Wuthering Heights is the only novel written by Emily Brontë. It notably influenced the development of English literature. The book is known as one of the best stories of late romanticism. It is famous for literary merits such as exemplary plot and multiple narrators. Attention to details of the life of a village, characters, and their feelings are also essential to the story. At first glance, the book is simple. It is about two families who live at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.
Detailed answer:
The story is well thought and constructed in a specific way. It depicts and explains the reasons and fallout of the rivalry. The author’s primary focus is a romantic figure. He is a character without a past, Heathcliff. The orphan was found by the owner of Wuthering Heights. The young gypsy does not belong to any of the houses. But his nature and spirit are closer to Earnshaw’s family. The latter family is known for pursuing genuine feelings. Lintons from the Grange value comfort of home and peace more.
The plot is built on the rivalry of these two worlds. Wuthering Heights is not a purely romantic novel because it includes elements of realism. Emily BrontĂ«’s realism is uncommon, unlike that seen in works of Thackeray or Dickens. She refuses the idea to resolve the novel’s main problems in a social or public way. She pursues the answer through the prism of philosophic and aesthetic elements of the fiction.
The English writer and poet expresses the passion for harmony through death. It was rather untypical for romantic authors of the era. Only the phenomenon of death had enough influence to reconcile hostile families and reunite the lovers. The novel ends with Mr. Lockwood’s assumption that people from different houses buried in such a beautiful place enjoy the peaceful rest following the death of the main protagonist. Heathcliff managed to get back at Edgar. He married his beloved step-sister Catherine by tormenting Isabella and ultimately taking his property. Only death helped him to come down and soothe his heart.
The English author, whose pan name was Ellis Bell, also raises and criticizes issues that poisoned society of that time. The novel shows how cruel both physically and mentally were people’s lives at the beginning of the 19th century. Bronte touches on notions of morality, religion, and woman’s place in the society. Nowadays, people live in a different world with their specific social issues. Human beings remain the same though. Readers can relate to the feelings of characters created by Bronte. It is not just a romance novel. It is more of a display of real love and life with its absurd reasons for the absence of happiness and peace.
The author’s word choice, style, and imagery deserve to be praised. The book’s narrative resembles poetry. Wuthering Heights is essential because it was a leap in English fiction. It began the shift from amusement to a more serious role of literature. It also portrays the life of people providing a glimpse of history to modern readers. They can learn how gender, class, and social status determine one’s life. The novel’s characters are human subjects for the readers. Thus, they can relate to their emotions. This book brought a fresh point of view to the literary canon of the time. It remains useful due to a dash of realism.
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