Wuthering Heights essay plans
How does Emily Bronte make use of weather and the natural world in the novel?
INTRO: the use of weather and the natural world expresses the passions and desires of a
character, which cannot be restrained by civilisation and social order. Many writers of the
time were writing about how society corrupts the natural goodness in humans.
1. The weather expresses the mood of the chapter and the deeper feelings of
characters
- “one fine summer morning… then it grew dark.” Reflecting on dark force
entering the family.
- “the growling thunder.” Reflection of Catherine’s mind and the disastrous
consequences of her decision to marry Edgar.
- “high wind blustered.” Trouble of the family dynamic.
- “bring, calm and frosty.” Change in weather allowing Lockwood to
understand the heights better.
- The weather allows the reader to fully understand the mood of the chapter
and foreshadows further events.
2. Bronte connects characters to nature to express the freedom associated with
nature.
- Catherine and Heathcliff’s “scamper on the moors.” The moors represent a
place of liberation and boundary-less religion, away from the oppression and
from social pressures.
- Catherine is a natural character, but she is forced to transition into adulthood
and separate herself from nature and her natural desires.
- Catherine’s dream of being “flung” into earth expresses her inner desires.
- “my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath” – connection to
nature.
- When Catherine is forced to suppress the natural side of her, it has disastrous
consequences for her identity and causes her mental decay.
- When Catherine dies, Bronte draws attention to the position of her grave to
emphasise her connection to nature. “the wall is so low that the heath and
bilberry plants have climbed over it.” Catherine’s symbolic return back to the
wild and freedom of nature.
- Critique of social boundaries.
3. The natural world and landscape represents the chaos inside the Heights
- “the earth was hard with black frost.” “straggling gooseberry bushes.” Chaos
and disorder.
- Order not imposed on nature.
- However, the second generation are able to impose order on nature through
their compromised and balanced natures, allowing chaos to be removed
from the heights.
, 4. Social generation
- Also linked to nature but are a balanced version of their parents so are able
to overcome social boundaries – description of their balance.
- Divide between Linton and Cathy, Cathy is able to recognise that her
connection is more genuine with Hareton, only Hareton understands her
conception of nature.
- Ability to overcome social boundaries.
5. Endurance of nature
- Ending moments of the play expresses how the natural world existed before
us, and will exist after us. “moss creeping up its food.”
- Lockwood “wondered”, doesn’t understand the view of nature that Bronte
has created, beyond our natural rationality.
Charlotte Bronte described Heathcliff as a ‘man’s shape animated by demon life - a ghoul’.
To what extent do you think this is an accurate assessment of the ways in which Heathcliff is
presented in the novel?
INTRO: in the novel, Bronte expresses Heathcliff as both a figure of suffering and a figure of
evil, and it is hard to reconcile the two. He represents our natural passions and desires
which we have to control otherwise there will be chaos. I believe at times he can be a kind
of devil and we may see him as a ghoul, but he cannot be defined as just this.
1. Heathcliff is a product of circumstance, breeding his revenge
- Terry Eagleton: “Heathcliff revolts, rather like Ireland against Britain, because
of the barbarous way he is treated.”
- “he seemed a sullen, patient child; hardened, perhaps, to ill-treatment.” The
adjective ‘patient’ describes a child who has to suffer ill-treatment, and that
he has been hardened by it. The reader here cannot help be somewhat
sympathetic towards him as he has to endure suffering.
- “they would not let it sleep with them.”
- “Hindley began to regard Heathcliff as an usurper of his parent’s affections.”
“he drove Heathcliff to the company of the servants.”
- “down he fell, but he staggered up immediately, breathless and white.”
- “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff.”
- As a result of his treatment, Heathcliff revolts against the whole social
structure, and takes control of both households. Social context: the industrial
revolution.
- However, this view can be doubted because Heathcliff takes more than he is
given to him. In my view, his treatment is a huge motivation, but it is his evil
nature which allows him to avenge so strongly.
2. Heathcliff as a figure of suffering – suffering the loss of Catherine
- When Catherine dies, Heathcliff increasingly isolates himself and Bronte
presents him, at times, as a figure of suffering.
