Wuthering Heights was written by Emile Brontë. The author finished this novel in 1847 . After that, Emily died soon in 1848 with age thirty . In the nineteenth century Wuthering Heights becomes as classical novel. The readers who were read this novel were shocked by the Violence. In this paper, I will discuss the theme of the violence on Wuthering Heights. The novel takes place in England around 1760. the narrator, a gentleman named Lockwood.
Lockwood rents a fine house and park called Thrush cross Grange in Yorkshire, and gradually learns more and more about the histories of two local families. This is what he learns from a housekeeper, Ellen Dean, who had been with one of the two families for all of her life. The story takes place in two main settings; Wuthering Heights and Thrush cross Grange, both situated on the harsh and desolate moors of Yorkshire. Emily Bronte actually grew up and lived in this place, and so her depiction of it is very accurate, and she uses her knowledge to emphasise the moods and attitudes of the characters.
The people of these two houses differ from each other. The people from the Wuthering heights such as Heath cliff are generally angry, ill tempered, vengeful, and often immoral. These attitudes are clearly reflected through the large, cold and dark house, situated on top of a ruthless hill on the moors. Thrush cross Grange is a more cultivated, calm house, situated in a valley of the moors. Its inhabitants, including Edgar Linton, are generally more refined, with more morals and calmer attitudes than those of Wuthering Heights.
Catherine Earnshaw, who is from Wuthering heights, is a character that creates the conflict throughout the whole book and between the two characters, Edgar and Heath cliff. To clarify more that Catherine is torn between her love for Heathcliff and her desire to be a gentlewoman, and her decision to marry the gentle Edgar Linton drags almost all of the novel”s characters into conflict with Heathcliff To begin with, one of the main characters in Wuthering Heights is the devilish Heath cliff. An orphan despised since his birth.
Heath cliff grows up to become a sadistic, cruel, vengeful and immoral man . He is often referred to as “like the devil” or as “evil”, and this is certainly the way he acts. His intense yet destroyed passion towards Catherine Earns haw causes him to despise all members of the Linton family of Thrush cross Grange, and he determined to destroy them in numerous. His character develops from chapter to another chapter he becomes a horrible person, especially when he abuses Isabella Edgar Linton’s sister.
He used her infatuation as a tool of revenge towards the Lintons, he constantly and savagely attacks Linton, his own dying son, and even his tenant, Mr Lockwood cannot escape his cruelty. Heathcliff”s love for Catherine is tinged with danger and violence; Edgar loves Catherine with gracious tranquillity, and Catherine returns affection to each of them accordingly. The Grange is a symbol of civilization, warmth, and goodness; the Heights are a symbol of wildness, cruelty, and evil.
Such utter difference between the environments and climates of the two households symbolizes the distinction between the temperaments of their inhabitants. This contrast results in the pain, anguish, and discontent suffered by the protagonists; yet ultimately, the violent passion that is like the howling winds of Wuthering Heights and the tender love that reminds one the sweet air at Thrush cross Grange come together, through the marriage of Catherine and Heathcliff”s respective offspring, never to separate again.
Through extensive descriptions of the characters” dwellings and its surroundings, Bronte helps the reader gain insight into these characters. The reader who scrutinizes this novel , will face many various violence between the characters . For example in chapter 4 Heathcliff and Hindly are very violent towards each other. and Heathcliff knows he can use it to his advantage. He doesn”t even need to fight back, because father will always take his side. This bad relation is more developed through story Heathcliff is jealous of Edgar Linton, who is so pale and delicate and well mannered.
He hates that Catherine likes him, and when Linton makes a comment about Heathcliff”s hair, Heathcliff throws hot applesauce in his face. Heathcliff”s violence is answered with more violence. Hindley took him upstairs and beat him; Hindley has become violent especially when he sticks a knife into Nelly’s mouth angry that she had not yet killed his son, as he”d asked. Then his mood changes and he wants to hug his son. Even affection is violent with him, and the boy pulls away from his father”s brutal.
On the other hand , Heathcliff is tormented with the loss of Catherine , he hits his head against a tree , causing it to haemorrhage . Nelly sees many bloodstains on the tree , and guesses that Heathcliff had inflicted this pain on himself many times during the night . This violence has not only instilled in the main characters’ behaviour in this novel but also it has a great infliction of the other characters. For example Isabella is beginning to enjoy seeing others suffer.
After the incident between Hindley and Heathcliff, Isabella is happy to see Heathcliff looking upset, and she taunts him about Catherine until he cries. Her cruel words lead to a cruel act, just as she previously feared–Heathcliff impeaches her with a knife. The bigger surprise is that Isabella, wild and changed, throws it back at him, hoping to wound him. Linton became hysterical and had a terrible coughing fit after being forced from the living room. Cathy still blamed Hareton, and she hit him with her whip as she left.
Also the flow and cadences of the conversation seem to reflect the mood. Every speech seems to flow into the other, and each time a speaker says something, it is usually long. Unless it is long then it is made up for in powerful actions, which tend to fill the gaps. The speech rhythm in between the actions keeps the situation passionate and emotional throughout. The use of exclamatory and interrogative marks inspires to the reader that the action and movement are fast and the voice is loud which made it dramatic.
