On Wuthering Heights# the Conclusion

Poster： Ben at 2:27:10 5/19/98 from tpproxy7.hinet.net
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Reading Wuthering Heights is quite an "interesting" experience for me. In many ways, it not only helps me seeing the violent and broken fragments in life, but also fulfills my wild unrealized imagination (I mean in some way). The unstoppable wild and violent scenes once and once would throw one to some discomposed and flustered condition. I believe many others must have same kind of experiences. The extreme passion, the profound behaviors…they seem to vibrate the naked soul to the destruction, and then recast it.
One of my friends even hates this book to death since it really disturbed him. Therefore he threw the book away half reading. This kind of response made me think of George Orwell's 1984. I remember at that time, I stayed up 2 nights to finish reading it, since I was completely in that atmosphere, as if I was Winston in 1984. That kind of terror, fright, made me completely caught in a crazy mental state.
They are both not that realistic. Wuthering Heights is colored with many Gothic elements, while 1984 is a prediction novel. They are just stories. But you cannot have the chance to remind yourself that this is not true, it's fictitious. Reading these novels seems to awaken "some sort of broken, twisted experiences out of the origin of your life" (by W. S. Maugham).

Sometimes I cannot but wonder how deeply is Emily Bronte's involvement with this novel. We knew that books often mirror some character, value of the authors. Bronte failed in love once in her life, and her stubborn and tough nature also reflected on her attitude toward people and daily life. Did she put some of her characteristics on the role Catherine Earnshaw, just like Jane Austen did to Emma? And did the role Heathcliff represent the love she wanted to search for? Or the love b/w Catherine Linton and Hareton is what she wanted to have after compromising b/w reality and her original desire? The above are just my wild associations, needing further verifications.
Another question I am thinking about is the differences b/w Wuthering Heights and some soap romantic novels. Are there few differences, or are the composing elements similar? Since They all have heart-shaking love story.
However if analyzing more carefully, they should be a great deal of differences b/w Wuthering Heights and these soup romances.
First is the vivid description of each character in Wuthering Heights. No matter which characters we look at, they all have their vigor in being completion. Roles of women are not merely shadows under the hero-like male roles, (which happens quite often in vulgar romances). Also, the other side of a good character might hide the more ugly selfish instincts (the purpose of Catherine's desiring to save Heathcliff by marrying Edgar is also for fulfilling her love). The roles in Wuthering Heights are complex, not just superficial like soap romances.

The second is the complexion and contrast of the plots. The developments of the first generation's love and resentment are similar and mixed with these of the second generation, but not complete the same. Therefore, it offers a contrast and the comparison b/w the two's differences. The unfilled love's being carried out by the second generation seems to make the story come to an end, but if there were the hereafter, what would be the triangle relationship b/w Catherine, Edgar, and Heathcliff? Catherine said she would rather be kicked out of the heaven and stayed in Wuthering Heights (Chapter 9); Edgar thought Catherine would go to a peaceful heaven after death; Heathcliff seemed to get salvation with his paranoia (maybe he saw the soul of Catherine). With abundant clues, this kind of unsolvable question is left for readers' imagination and expectation.
Therefore, unlike the vulgar romances, the plot won't just completely repeat itself in Wuthering Heights. On the contrary, we can find how inheritance makes the characters exhibit similar (but definitely not the same) dispositions, and how they educate themselves and learn from difference environment, and thus results in completely different destinies.
For example, with the withering of the first generation (Catherine, Hindley, Frances, Isabella and Linton), the second generation have much more opportunities to explore themselves, and without so much obstruction. Though inheriting similar characteristics (e.g. we can see the earlier relation development of Cathy and Hareton is quite similar to that of Catherine and Heathcliff), they could find their own ways, instead of repeating the same routine.

The third is the maturity of artistic skills. Symbols and nightmares are all closely connected with the development of the plot. For example, the function of the books (the Bible) not only can be the weapon of suppressing Catherine and Heathcliff, but also serves as the tool of rising the affection b/w Cathy and Hareton. Lockwood's nightmare and Catherine's dream both exhibit their desires (the former is concerned with Lockwood's fantasy for sexual intercourse; the latter is reflecting Catherine's nature for not being suppressed). The transition of generations can also reflect on the big environment's change. From the beginning of the Chapter 18, what we see is the blossoming spring and summer time, instead of the violent stormy scenes in the prior chapters. This change also implies the beginning of a new generation.

But I think this brilliant novels still has some tiny flaws (but these won't affect its radiance). For example, chapter 13 is almost the part of Isabella's letter (there are over 3500 words in that letter). I don't believe that one could write so many things in one letter. After reading that chapter, you cannot but realize, "Oh! It's a letter originally". This flaw also occurs on the conversations of characters. We can see that many often a character is doing his/her monologue without stopping. Maybe Bronte didn't want to make it "that realistic" by doing this way, and thus increased the elements of a "story". But a lengthy speech sometimes would make one associate with the soap romantics (e.g. the character's garrulous speech of his/her hatred or love, and without substantial content).

However, Wuthering Heights still is a great novel in shaking every reader's soul. We can sense the explosion of the utmost condensed feelings, and their flowing into our cold vessels. The strong and primitive affections in some ways are a threat to the society, but in other ways, also the load-off of the real emotion, Bronte's and ours.

