Wuthering Heights: the topics
The novel puts forward many themes, the most of them are analized in the following lines, some of the information has been extracted from Brontë Society, the rest has been taken from the novel (ed. Longman).
Good versus Evil--
(also love and hate) The power of good is stronger than the power of evil and good will someday dominate. Also that all our striving here on earth amounts to nothing, and it is not until we are dead and face to face with our creator that we shall find our happiness or doom. Brontë is most interested in the spiritual feelings for her characters, making contact with an existence beyond this life on earth. The difference between that feeling that Catherine has for Heathcliff and the one she feels for Linton is that Heathcliff is a part of her nature while Edgar is only a part of her superficial love. It is a spiritual love rather than a physical one that binds Heathcliff and Catherine together.
Revenge--
This is the most dominant theme of the second half of the novel, although in the last chapter Heathcliff abandons his plan for revenge. Heathcliff first believes that if he can avenge the death of Catherine that he will somehow grow closer to her. However, the exact opposite occurs. When Heathcliff gives up on his plan for revenge, he is soon reunited with Catherine in eternal bliss. Examples on pp. 735-736, pp. 702- 703.To efforce my arguments, you can visit this site: http://perso.easynet.fr/~hentzj/revenge.htm in which you will find more information about the revenge topic in Wuthering Heights.
Crime and Punishment--
All the characters have sinned in one way or another and in the end they are all punished for their crimes. However, Cathy and Hareton are not corrupt in any way and they are the ones who finally destroy the evil between their families in the next generation.
Passion versus Rational Love--
Passion is what divided Catherine from Edgar. Catherine's passion for Heathcliff ruined the lives of so many people at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The whole story revolved around the passion that Catherine and Heathcliff felt for each other. Edgar, on the other hand, felt a more reasonable love for Catherine. Catherine was devoted to Edgar, yet was in love with Heathcliff.
Misunderstanding--
On behalf of Catherine and Heathcliff. The example of this can be found on p. 725 when Catherine and Nelly are talking about Heathcliff. Another example is on 737 and 738 with the love triangle between Catherine, Heathcliff, and Isabella each misunderstanding the other one’s feelings.
Heathcliff’s search for happiness but his stubbornness kept him from it. Examples of this can be found on pp. 725 ; this also ties in with the revenge theme because revenge would make Heathcliff happy (p. 743).
Wuthering Heights has always been controversial. Earlier generations argued over the quality of the novel. Readers today generally regard it as a high-quality work but argue over the meaning of its content. Some readers believe the novel's most significant theme is revenge. Until just before the end of the book, Heathcliff's revenge against those who have wronged him taints all the relationships at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Other readers see Heathcliff in a more favorable light and consider the most important theme to be rebellion. Heathcliff, a penniless outcase, eventually beats his oppressors at their own game. You can also widen your focus and say that the book mainly explores the nature of love, weighing definitions offered by Heathcliff and by Edgar. Their actions, and the feelings and actions of other characters, help you understand these definitions. You can also see Wuthering Heights as principally concerned with the conflict between stormy and calm sides of life. Wuthering Heights generally represents the stormy side, Thrushcross Grange the calm side. The conflict between these two ways of life causes great suffering until the marriage between Cathy and Hareton--a marriage in which both approaches to life are recognized and accepted.
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Creada: 22/02/2000 Última Actualización: 07/03/2000