I finally finished this wonderful book, and it was significantly better than I had originally anticipated. My knowledge of the book had consisted of a testimonies from a handful of whiny high school students who had no idea how to read (let alone understand and then interpret) Bronte's style. All they could tell me was that there were "like a billion" Catherines and incest galore. Needless to say, I had mixed feelings when I heard we were going to read it. All of this to say, it was an absolute delight to read, and I am so glad that I read it. Onwards to actual interpretations :)
This was the first novel I have actually read that is legitimately classified as "gothic fiction." It was definitely not what I was expecting. There can be romance. There can be horror. But, certainly, you cannot effectively (being the key word) mix the two! Needless to say, I have been proved very wrong. Bronte takes this genre and makes it into to something quite entertaining. From the very beginning, she introduces the paranormal when Cathy haunts Lockwood at Wuthering Heights as a child ghost. After that, she expands the dark, "romantic" story of Cathy and Heathcliff. Their love is never able to truly prosper, only intensifying the gothic quality of the novel. Throughout the story, Heathcliff grows more bitter and caustic trying to selfishly obtain everything he can. Thus becoming the "tyrant" of this gothic fiction.
We are again faced with paranormal activity near the end of the book when Heathcliff seems to be loosing his mind and talking to ghosts. "He began to pace the room, muttering terrible things to himself [...] conscience had turned his heart to an earthly hell" (Bronte 278).
There is overwhelming evidence of gothic fiction adorning this story. Bronte certainly succeeded in creating a chilling, unethical love story.
Savannah,
ReplyDeleteYour description of Heathcliff as being "caustic" certainly fits the bill! If ever there were a character who corroded relationships, dissolved familial ties, and destroyed himself in the process, it is Heathcliff. The biggest surprise I encountered during my first reading was realizing that Heathcliff was far from admirable. I had thought he was the hero of this book--aren't heroes supposed to be heroic? Suspending my imagination for the "paranormal" passages was far easier than understanding the attraction Cathy had for Heathcliff. By the same token, I wasn't that taken with Cathy--perhaps they did deserve each other!
While we both admitted reading this novel with some trepidation, I'm delighted to discover you also enjoyed it.
Savannah,
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you mean about having preconcieved notions about reading WH. My thoughts about what the novel would be like mostly branched from MTV's incredibly dramatic "adaptation" of the book. I too was pleasantly surprised at how many facets Bronte includes in her work, and I find WH full of angles to explore. I'm certainly looking forward to delving into the feminist criticism of WH as well. The gothic elements are very apparent and I'm glad you point out the "gothicness" of a romance that never truly comes to fruition. One of my biggest fears in life losing a loved one especially of the romantic genre so I can definitely see the gothicism in suffering such a terrible fate.