rose_griffes | book post: Wuthering Heights (this is for you, DB!)

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book post: Wuthering Heights (this is for you, DB!)

I wrote this post very quickly. Sorry if I made any errors; feel free to point them out. Also feel free to disagree with my opinion. I'm curious about what others think of this book.

I bought and read Wuthering Heights several years ago. All that I knew ahead of time: moors, Cathy and Heathcliff, a high (reading) level of language.

I enjoyed the book the first time through, but I didn't feel a deep attachment to the characters or the prose. In order to read it again, I had to rescue my copy from the planned resell pile.

First a small rant: why did Brontë use so many two-syllable names beginning with H? Heathcliff, Hareton, Hindley--I constantly confused the latter two.

Heathcliff is the character who drives the story, the catalyst for action; what drives him is Cathy's rejection (in her speech to Nelly Dean). Their 'love' story is central to everything in the book. I use quotation marks around the word love because what they have is obsessive, destructive and unyielding.

I do feel like Heathcliff and Cathy should have been together. That's mostly to spare everyone else around them. Edgar didn't deserve a wife obsessed with another man. Isabella Linton should have been spared from Heathcliff as a husband. My perception is that Cathy Earnshaw was happy with Edgar Linton before Heathcliff's return. When he came back, their previous shared obsession snapped back into place.

I also believe that if Cathy and Heathcliff had married, they may well have destroyed each other. At least the damage would have been limited to the two of them, though. (I don't want to think of any children they might have had together. Yikes.)

Heathcliff after his return was treated almost as a supernatural being, in the text and by the other characters. He was physically powerful; descriptions of his appearance and characteristics were exaggerated and dramatic. He had an emotional hold over several characters. More importantly, he used all of this in ways that led to distress, like a vampire draining away the happiness and life force of others.
eta: Augh, vampires! Okay, he's like a Dementor!

Young Cathy broke that spell, so to speak. Unlike her mother, she didn't perceive Hareton's "degredations" (his illiteracy and crude manners) as an irrevocable stain. She was (eventually) accepting of both Hareton Earnshaw and Linton Heathcliff, seeing what was best of them and encouraging it.

I had an e-mail conversation with

daybreak777 about authorial intent--something that normally matters not at all to me. I wanted to know what she thought Brontë's purpose was. Did she intend to write a tragic love story or a cautionary morality tale (or neither)? I think I found it confusing in part because there's an argument against Heathcliff as a true villain--no one else is as interesting. All the other characters are pale shadows in comparison with Heathcliff. Although young Cathy "saved" the ending, she was never as compelling a character as the man she thwarted.

Okay, young Cathy was interesting. I cared about her. I appreciated her willingness to change, and to try and affect others for good. But Heathcliff had all the power; the only reason Cathy's overtures toward Hareton worked was because Heathcliff allowed it. His reluctant affection for Hareton was a weakness for Heathcliff, if his goal was to cause misery to everyone around him.

At one point in the reread I joked that the title of this book should be Young Sociopaths in Love. Heathcliff doesn't fit the definition of a sociopath, though. He had a code of morality, and was aware of the effect his actions had on others. But that morality was based on vengeance; he cared about others' emotions because he sought their unhappiness and downfall.

I do feel moments of sympathy for Heathcliff. His childhood was heartbreaking, even after he was rescued by Mr. Earnshaw. I can only imagine his feelings when he overheard Cathy's comments to Nelly about him being unworthy of her. Even though his obsession with Cathy was destructive, I mourned with him at her death and as he continued to miss her even decades later.

Heathcliff was emphatically not the only character with negative qualities in the book. Cathy's treatment of Edgar, Edgar's sister in her selfishness and willing blindness, Hindley's complete neglect of his son Hareton... Heathcliff is the one who stands out as a monster, however, something more or less than human. It's appropriate that his death seemed to have an aspect of the supernatural.

Brontë certainly made an unforgettable character in Heathcliff. I don't love him. I don't even like him, but he's memorable.

What do you think?

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Heathcliff and Cathy should have been together. That's mostly to spare everyone else around them.

So true, IMO.

