Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Analysis)

 

Wuthering Heights

by Emily Bronte

(Analysis) 

The opening chapter of the novel has the function of showing the setting of the story and introducing some of the main characters in the story. Lockwood is seen right at the start to be something of a misanthrope. He has ironically come to this locality in search of calm. He seems to like the place and even its air of loneliness and desolation. The next character to be introduced and described is Heathcliff. He is seen as a dark, handsome but rather careless man.

The element of the supernatural enters the novel with the third chapter. Lockwood sees the ghost of Catherine in a dream. But it is made clear that Heathcliff also has some premonition of that, and he is anguished by the fact that the spirit refuses to enter the room. The books which Lockwood reads have jottings in them which bring before our eyes the childhood of Catherine and Heathcliff. The impression of the strangeness of the place reaches the point of climax in this chapter. With the fourth chapter begins that narrative of Nelly Dean. She reveals herself to be not only highly imaginative but also a natural-born story-teller.

With the fifth chapter the complication in the plot is well under way. The artificial peace at Wuthering Heights comes to an end with the death of the master. The developing relations between Catherine and Heathcliff also do not augur well. Catherine is as passionate as Heathcliff and takes delight in tormenting those whom she loves. We see that Joseph is like a blight on the lives of the children at Wuthering Heights.

Hindley and his wife now return to Wuthering Heights. The result is that Heathcliff has to lose his place as the favourite in the house. The reader can easily see that Heathcliff is not going to submit to the ill-treatment which is meted out to him by Hindley, and that Heathcliff must be brooding on some dark revenge that he must wreak on his tormentor. From now onwards revenge becomes the major motive in the novel. The characters of Heathcliff and Catherine now emerge more distinctly.

The climatic moment in the relations between Catherine and Heathcliff is reached when Catherine speaks to Nelly about the fact that Heathcliff is so brutal and uncouth, and Heathcliff overhears the whole conversation and leaves Wuthering Heights. He remains away for full three years. In his absence Catherine and Edgar are married. With the moving of Catherine to Thrushcross Grange it is as if the storm and passion now move to displace the poise and calm of the Grange. The two principles will eventually be harmonized with the marriage of the second Catherine and Hareton.

Heathcliff begins to assert his influence on many characters in the novel. He gradually gains the confidence and love of Isabella which was necessary for the furtherance of his plan of revenge on Edgar. He even entraps Hareton and asserts that he would see whether he can make the son become as degraded as the father. There is a great deal of tragic inevitability in the fate of Isabella because not only Edgar but even Catherine does her best to warn her away from Heathcliff. At the same time, it is also made clear that Heathcliff still possesses a great deal of influence on Catherine.

Isabella takes full advantage of the confusion resulting from the illness of Catherine and elopes with Heathcliff. So demoralized does Edgar feel himself to be before Heathcliff that he makes no attempt to pursue the runaway couple or have their marriage prevented. We see that Heathcliff’s plan of a comprehensive revenge is going along perfectly.

Although Catherine had married Edgar by her own choice, she is a complete misfit at the Grange. According to Heathcliff it is as if an oak was planted in a flowerpot. In spirit Catherine is completely isolated when she is away from Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights. The long and passionate conversation between Catherine and Heathcliff in Chapter 15 makes it clear that the two are inseparable in spite of Catherine having married Edgar Linton.

Catherine gives birth to a premature child and passes away without regaining consciousness. Both Edgar and Heathcliff love her, though in different ways and it is made clear that Edgar suffered no less than the passionate Heathcliff by the death of Catherine. There is a touch of great horror and unearthliness in Heathcliff’s wish that the spirit of Catherine may haunt him and that she may never rest in peace because she had rejected his love by marrying Edgar Linton.

It seems that Heathcliff’s efforts to pervert the nature of Hareton are succeeding splendidly because we find that Hareton is imitating Heathcliff by hanging a whole litter of puppies. Isabella takes up residence in the south of London, and gives birth to a son who is named Linton. Two characters pass out of the story with their death, namely, Isabella, and Hindley. Linton is suffering from tuberculosis. The plans of Heathcliff concerning him are revealed in a conversation that the former has with the house-keeper, Nelly Dean. He means to use the child to get possession of the property of his enemy, Edgar Linton, just as he has already succeeded in possessing the property of his other enemy, Hindley.

A new interest enters the story with the revelation that Hareton takes an unusual interest in his cousin, Cathy. Inevitably there is a fierce rivalry between him and Linton. Cathy mortifies Hareton when she discovers that he cannot read or write. We also see that Hareton is determined to improve himself in this respect. Heathcliff’s plans met with swift success. Linton was found by Catherine to be mortally ill and all her attempts to have a doctor called in proved unavailing. Heathcliff had made his son leave everything to him so that when he died Cathy had lost all her worldly possessions.

The narrative is now linked back with opening chapters of the novel and we find that Lockwood has recovered sufficiently to pay another visit to the Heights. The purpose of this visit, however, is not to satisfy his curiosity as on the previous occasions but to tell his landlord, Heathcliff, that he has had enough of the countryside and wishes to leave for London.

Lockwood returned to the locality in September 1802. He decided to spend the night at the place where he had lodged during his previous visit i.e., Thrushcross Grange. He learnt that Nelly now lived at Wuthering Heights so he decided to pay a visit to the Heights and talk to Nelly Dean there.

Heathcliff confessed to Nelly that although he had now the power of reducing both the Earnshaws and the Lintons to utter poverty he had no longer the ability to take delight in this destruction. He saw images of Catherine all around him. Revenge was no longer important to him because all his life was now ruled by one thought – that of being united with Catherine at the earliest. He was sure that he would not have to wait very long to see his wish fulfilled.

It was believed that the spirits of Heathcliff and Catherine haunted the moors but when Lockwood visited the graves, he found the place to be so peaceful that he refused to believe that those who lay underneath could have troubled sleep. Nelly decided that she would no longer live at the Heights because Hareton and Cathy were to be married on New Year’s Day and shift to the Grange. The sour-tempered Joseph, quite befittingly, was to continue to stay at the Heights as the caretaker.