How does Emily Bronte make use of weather and the natural world in the novel?
INTRO: the use of weather and the natural world expresses the passions and desires of a
character, which cannot be restrained by civilisation and social order. Many writers of the
time were writing about how society corrupts the natural goodness in humans.
1. The weather expresses the mood of the chapter and the deeper feelings of
characters
- “one fine summer morning… then it grew dark.” Reflecting on dark force
entering the family.
- “the growling thunder.” Reflection of Catherine’s mind and the disastrous
consequences of her decision to marry Edgar.
- “high wind blustered.” Trouble of the family dynamic.
- “bring, calm and frosty.” Change in weather allowing Lockwood to
understand the heights better.
- The weather allows the reader to fully understand the mood of the chapter
and foreshadows further events.
2. Bronte connects characters to nature to express the freedom associated with
nature.
- Catherine and Heathcliff’s “scamper on the moors.” The moors represent a
place of liberation and boundary-less religion, away from the oppression and
from social pressures.
- Catherine is a natural character, but she is forced to transition into adulthood
and separate herself from nature and her natural desires.
- Catherine’s dream of being “flung” into earth expresses her inner desires.
- “my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath” – connection to
nature.
- When Catherine is forced to suppress the natural side of her, it has disastrous
consequences for her identity and causes her mental decay.
- When Catherine dies, Bronte draws attention to the position of her grave to
emphasise her connection to nature. “the wall is so low that the heath and
bilberry plants have climbed over it.” Catherine’s symbolic return back to the
wild and freedom of nature.
- Critique of social boundaries.
3. The natural world and landscape represents the chaos inside the Heights
- “the earth was hard with black frost.” “straggling gooseberry bushes.” Chaos
and disorder.
- Order not imposed on nature.
- However, the second generation are able to impose order on nature through
their compromised and balanced natures, allowing chaos to be removed
from the heights.
, 4. Social generation
- Also linked to nature but are a balanced version of their parents so are able
to overcome social boundaries – description of their balance.
- Divide between Linton and Cathy, Cathy is able to recognise that her
connection is more genuine with Hareton, only Hareton understands her
conception of nature.
- Ability to overcome social boundaries.
5. Endurance of nature
- Ending moments of the play expresses how the natural world existed before
us, and will exist after us. “moss creeping up its food.”
- Lockwood “wondered”, doesn’t understand the view of nature that Bronte
has created, beyond our natural rationality.
Charlotte Bronte described Heathcliff as a ‘man’s shape animated by demon life - a ghoul’.
To what extent do you think this is an accurate assessment of the ways in which Heathcliff is
presented in the novel?
INTRO: in the novel, Bronte expresses Heathcliff as both a figure of suffering and a figure of
evil, and it is hard to reconcile the two. He represents our natural passions and desires
which we have to control otherwise there will be chaos. I believe at times he can be a kind
of devil and we may see him as a ghoul, but he cannot be defined as just this.
1. Heathcliff is a product of circumstance, breeding his revenge
- Terry Eagleton: “Heathcliff revolts, rather like Ireland against Britain, because
of the barbarous way he is treated.”
- “he seemed a sullen, patient child; hardened, perhaps, to ill-treatment.” The
adjective ‘patient’ describes a child who has to suffer ill-treatment, and that
he has been hardened by it. The reader here cannot help be somewhat
sympathetic towards him as he has to endure suffering.
- “they would not let it sleep with them.”
- “Hindley began to regard Heathcliff as an usurper of his parent’s affections.”
“he drove Heathcliff to the company of the servants.”
- “down he fell, but he staggered up immediately, breathless and white.”
- “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff.”
- As a result of his treatment, Heathcliff revolts against the whole social
structure, and takes control of both households. Social context: the industrial
revolution.
- However, this view can be doubted because Heathcliff takes more than he is
given to him. In my view, his treatment is a huge motivation, but it is his evil
nature which allows him to avenge so strongly.
2. Heathcliff as a figure of suffering – suffering the loss of Catherine
- When Catherine dies, Heathcliff increasingly isolates himself and Bronte
presents him, at times, as a figure of suffering.
