Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights - 1878 Words

At the center of Wuthering Heights lies a tragic vision of decay and detachment which depends completely on the severances Emily Bronte has created between characters, estates, and social statuses. Bronte reveals societal flaws that had never before been recognized during her time and creates a raw vision of Victorian life; one in which the differences between characters and their social standings outweigh their true beliefs and desires when it comes to who they choose to be, who they choose to surround themselves with, and how they choose to treat those around them. In its most distinct form, Wuthering Heights is a love story that chronicles the lives of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, regardless of the distance between them. It is†¦show more content†¦Bronte illustrates the Heights as having a very blunt and intimidating appearance. It is a very strong and prominent structure, however it proves to be a very desolate and lonely place. Likewise, those who inhabit it prove to be somewhat tormented souls. Nelly describes Heathcliff after his subjection to the Heights without Catherine, â€Å"A half-civilized ferocity lurked yet in the depressed brows and eyes full of black fire, but it was subdued; and his manner was even dignified: quite divested of roughness, though too stern for grace† (Bronte, 95). Just a few miles away, the Grange represents sanity and sensibility with its refinement and pleasant appearance. The civility of its inhabitants, the Lintons, and their distinguished status stand in stark contrast to the more disturbed Wuthering Heights. Bronte takes great care to create these images of the two estates for readers because it is what they stand for that drives Catherine and Heathcliff apart in the first place. Ironically, Bronte also uses setting to reunite Catherine and Heathcliff. The moors that separate the two estates represent a sort of heaven for the two, where they used to lose themselves when they were young, the only plac e either of the two ever truly felt they belonged. It is here that the two roam together in the afterlife. As previously discussed, Bronte is fully aware of the division between