WH is one of my all time favorite books, and I have no idea why, because I don't like any of the characters (except maybe Hareton and Cathy Linton). Maybe it's just the beautiful way that Bronte exposes such nastiness, the way it's unabashedly honest. Sometimes you get the feeling that authors fell for their characters, but in this case, Bronte is certainly not enamored with Heathcliff or Cathy, but neither is she so distant that you don't feel for everything that happens. It's just really well done all around.

Maybe it's just the beautiful way that Bronte exposes such nastiness, the way it's unabashedly honest. Sometimes you get the feeling that authors fell for their characters, but in this case, Bronte is certainly not enamored with Heathcliff or Cathy, but neither is she so distant that you don't feel for everything that happens.

I think this is why it isn't a book that I'm drawn to, actually. Because reading about horrible people doing horrible things is... horrible. Heh. I like having redeeming qualities--a reason for me to love the character, not just loathe them. Cathy Linton had that, but she isn't in the book enough.

But it is oddly compelling. Hm.

Hi! I just want to tell you that I will read this post. I just really wanted to reread the book so I remember everything before commenting. I do feel bad that I haven't been able to reread it, even though it's one of my favorite books!

I will reread it, though, and come back to this.

I'll look forward to reading what you think!
*unpokes you*

Finally, finally reread the book. OMG. You have no idea how hard it was for me to finish this thing. But I finished it!

But that aside, now I can address some of the things you said here. :-)

I didn't like Heathcliff but I didn't see him as a monster, either. I think that Heathcliff was so shaped by his childhood both before and after he came to the Earnshaws that that I place the blame on that. Where did he learn to be a man? From the elder Earnshaw? Who let Joseph beat the boy? It seemed the people young Healthcliff loved at Wuthering Heights ignored his abuse (like Catherine's father) or rejected him (like Catherine herself) and then die leaving him with no one to love whatsover. I'm still pissed off at both of them. Especially Catherine's father. He was the parent. What did he think would become of Healthcliff after he died?

Catherine Earnshaw is my favorite character in the book. This is no surprise. :-) She is spirited and passionate. And it's fascinating how she can walk in both worlds of Wuthering Heights and Thrushgrove Manor with equal ease. I don't feel I understand her much but she's interesting to watch. And I disagree that she was that happy with Edgar. I think she was but then why would she give up that happiness when Heathcliff returned and become so ill over it? My claim is that she wanted them both. And that just wasn't possible and that's what broke her heart.

Their 'love' story is central to everything in the book. I use quotation marks around the word love because what they have is obsessive, destructive and unyielding.
Catherine and Heathcliff's love is central to the novel. I don't see it as so destructive because I never saw the love really get off the ground and do anything. The love they had was that first teenage love and like teenagers it was selfish and greedy and unthinking. That's where teens are. But then they had it even as adults. Other than Catherine's speech to Nelly I'm not sure how Catherine would have loved Heathcliff as an adult. But we see that Healthcliff clings to Cathy and never lets go. I think it's because she was the only constant in his life. When you've got only one good thing in your life, you might well cling to it for eternity. I don't blame him for that.

It seemed the people young Healthcliff loved at Wuthering Heights ignored his abuse (like Catherine's father) or rejected him (like Catherine herself) and then die leaving him with no one to love whatsover. I'm still pissed off at both of them. Especially Catherine's father. He was the parent. What did he think would become of Healthcliff after he died?

Catherine's father was an interesting dichotomy. Truly affectionate and loving, yet completely heedless in so many ways. Not just with how he allowed Heathcliff to be treated after rescuing him, either.

But we see that Healthcliff clings to Cathy and never lets go. I think it's because she was the only constant in his life. When you've got only one good thing in your life, you might well cling to it for eternity. I don't blame him for that.

Hm, thoughtful way of describing it. I'm not so generous with Heathcliff, clearly. But it fits with the idea of obsession rather than love, IMO, because holding on to Cathy didn't make Heathcliff happy. Yet he persisted anyway.

I have such zero sympathy for the Catherine's father. I know he thought he was doing a good thing but it was completely short-sighted and I think that that Heathcliff's early treatment both before and after he came to Wuthering Heights made him what he became. So I blame the adult in that situation. Once someone's childhood is damaged it is so very hard to really escape that and change without help.

