Wuthering Heights is top notch novel by Emily Bronte written back in 19th century.The story elucidates a love story of Young Catherine and Heathcliff but some downs lead to division between them.This thing hurts Heathcliff and he spends his remaining life in revenge.
- This article gonna share Wuthering Heights Themes that can help you in understanding the main purpose of this book.
Wuthering Heights Summary
- I must recommend you to read summary first for better guidance:
Overview
In simple words, Heathcliff loved Catherine but she married Edgar and Heathcliff choose Isabella.Heathcliff treated everyone badily as he ain’t get Catherine in life.He has a son named “Linton” who died because of tortures.
The story ends when Hareton(Heathcliff brother son)married Cathy(Catherine and Edgar daughter)and owns Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.
Wuthering Heights Themes
- Here’s some themes from Wuthering Heights:
The Outcome of Love Destructiveness
Catherine and Heathcliff loved each other since they were kids.But as reader you’ll get an idea that although they loved but their love seems the one that can’t undergo changes.Catherine hadn’t changed herself for accepting Heathcliff in her life.She even chooses Edgar over Heathcliff as she dreamed of good life.
On the other hand,if you’ll look at Hareton and Cathy love,it was pure and full of sacrifice.Hareton even remained loyal to Cathy and they changed themselves for one another.This love was the real one that was missing in Catherine and Heathcliff side.
Revenge
When Heathcliff can’t get his love,he simply changes his thinking.He thought may be his low status was the things he lost Catherine.He earned money and took revenge from everyone.He treated his brother as worse one can think.
He also eloped with Edgar’s sister for ruining their prestige in society.Further,he was so stick and obsessed with Catherine that he lost his senses later in novel and died.
Class Differences
Catherine and Heathcliff were from Wuthering Heights belonging to middle class family while Edgar belonged to Thrushcross Grange(a good family).This highlights a social class difference in novel.
- That was the reason Catherine preferred high class individual”Edgar“over her love “Heathcliff”.
This dual behavior lead Heathcliff to earn money.He came back and treated everyone as inferior than him.
Kidnapping
A themes of kidnapping is also found in novel when Heathcliff kidnapped Cathy,so she can marry “Linton” and Heathcliff gonna own Thrushcross Grange also.This shows how much negative person he was.
Greed
Greed dominated over Heathcliff.He even tries his best to get hold over Edgar’s property after his death.This shows the greedy nature of Heathcliff.
Multiple Narrators
The novel starts with Nelly narrating Heathcliff past to Mr.Lockwood.Further,you gonna get other’s narrator’s also like when Isabella shared her thoughts to Nelly in a letter.She told her how Heathcliff treated her badly because she was Edgar’s sister.
Wuthering Heights And Thrushcross Grange
Author discusses these two houses and their look by using example of nature.She said Wuthering Heights seems a place full of solitude and wildness.On the other side, Thrushcross Grange looked like a place full of peace and cultural norms.
Stress
- You can get a themes of stress that even lead to Catherine death.She can’t handles her pressure from the past and went into extreme stress.
Jealousy
A theme of jealousy is also found in Wuthering Heights.When Mr.Earnshaw adopted Heathcliff and prefered him over his son “Hilton”,he got triggered and spend his remaining days showing jealousy or envy to Heathcliff.He even treated Heathcliff mistreated after Earnshaw death.
- Hindley such cruel and harsh behavior crated a bad Heathcliff that misbehaved with everyone in society.This tells as a reader why one should be careful with kids.
Violence
A theme of violence is found in Wuthering Heights.Heathcliff married Isabella and treated or tortured her badly.Further,he had son “Linton “who died because of Heathcliff sick tortures.This shows the cruelness of Heathcliff as husband as well as a father.
Evil Vs Good
Some characters represents evil like Catherine and Heathcliff.Everyone was fed up of their selfishness and strange acts.While,Others character like “Hareton,Cathy,Edgar“they were normal individual having good values installed in them.They fought against the evil till end.
Conclusion: Wuthering Heights Themes
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte had fascinated all the literary lovers.It’s a unique art of writing exploring themes of deceiving loved ones, cheating, obsession,greed and social class differences.Overall,it’s great book one can read.
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