short

I am completely aware that in most of my review of “Wuthering Heights”, I severely criticized the protagonists and their actions. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book with my whole heart. I even strongly believe that an intriguing book which provoke you to criticize its characters, debate its themes and moral of the story is far better than one you simply enjoy reading but without it wakening in you any more complex feelings than that.

“Wuthering Heights” is my favorite classic reading; I fell in love with the characters’ grey morality, the author’s unusual, but franc perspective, and, not lastly, the incredible two-sided quotes. Love or selfishness?