You aren't so generous with Heathcliff, I see. He's not likable, it's true. I don't like him. But he did love Catherine, I believe. From when they were children into adulthood. He really did.

I don't think it became obsession until she died. I do believe both Catherine and Heathcliff thought they had a genuine chance at being friends or of besides revenge. His grief was so palpable, though. I felt for him there.

But long after she died? He should have moved on and didn't. It was most unhealthy. Even Edgar seemed to move on but he had his little girl to live for. What did Heathcliff have? He outlived them all, but as young Cathy predicted, he died alone. I wish he could have changed but I think he was simply incapable and unwilling to change on his own.

I also believe that if Cathy and Heathcliff had married, they may well have destroyed each other. At least the damage would have been limited to the two of them, though. (I don't want to think of any children they might have had together. Yikes.)
I don't know if they would have destroyed each other. But I do agree that if they weren't willing to let the other go really, then they should have spared their spouses the drama. Seriously. It became obvious to me that neither would ever give the other up. I was rather surprised at Catherine. She had a more normal childhood than Heathcliff but she clung too, practically trying to force Edgar to accept Heathcliff in her life.

I wonder if together they might have tempered each other. I remember them as children grieving Cathy's father's death. Maybe they were better together. I know Heathcliff was better with her. In this novel, the men seemed better with women they loved. Edgar was definitely better with Catherine or young Cathy and Hindley was a infinitely better man when his wife was alive. But what a burden to put on women of the day! Work your own issues out, guys!

I didn't care much for young Cathy because she wasn't Catherine. :-) I also didn't like how Cathy treated Hareton in the beginning as he was trying to better himself. She changed but I don't remember quite why. I also think, well, I was mad because I wanted Catherine to have been that way with Heathcliff. I wanted them to have had the happy ending.

Heathcliff finally lets go of his bitterness towards the end of the novel. Partly because he feels the end coming and believes he will finally get to be with Catherine and partly simply because both children look a bit like Catherine. He could have cause them greater grief but he let it go. What do you think of why he did that?

Brontë certainly made an unforgettable character in Heathcliff. I don't love him. I don't even like him, but he's memorable.
I think both Catherine and Heathcliff are memorable. I like the idea, in fiction anyway, of two people simply being incomplete without the other. I really do think that both Catherine and Heathcliff would have been better people together rather than apart. And I remember most their love. A love that won't quit even in death! Catherine's ghost haunting the Heights because he asked her not to leave him all alone. Him still loving her and imagining her seventeen years after her death. It's a love that won't die and I find that completely fascinating. It doesn't scare me or make me think it's obsessive. I just find the idea of it really interesting.

Thank you so much for reading this. Sorry, it took me so very long to reread!

Edited 2010-08-01 12:22 (UTC)

Ooh, I get a two-part response! :)

I was rather surprised at Catherine. She had a more normal childhood than Heathcliff but she clung too, practically trying to force Edgar to accept Heathcliff in her life.

When I'm feeling magnanimous I attribute her persistence to her desire to help Heathcliff. When I'm feeling sympathetic to loss, I attribute it to her connection with Heathcliff being a reminder of her familial affections. When I'm feeling irritated at her (which is a great deal of the time), I attribute it to selfish obsession.

Maybe they were better together. I know Heathcliff was better with her.
Eh, I'm not sure I agree, as I mentioned in my earlier reply about how loving Cathy didn't really seem to bring much happiness to him.

Though yes, the men in the novel seem very dependent on the women to 'humanize' them. And yet none of those women were very exemplary humans either... maybe young Cathy, after a time?

I also think, well, I was mad because I wanted Catherine to have been that way with Heathcliff. I wanted them to have had the happy ending.
I like the idea, in fiction anyway, of two people simply being incomplete without the other.
Unlike you, I just don't see that as having been possible for those two, from what we saw of them in the novel.

I can be sold on the idea of soulmates in fiction (though we've talked about how I reject it in real life before). What's missing for me in this book is how being together would been any better for them. I have more thoughts but they may need to go over to your Cathy/Heathcliff - Kara/Lee post.

It's a love that won't die and I find that completely fascinating. It doesn't scare me or make me think it's obsessive. I just find the idea of it really interesting.

