Wuthering Heights Essay, Research Paper

Analysis of Fiction Elements in

Wuthering Heights

By Emily Bronte

In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte developed characters that revolved around actual

experiences from her childhood. Emily was born and raised in Thornton,Yorkshire. Haworth, a

suburb of Yorkshire in Northern England, was far away from cultural London. The Haworth

parsonage was nearly surrounded by a graveyard. Emily and her siblings spent most of their lives

with this gloomy setting.

Patrick Bronte, an Irish clergyman, was the father of six children. All of the children were

very disciplined due to the enforced and cruel discipline of their father. Maria Bronte died of

typhus, leaving her children without a motherly figure. Emily was fiercely independent. She was

strongly opposed to formal religion. This could have been from the hardship she endured as a

child. Emily felt no love from her aunt Branwell, who took care of them when her mother died.

Aunt Branwell was a very religious person, yet had no compassion in her life for her nieces. She

felt no bond between them (Barrons7). In Jane Eyre this real life situation was recreated between

Jane and her Aunt Reed (11). Emily was left in the care of an aunt who had absolutely no

affection for her. These real life situations became themes throughout the books written by both

Emily and Charlotte Bronte. Emily became very loyal to her father and found it hard to leave her

home environment. She stayed with her ill brother until his death in September 1848, at the early

age of 30. At the funeral of her brother, Emily caught a cold and never left the house again. She

went into a deep depression. Her sisters couldn’t help her. Emily died at the early age of 30,

never knowing about the success Wuthering Heights would experience. Her father, Patrick

Bronte, outlived all of his children (The Professor 5). After the tragedy of Emily’s death, her

sister Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre, which became an immediate success.

So devastated over the death of his beloved wife, Patrick retreated to his study. To fulfil

the duties as a pastor, he left his study. The children were left mostly to themselves, leaving

much time to create an imagination through books and writing. Most of these stories and

characters were written revolving around the moors which they played by as young children

(Lit.Women 225).

Many themes develop throughout the book Wuthering Heights, such as love, hate,

rejection, the risk of loving and revenge. Love is strongest of them all. All of these

themes are throughout the character’s lives, but in the end love is the only one that remains.

In Wuthering Heights, the love between the characters Heathcliff and Cathy is very

difficult. Heathcliff is from a lower economic class and is less educated. He actually works for

Cathy’s family as a hired hand. In her heart, she loves Heathcliff but cannot marry him because

of his social status and lack of money. Cathy chooses to marry Edgar, a very wealthy

man, who does love Cathy. Marrying for the wrong reasons they never find fulfillment. Cathy

regrets not following her heart, to be with Heathcliff. Embittered Edgar cannot make

Cathy love him. Heathcliff feels rejected, yet he never stops loving Cathy.

Cathy knows in her heart she is doing wrong to marry Edgar. She said, “I have

no more business marrying Edgar Linton than going to heaven” (68). Edgar is handsome,

young, cheerful does love Cathy. The number one reason is money. Cathy believes it will make

her happy (66). Without Cathy, Heathcliff feels hatred, but when they are together he can

face anything. Heathcliff says he wants to become better for her. When Cathy’s father died,

Heathcliff came back and gave Cathy a shoulder to cry on (36). At this point in the story Cathy

has married Edgar, and realizes her huge mistake. She tells Heathcliff that when she dies, she

will never lie in peace: “I’ll not lie there by myself, they may bury me twelve feet deep, and

throw the church down under me, but…

The rest of the paper is available free of charge to our registered users. The registration process just couldn’t be easier.
Log in or register now. It is all free!
329