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>>      Reading Wuthering Heights is quite an "interesting" experience for me. In many ways, it not only helps me seeing the violent and broken fragments in life, but also fulfills my wild unrealized imagination (I mean in some way). The unstoppable wild and violent scenes once and once would throw one to some discomposed and flustered condition. I believe many others must have same kind of experiences. The extreme passion, the profound behaviors…they seem to vibrate the naked soul to the destruction, and then recast it.

>>      One of my friends even hates this book to death since it really disturbed him. Therefore he threw the book away half reading. This kind of response made me think of George Orwell's 1984. I remember at that time, I stayed up 2 nights to finish reading it, since I was completely in that atmosphere, as if I was Winston in 1984. That kind of terror, fright, made me completely caught in a crazy mental state.

>>      They are both not that realistic. Wuthering Heights is colored with many Gothic elements, while 1984 is a prediction novel. They are just stories. But you cannot have the chance to remind yourself that this is not true, it's fictitious. Reading these novels seems to awaken "some sort of broken, twisted experiences out of the origin of your life" (by W. S. Maugham).

>>      Sometimes I cannot but wonder how deeply is Emily Bronte's involvement with this novel. We knew that books often mirror some character, value of the authors. Bronte failed in love once in her life, and her stubborn and tough nature also reflected on her attitude toward people and daily life. Did she put some of her characteristics on the role Catherine Earnshaw, just like Jane Austen did to Emma? And did the role Heathcliff represent the love she wanted to search for? Or the love b/w Catherine Linton and Hareton is what she wanted to have after compromising b/w reality and her original desire? The above are just my wild associations, needing further verifications.

>>      Another question I am thinking about is the differences b/w Wuthering Heights and some soap romantic novels. Are there few differences, or are the composing elements similar? Since They all have heart-shaking love story.

>>      However if analyzing more carefully, they should be a great deal of differences b/w Wuthering Heights and these soup romances.

>>      First is the vivid description of each character in Wuthering Heights. No matter which characters we look at, they all have their vigor in being completion. Roles of women are not merely shadows under the hero-like male roles, (which happens quite often in vulgar romances). Also, the other side of a good character might hide the more ugly selfish instincts (the purpose of Catherine's desiring to save Heathcliff by marrying Edgar is also for fulfilling her love). The roles in Wuthering Heights are complex, not just superficial like soap romances.

>>      The second is the complexion and contrast of the plots. The developments of the first generation's love and resentment are similar and mixed with these of the second generation, but not complete the same. Therefore, it offers a contrast and the comparison b/w the two's differences. The unfilled love's being carried out by the second generation seems to make the story come to an end, but if there were the hereafter, what would be the triangle relationship b/w Catherine, Edgar, and Heathcliff? Catherine said she would rather be kicked out of the heaven and stayed in Wuthering Heights (Chapter 9); Edgar thought Catherine would go to a peaceful heaven after death; Heathcliff seemed to get salvation with his paranoia (maybe he saw the soul of Catherine). With abundant clues, this kind of unsolvable question is left for readers' imagination and expectation.

>>      Therefore, unlike the vulgar romances, the plot won't just completely repeat itself in Wuthering Heights. On the contrary, we can find how inheritance makes the characters exhibit similar (but definitely not the same) dispositions, and how they educate themselves and learn from difference environment, and thus results in completely different destinies.

>>      For example, with the withering of the first generation (Catherine, Hindley, Frances, Isabella and Linton), the second generation have much more opportunities to explore themselves, and without so much obstruction. Though inheriting similar characteristics (e.g. we can see the earlier relation development of Cathy and Hareton is quite similar to that of Catherine and Heathcliff), they could find their own ways, instead of repeating the same routine.

>>      The third is the maturity of artistic skills. Symbols and nightmares are all closely connected with the development of the plot. For example, the function of the books (the Bible) not only can be the weapon of suppressing Catherine and Heathcliff, but also serves as the tool of rising the affection b/w Cathy and Hareton. Lockwood's nightmare and Catherine's dream both exhibit their desires (the former is concerned with Lockwood's fantasy for sexual intercourse; the latter is reflecting Catherine's nature for not being suppressed). The transition of generations can also reflect on the big environment's change. From the beginning of the Chapter 18, what we see is the blossoming spring and summer time, instead of the violent stormy scenes in the prior chapters. This change also implies the beginning of a new generation.

>>      But I think this brilliant novels still has some tiny flaws (but these won't affect its radiance). For example, chapter 13 is almost the part of Isabella's letter (there are over 3500 words in that letter). I don't believe that one could write so many things in one letter. After reading that chapter, you cannot but realize, "Oh! It's a letter originally". This flaw also occurs on the conversations of characters. We can see that many often a character is doing his/her monologue without stopping. Maybe Bronte didn't want to make it "that realistic" by doing this way, and thus increased the elements of a "story". But a lengthy speech sometimes would make one associate with the soap romantics (e.g. the character's garrulous speech of his/her hatred or love, and without substantial content).

>>      However, Wuthering Heights still is a great novel in shaking every reader's soul. We can sense the explosion of the utmost condensed feelings, and their flowing into our cold vessels. The strong and primitive affections in some ways are a threat to the society, but in other ways, also the load-off of the real emotion, Bronte's and ours.

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