Emily Brontë’s storytelling is impeccable, and her ability to be poetic goes further in refining ‘Wuthering Heights’ into a book with greater appeal – as readers get to observe this in her popular lines and quotes from the book. However, the book has a history of public rejection after its publication, because it promoted certain human and meta-human aspects that didn’t quite fit well with the then society.
Expect Some Dramatic and Haunting Themes
There’s a reason why Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ received a stern backlash from the majority of reviewers in the early stages of the book’s life. That reason is nothing but the fact that some of the book’s themes were, by then society’s standard, considered too dark and outrageous to be included in a novel, much less for a 19th-century Victorian mindset-driven society.
For author Emily Brontë, ‘Wuthering Heights’ was much more than just fiction, but imaging of her reality stretched into existence, and all she wanted to was bring them to life. Her use of such dreary, dark themes as her deaths and ghosts, scholars have found, is tied to her experiences or what she felt at different points in her life – having endured a lifetime of watching too many important people in her life being wiped out by death. This then validates why the themes of death and ghosts are replete in ‘Wuthering Heights.’
A Hero Is Lurking About With Villainous Tendencies
Every book has its hero, who is usually not the same person as the villain. But, in Emily Brontë’s book, one cannot help but be surprised by how Heathcliff, the supposed hero of ‘Wuthering Heights,’ switches between being a hero and, later in the book, a villain.
Heathcliff is introduced as being a sweet and lovable boy character for whose reason readers have a good book to read. However, further down the middle – to the end – our hero has been corrupted by abuse and misdeeds, and that’s how he changes from the good old protagonist who wouldn’t hurt a fly to the treacherous – even wicked – villain who would go as far as hurting anyone, including children, in his pursuit of revenge. Heathcliff starts with the hero complex, but in the end, Hareton appears to end with it.
A Pure Work of the Classics
Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights,’ by a fair assessment, is no short of a literary classic, a remarkable demonstration of a typical gothic-style book. Only by reading ‘Wuthering Heights,’ the reader more than just glance and nibble the words on its pages, but is magically put in unsafe surroundings, breathed with fear, with an unidentified ghost hunter constantly visiting and tormenting characters with whom it has a score to settle.
A Fitting End
Although we get to see great personalities, maybe even our best characters, being fallen by death, Emily Brontë couldn’t have planned a more fitting end than she did. The author saw to it that Heathcliff ends his misery in life by uniting in death with Catherine, his unconditional love, who is also expected to Rest In Peace after their unification finally.
Well, for those still in the land of the living, the high-spirited and strong-willed Cathy reclaims her freedom from Heathcliff’s bondage and is set to tie the knot with Hareton, the underdog, who rises against all odds to repossess his rightful inheritance.
FAQs
Is ‘Wuthering Heights’ a tough novel to read?
‘Wuthering Heights’ is typically a tough novel to read in that it’s one with several strong themes and characters, and written off dark, maybe even slightly disturbing plot lines.
What is the prevalent message conveyed by Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’?
The prevailing power of love comes top as the positive message in ‘Wuthering Heights,’ however, on the negative side are the pains and torment that come when love goes wrong or is unfulfilled.
Who is the hero in ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Brontë?
Heathcliff appears to be the hero of Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ from the book’s start, but looks far from it towards the end, with an unlikely hero in Hareton, son of Hindley, Heathcliff’s half-brother, emerging as the ultimate hero of ‘Wuthering Heights.’
Wuthering Heights Review: A Gripping and Thrilling Read
Book Title: Wuthering Height
Book Description: Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights,' is a cornerstone of English literature and explores a PG-13 version of love and revenge.
Book Author: Emily Brontë
Book Edition: Penguin Classics
Book Format: Paperback
Publisher - Organization: Penguin Classics
Date published: January 29, 2003
Illustrator: Charles Robinson
ISBN: 978-0-14-043904-4
Number Of Pages: 384
- Style
- Presentation
- Characters
- Plot
- Setting
- Climax
- Denouement
Wuthering Heights Review: A Revenge Served Cold Is Not Nearly as Gratifying as One Not Served at All
Emily Brontë’s only novel, ‘Wuthering Heights,’ is a book that has come a long way through the centuries fighting off criticisms to become one of the cornerstones of English literature. It is a delightful book to read for PG-13 with several lessons taught on hard themes and subjects – love and revenge being the most frontal of them all.
Pros
- Great Storyline
- Invaluable lessons
- Exquisite poetic rhythm
Cons
- Racial prejudice
- Strong themes
- Leaves several questions unanswered