This whole reply of yours is very thought-provoking. Okay. Sooooooo... never giving up on love is sweet in theory, but Heathcliff never even had that love, truly. Yet he still holds on to Cathy long after her death. That's why I consider it an obsession rather than love. Do I find it interesting? In a horror-story kind of way, yes. But I think for a novel to be part of my 'favorites' collection, or even stay in my 'keep' pile, it has to have someone for me to connect to in some way. I didn't feel that connection to anyone in WH.

Alternately a book has to have a plot I find truly compelling, and WH fails in that as well. What I did love about it was the language.

ivanolix put in her reply above that Bronte exposes the nastiness of all these characters without being distant from them. But I'm not so attracted to the idea of 'humanity is vile at the core' as a plot point. I'd much rather read about how we struggle to be good, even if we fail.

Hee! It took me a year, so I figured I may as well be thorough!

When I'm feeling irritated at her (which is a great deal of the time), I attribute it to selfish obsession.
Really? I'm surprised. I mean she's young at first but I don't exactly think she's obsessive, at least not at first. I think she loves Heathcliff and has since she was a child. There is a strong tie there. And she's been kind of spoiled and used to getting what she wants. I actually think she's a lot like her father. Shortsighted.

As I mentioned in my earlier reply about how loving Cathy didn't really seem to bring much happiness to him.
Oh, you meant loving Cathy while she was alive? I misunderstood. I thought you mean loving her after she died. Oh, I do think they were happy running on the moors. Free. I don't think Heathcliff knew how to be happy but I think he was. He was very similar to young Hareton. Harenton seemed all cross and disagreeable at first but it was clear that he wanted to better himself to impress young Catherine. I think Heathcliff was very similar at that age and even Heathcliff senses the similarity which is why he has a soft spot for the boy. Well, soft for Heathcliff. :-) I mean he's never going to be overjoyed and happy but for him, when he and Cathy were together as young teens, I think he was happy.

maybe young Cathy, after a time?
I don't care much for young Cathy. But mostly because I liked her mother better. :-) Young Cathy just seemed like a lesser version of Catherine. I think her life was pretty soft and easy until the few years before her father died. She had it easy. I like my heroines with some fight to them and who seem realer and have to grow despite adversity. She was spunky but not as much as her mother. They both could be a bit spoiled and selfish at times, though. It's hard to like the characters in this novel!

What's missing for me in this book is how being together would been any better for them.
Okay! I'll tell you. :-) I got from Catherine's speech and watching the kids grieve her father's death together that they knew each other in ways no one else ever did. No one else knew about Heathcliff's abuse. No one else could know what it was to lose one's only protector. Cathy could be a grand lady when she chose but she could also be wild and free running over the moors. To me that's part of her true self. What could Edgar Linton know of that? I think this commonality both in spirit and in shared experience is what bonds Heathcliff and Catherine. I do think that Heathcliff could have really benefitted from having someone around who really understood him and loved him and wasn't afraid of who he really was.

As for Catherine, I think she could have been superficially happy with Edgar or Heathcliff. But then why does she break her heart over Heathcliff? She does that herself. Heathcliff isn't pursuing her. She insists that the men be friends instead of letting her old friend go. I don't just think it's Heathcliff. I think it's what he represents, a part of herself that she's trying to hold on to. When she can't have both, both sides of herself--wild girl and proper lady--she breaks. Hmm, she may be more like Kara than I thought. I don't think Catherine could get that true, deep down happiness and wholeness until she resolved issues within herself first.

Does any of that make sense? I don't know but it was fun to think about. :-)

But I think for a novel to be part of my 'favorites' collection, or even stay in my 'keep' pile, it has to have someone for me to connect to in some way. I didn't feel that connection to anyone in WH.
I think I connect with the idea of love here. I never thought of it as healthy love but I thought it could have grown that way but was cut short before it matured. And that's what I find fascinating. The quotes I put in my post I've reread many times. I'm a shipper and this is a grand love affair! I don't want it to be healthy and realistic all the time. That stuff is for real life. This is fantasy and fiction and I think Emily outdoes herself with it. :-) And think about this. We are still talking about her novel and it's characters, whether we like them or not, hundreds of years later. Would that modern novels captivate readers as long!

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book post: Wuthering Heights (this is for you, DB!)

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