The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
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Wuthering Heights
Brontë Sisters Collection
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Wuthering Heights Week 1/Chapters 1 - 8
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Using the Mr. Lockwood frame tale seems like a pretty dated technique by the time WH was written; and the length of time Nelly talks, as well as the detail in which she recalls events, felt a bit preposterous. I noted the moment that Brontë abandoned putting quotes around Nelly’s narration with a sigh of relief.That said, Mr. Lockwood serves a useful function. First, he acts as an emissary from the “normal” world, offering perspective on the claustrophobic atmosphere of the two households. Second, he makes it possible for Brontë to start in the present, create some mystery, and then dive back into the past to spin out the story. I wish he were a better motivated character, though; I don’t feel any consistent driver behind his words and actions.
I’m interested in what Brontë doesn’t bother to do. Notably, she never reveals where Heathcliff really came from or what his parentage might be. The fact that he was picked up in a shipping town and is consistently described as dark makes me wonder whether he is supposed to be the child of Arab traders, East Indians, or even an escaped slave. He certainly comes trailing clouds of the savagery of the Other, as conceived in the nineteenth century. (Later on his arc can be usefully compared to that of the other savage, Hareton, to reveal the implicit bias in how he is portrayed.) That it doesn’t matter to Brontë where he came from is surprising but also tells us something about how we are to understand him—he’s not a particularly naturalistic figure.
Another thing Brontë doesn’t do, more problematically for me, is that she doesn’t show us why Cathy and Heathcliff like each other so much. We don’t eavesdrop on their interactions. Telling us about their closeness without showing us their attachment in action creates a lot of problems as the book goes forward. That’s an area where having a narrator like Nelly proves limiting (though she could have at least reported some of their conversations while at home).
I first read this book about 35 to 40 years ago and its framing devise reminded me of Ethan Frome which I had read sometime shortly before it. At the time, I thought having the story initiated by an outsider worked for me in both books probably because, as Abigail says, each of these two characters "acts as an emissary from the “normal” world, offering perspective on the claustrophobic atmosphere."So far, after 8 chapters I am enjoying it again. As of this point I feel sufficiently acquainted with the Cathy and Heathcliff relations but will see if I feel a lack of exposition of their relationship in upcoming chapters.
You caught me, Brian! I had to read WH last month for another group read and although I am trying to comment only on the relevant chapters each week, I may be seeing something like Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship with the benefit of hindsight.
I don't know who is the most problematic in this story so far: Heathcliff or Catherine. she is spoiled, he is someone who was hurt by everyone all of his life.
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My edition has quotes, so I had not noticed this.
I’m interested in what Brontë doesn’t bother to do. Notably, she never reveals where Heathcliff really came from or what his parentage might be. The fact that he was picked up in a shipping town and is consistently described as dark...
She does the same thing in future chapters (spoiler contains information about week 2's reading) (view spoiler)
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I couldn't agree more with regards to both of them. I don't think either of them have a healthy perspective about life or relationships.
Didn't the text imply that his background may be "Gypsy" (Romani)?Seems like a few characters have been affected by child abuse, and Heathcliff additionally by racism.
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Seems like a few characters have been affected by child abuse, and Heathcliff additionally by racism."
I agree with Lili. While the children were spoiled while the father was alive, things deteriorated quickly after that. Even prior to the death of the father, there seems a background of violence and bullying.
I originally read this as a teen so this will be an interesting second look as I’m so much older.
LiLi wrote: "Didn't the text imply that his background may be "Gypsy" (Romani)?Seems like a few characters have been affected by child abuse, and Heathcliff additionally by racism."
It's said also that he could be from the West Indies, isn't? He could be a mix raced person.
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Seems like a few characters have been affected by child abuse, and Heathcliff additionally by racism."
It's said al..."
Good point. He’s definitely been shown discrimination by the brother from the time he was brought home.
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Another thing Brontë doesn’t do, more problematically for me, is that she doesn’t show us why Cathy and Heathcliff like each other so much. We don’t eavesdrop on their interactions. Telling us about their closeness without showing us their attachment in action creates a lot of problems as the book goes forward. We do have the short snippet of Catherine as narrator in ch. 3 when Mr. Lockwood reads what she’s written as diary entries in her book margins. Even this is rather suspect, due to her command of writing Joseph in his dialect. I do think it lends great strength to Cathy and Heathcliff’s close childhood connection. It reveals shared hardships, confirms the abuses Heathcliff suffered, and their common desire to rebel.
I found Mr. Lockwood to be distractingly presumptuous. He has invited himself into a household where he’s clearly not wanted, and then takes offense when he finds himself in an awkward position. The moment when he asks young Catherine L. If her preferred pet is the pile of dead rabbits is deliciously cringeworthy! But I agree that his frame story lets us see into this twisted extended family from the view of a “normal” outsider.
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I read this as a late teen/early 20s and loved it. This time around I find myself slapping my forehead regularly with all the, in my mind, overblown drama, especially in later chapters.
It's amazing to me how reading the same thing at different points in my life can altars my perception.
I also read this before (15-20 years ago) and I recall really liking it. But I remember almost nothing about the story. It's strange to think that I spent time in the world of Wuthering Heights once only to forget everything about it. I'm curious to see whether my memories are jogged as we get further into the plot.
@Renee, I also find Mr Lockwood annoying! He's so full of himself.
Wuthering Heights opens with Mr. Lockwood, a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange, writing in his diary about his visit to his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff. What do you think about the narration as seen through Lockwood's eyes? Do you think he will be a reliable narrator? Or do we know yet?
In Chapter 1 do the dogs' lack of training and vicious temperaments suggest anything about Heathcliff? Is it possible the dogs foreshadow anything about Heathcliff or his behavior later on?
In Chapter 2 we see Lockwood return to Wuthering Heights uninvited, then he becomes dismayed at the lack of hospitality. He makes a lot of assumptions about the people he encounters. What do these things say about him?
In the first two chapters, Heathcliff seems to care about no one, yet, at the end of Chapter 3, he is clearly tormented about the loss of Catherine. Clearly, the man who is initially presented as cold and heartless has the ability to also be quite passionate. An important question is determining the source of Heathcliff's passion — is it Catherine or the act of revenge?
Lockwood asks Nelly Dean about the history of Wuthering Heights. At this point, Nelly assumes the role of the primary narrator of the novel. What does her explanation about Heathcliff's introduction into the Earnshaw household tell us? What does it tell us about Heathcliff? Of Hindley? Or any other members of the household?
There is a wildness to Wuthering Heights and its occupants which contrasts with the dignified calmness of Thrushcross Grange. How does this affect the individual family members of each household? Catherine changes dramatically after spending some weeks in the household at Thrushcross Grange. Does that say anything about her? Do her perceptions about Heathcliff change? What of Heathcliff's perceptions about Catherine?
We see a substantial change in sympathies when Nelly Dean begins her narration. How do these changing sympathies impact her narration? Is she reliable? Should we trust her perspective?