The Wuthering Heights Reaction

            Wuthering Heights is a peculiar literary beast. Certainly, there were aspects of the novel I found engaging, or at least enough to pique interest. However, Emily Bronte seems to have successfully created a novel which affects the reader based on their gender. No, I am not trying to make a comparison between Wuthering Heights and Fifty Shades of Grey. Emily Bronte’s novel towers far above that… pile of words. I do, however, mean to make a statement on the somewhat exclusive nature of the novel.

            I have fancied calling myself a romanticist before. Emotion is a sultry temptress, and romance is her champion. Yet I refuse to understand how the characters in Wuthering Heights can have such appeal, nor can I comprehend how women find themselves whisked away by Heathcliff’s devilish, albeit passionate, personality. Throughout my reading, I was increasingly dismayed by the level of foulness which emanated from practically every character. Romance, while wholly existent (I completely agree that Heathcliff’s and Catherine’s relationship is one fraught with lovers’ zeal), is quite disconcerting. The malign and offensive behavior which lines every event in Wuthering Heights seems to outweigh, for me, any endearing qualities.

            Take, for example, Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw (the most obvious example to provide). The two grow fond of each other in adolescence, gallivanting about the moors wild and free. As they reach adulthood, their emotions, and love, become more intense, and they feel as though part of one another (Which, I will agree, is a rather tender sentiment). Yet, when Catherine is bitten by the Lintons’ dog, and she remains with them for an extended period, she comes back to Wuthering Heights with romantic feelings for Edgar Linton. In fact, Catherine is so taken by the Lintons and their more refined society that it dictates her decision to wed Edgar, and Heathcliff is left behind, loved yet unloved.

            In my opinion, Catherine acts rather outrageously in this instance. Her desire for material and social gain (In the moors, of all places; what society is there in the moors?!) causes her to abandon the most passionate lover she knew, Heathcliff, in favor of the more genteel, reserved Edgar Linton. Do not misunderstand me; I rather like Edgar Linton (Perhaps that speaks to my personality). But I find Catherine’s entire conduct during the event to be irrational. Later, Heathcliff goes on to perform equally irrational, and wholly monstrous, acts due to how he has been wronged.

            In commenting on the characters, however, I can bring the topic nicely to an analysis of Wuthering Heights and its themes. Bronte’s novel is very much a work of Gothic fiction. The description of faded, forlorn moors and rustic backcountry certainly portray this (Bronte’s descriptions of the moors are likely my most favorite aspect of the novel). There is a slight undertone of the supernatural (Catherine’s specter and her haunting of Heathcliff), which is also a tool of Gothic writing. Lastly, all the characters possess some manner of sinister quality, or some unappealing trait which makes them very much of the Gothic stock. Heathcliff is, of course, one of the better examples in the text (The man is even likened to a devil. A devil!). Also in accordance with the Gothic style, mystery is abounding, as Heathcliff’s origins and his whereabouts during his prolonged absence are never fully detailed.

            In case you were wondering, Yes, I enjoyed Wuthering Heights. Emily Bronte’s novel had several hooks which caught me. No matter how oblivious I shall remain to the appeal of her fabricated romances, I can at least partially understand the emotion. Love is always a welcome topic in literature. Occasionally, however, we possess contrasting opinions on that most fickle of human constructs.