Wuthering Heights (Annotated)

Emily Bront's "Wuthering Heights" is an intense and brooding novel set deep within the Yorkshire moors of England. The story centers on a two - generation love affair between the Earnshaws and the Lintors that causes great pain and destruction. Heathcliff is taken home by Mr Earnshaw and shortly thereafter becomes a family member. Earnshaw's daughter Catherine is a good friend of Heathcliff, however cultural anxiety and Catherine's choice to marry the aristocratic Edgar Linton above Heathcliff mar their relationship. Heathcliff gets furious and focuses on those around him - like the next generation of Earnshaw's and Lintons - with the aim of ruining their lives. His actions initiate a vicious cycle of retribution which eventually impacts the young heirs of both households. The novel features a complicated plot which is told from the diary entries of the domestic helper, Nelly Dean, to an unsuspecting visitor, Mr. Lockwood. The plot centers on love, class conflict, revenge, supernatural elements and the stark beauty of the landscape. The movie "Wuthering Heights" has a reputation for presenting complicated individuals and looking at the darker sides of human nature. "Wuthering Heights," published in 1847, is firmly rooted in Victorian era's cultural and social contexts that significantly affect its themes and narrative style. What exactly is the historical background of Emily Bront's novel like? Class Structure and Victorian Society: The Victorian period was marked by a strict class system as well as social status played a huge part in determining one's relationships and opportunities. The social mobility of the protagonists in "Wuthering Heights" is essential. Heathcliff's ambiguous social status - as an adopted son of the Earnshaw family and also then as an affluent gentleman - mirrors the intertwined as well as conflicted nature of class distinctions during this period. The Gothic Tradition: The novel draws heavily upon the Gothic literary tradition that was extensively read throughout the late 18th as well as early 19 centuries. Elements of horror, the supernatural and dark, brooding environments are characteristic of this particular genre. The Gothic theme of "Wuthering Heights" is embodied in the creepy environment of the wild moors, the hauntess manor and the theme of condemned passion as well as revenge. The narrative is influenced by gender Roles held by Victorians. The expectations put on Catherine to marry happily and secure her economic future have been a sign of the limited roles attainable to Women at the time. Emily Bront reveals these constraints through the challenges of her characters, particularly addressing the struggle between individual wants in addition to societal expectations. The novel sits somewhere between Romanticism (based on individualism and emotion) and the new Realist movement (which stressed particular settings and plausible narratives). Bront's portrayal of intensive psychological experiences together with comprehensive portrayions of daily life mirrors these overlapping literary trends.