“Wuthering Heights” is a famous novel written by Emily Bronte which was published in the year 1847. A question that has always confused readers and critics of “Wuthering Heights‘‘ as to why Emily Bronte decided to title her only novel, after the residence in which a limited portion of proceedings occur, in spite of being provided with such exceptional characters like Heathcliff and Catherine.
But on careful study, a reader can possibly find out the basis behind her decision that most of the important events of the novel take place in Wuthering Heights and as claimed by some critics wuthering heights also act as a ‘premonitory indication’ of the stormy nature of actions that will happen.
Table of Contents
Wuthering Heights: The residence where the most important events occur
Wuthering Heights is the name of the residence where nearly all important events occur. It is at Wuthering Heights that Mr. Earnshaw brought Heathcliff for the first time. It is at Wuthering Heights that the novel’s major characters Heathcliff, Hindley, and Catherine all matured. The closeness between Heathcliff and Catherine also evolved in Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff and Hindley’s hostility also begins from the Wuthering Heights. So the foundation on which the following incidents of the novel are established is at the Wuthering Heights. It is a novel of love and revenge and the early stages of love between Heathcliff and Catherine is developed in Wuthering Heights.
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The initial description of Wuthering Heights as explained by Mr. Lockwood suggests that Wuthering Heights is a region of utmost harsh weather that leaves the environment of Wuthering Heights “stunted” by its power. This explanation of the moor works as a metaphor for how the decayed and disordered Earnshaw family dwelling in the utmost harsh weather of Wuthering Heights stunts individuals such as Heathcliff and Catherine and turns them into strangely “thorny”, violent and tough people. Furthermore, the name ‘Wuthering Heights’ is also closely associated with the moors. Those who are living in the moors are poles apart from the others. They are more powerful, rugged and fearless because of the environment that has molded them. Because Catherine and Heathcliff lived most of their lives in such violent, harsh weather that is why they also become violent, powerful and violent. Even Catharine goes to the extent to declare that she does not want to go to heaven, instead she wants to join the violent and harsh Wuthering Heights.
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Wuthering Heights: An emotional center for characters
All the important characters of the novel were emotionally connected with Wuthering Heights. In one scene, Nelly tells Catherine that she once had a dream and in that dream she was in heaven. But despite being in heaven, Catherine was not happy and the reason behind her unhappiness was that the heaven was not the Wuthering Heights “Heaven was not my home”, she said. Emily Bronte’s employing of the residence’s name in the title indicates that Wuthering Heights was an emotional center for the novel’s major characters.
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Wuthering Heights’ dominance over Thrushcross Grange:
The storms and winds that go on in Wuthering Heights show the violent nature of the hero and the heroine. Here Wuthering Heights acts as a symbol of storms and Thrushcross Grange acts as a symbol of calmness. Therefore, the characters of Wuthering Heights control the characters of Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff turns out as the ruler of the Thrushcross Grange. All the characters of the Thrushcross Grange comply with him. That’s why Wuthering Heights attained a leading position throughout the story. This could be another reason why Bronte titled her novel “Wuthering Heights”.
Conclusion:
The story of Bronte’s novel “Wuthering Heights” begins in Wuthering Heights when Lockwood visits Heathcliff and the novel also ends in Wuthering Heights when Lockwood goes to meet Heathcliff again and finds that Heathcliff has perished and Hareton and younger Catharine is at the point of getting married. To conclude, we can say that Wuthering Heights has more scenes than Thrushcross Grange and all these justify the novel’s title “Wuthering Heights” perfectly.
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