So I recently finished the novel Wuthering Heights.
If I were to describe it in a few words, it would be summed up as a dark love-story in reverse. I can see how this was hailed as a classic because for its time, this love-story-in-reverse is a revolutionary idea.
I guess I should explain why it is a love story in reverse. It seems that the only time everyone was truly happy was in the beginning of Mrs. Dean's tale. As the novel progressed, all of the characters seemed to get angrier in countenance as their stories and injustices deepened.
This novel basically follows the life and times of the (extremely) evil Heathcliff, incited by Lockwood meeting him, and asking Mrs. Dean about him.
If I were to assign a generic theme to this novel it would be: Don't be a Heathcliff. However, I don't think that serves as a theme as much as it serves as just good advice. So, I guess in a broader sense, a theme could be that love can prevail only if both parties pursue it.
Another could be along the lines of that of Romeo and Juliet, where the inevitability of fate plays a rather huge role. It seems that every character is realistic in the sense of how they are their own person, and organically make decisions of their own accord without realizing how it affects one another.
Love plays a role in this novel in complicating itself. (I need to explain this...) Heathcliff loves Catherine I, and that's plain as day. However, because of his three-year absence, Catherine I moves on and marries Edgar Linton, writing Heathcliff off as escaped and possibly dead. He comes back, and is essentially told "you snooze, you lose" and he cannot find it inside of himself to move on. His life's mission is avenge this doomed love.
It appears that Heathcliff was doomed from the start with this love, after all, why couldn't he have just written her off as a sister, and loved her in that sense? It probably would have made him less a devil and less a tortured soul. (Remember that in this universe, it is apparently okay to marry your cousin?)
I have been looking at this novel through the eye of a high school sophomore in the United States in 2012. My guess is that some of the goings-on in this novel would make more sense to me if I were a fifteen or sixteen year old living in the late 18th century. Nevertheless, it stands out to me as a reverse love story which Mr. Lockwood played as a vessel, and not a pivotal piece (I am still a tad bummed about that part...).
I see love as an understanding between two people that there is something more between them. Love is this concept one cannot quantify in mere words, but rather through this mental understanding. There are ways of showing this love, but in the end the love itself is this understanding of one another. It seems that neither Heathcliff nor Catherine I ever understood that part.
Showing posts with label Book Journals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Journals. Show all posts
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Stuck in Reverse: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part Ten (the last one)
So Heathcliff was evil until the bitter end.
Mrs. Dean finally finishes her tale, and this is what we gather:
Flashforward to the following September, when Lockwood finds himself near the Heights and the Grange. He decides to visit Mrs. Dean again. He visits the Grange, where they last spoke, and finds that the place (technically still his under rent) is A) Occupied by a family and B) shockingly devoid of Mrs. Dean. The housekeeper explains that she is up at the Heights, and plans on getting him some form of bed.
So he goes to the Heights and steals around back, and finds Ellen on the porch. She is delighted to see him, and proceeds to tell him the following:
This is strange because Heathcliff is considered a DARK and depressed character.
This happiness extends through a hunger strike of sorts in conjunction with a sleeping strike. He talks to Ellen about death, and striking up a will.
He is noticed talking to people that are not there, and at long last, he decides to sleep.
The next morning Mrs. Dean notices the windows to Catherine I's room are open, and it was raining. She goes to open the panels of the door, and notices Heathcliff, dead. His eyes are open and there is a grin upon his pale face.
Joseph's quote is that "the devil took away his soul".
And so ends the tale of Heathcliff, and the novel ends with Lockwood visiting the three's graves.
My final thoughts will come in a separate posting below (or above...)
Mrs. Dean finally finishes her tale, and this is what we gather:
- Heathcliff takes her back to the Heights almost immediately after her father dies.
- During this visit, he voices to Ellen his plans of how he wants things to go: He plans to be buried with Catherine (opposite side of Edgar), and already worked it out with the undertaker
- Linton dies. (I didn't particularly like him anyway...)
- Lockwood decides to meet with Heathcliff again once more to discuss his rent
Flashforward to the following September, when Lockwood finds himself near the Heights and the Grange. He decides to visit Mrs. Dean again. He visits the Grange, where they last spoke, and finds that the place (technically still his under rent) is A) Occupied by a family and B) shockingly devoid of Mrs. Dean. The housekeeper explains that she is up at the Heights, and plans on getting him some form of bed.
So he goes to the Heights and steals around back, and finds Ellen on the porch. She is delighted to see him, and proceeds to tell him the following:
- Heathcliff is dead (more on that in a little)
- Hareton and Catherine II are to get married
- The Circumstances by which Heathcliff dies.
This is strange because Heathcliff is considered a DARK and depressed character.
This happiness extends through a hunger strike of sorts in conjunction with a sleeping strike. He talks to Ellen about death, and striking up a will.
He is noticed talking to people that are not there, and at long last, he decides to sleep.
The next morning Mrs. Dean notices the windows to Catherine I's room are open, and it was raining. She goes to open the panels of the door, and notices Heathcliff, dead. His eyes are open and there is a grin upon his pale face.
Joseph's quote is that "the devil took away his soul".
And so ends the tale of Heathcliff, and the novel ends with Lockwood visiting the three's graves.
My final thoughts will come in a separate posting below (or above...)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
He Shan't Be Buried In The Chapel: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part Nine
A lot happened in a little bit of time, as we hurdle further towards the present.
So Linton and Catherine II get married. This is under the bizarre circumstance where Heathcliff essentially kidnaps and imprisons both Ellen and Catherine II.
The idea: if Catherine II wants to see her father again before he dies (he'll keep her there until he dies) she is to marry his son, successfully giving Heathcliff all of the property both Edgar Linton own(ed) and Hindley owned. It's a dark circumstance, indeed. However, Catherine marries the dying gentleman anyway and sees her father again.
Character Analysis: Linton Heathcliff: In a word: brat. Linton is sickly, and most people think he will kill over any minute. He uses this to his advantage, successfully getting sympathy from passersby. He has the temper and evil nature of his father.
I made the mistake of thinking that Heathcliff was just a bitter person. No, he is downright evil. He locks Ellen in a room for five nights and four days straight... giving her nothing but breakfast each morning. What's more? Rumour has spread throughout the town that she was swallowed up in a bog and the brute saved her and Catherine II from the brink of death. (okay, I'm done ranting now).
So Edgar dies peacefully after talking with his daughter. Ellen describes this as "blissful" and so dies probably my favourite character (other than Lockwood... because I don't think he is as full of hate as everyone else seems).
Catherine II is now technically Mrs. Linton Heathcliff, and the will couldn't be finalized before Mr. Linton passed. Which begs the question, who owns the Grange?
My guess is that, considering the present situation, Heathcliff weasels his way into owning the Grange.
I am anxious to see what Lockwood thinks of all of this. However, I feel I may not get the satisfaction of seeing that through. This blogpost covers through the end of 28, giving 5 chapters for Lockwood to react...
So Linton and Catherine II get married. This is under the bizarre circumstance where Heathcliff essentially kidnaps and imprisons both Ellen and Catherine II.
The idea: if Catherine II wants to see her father again before he dies (he'll keep her there until he dies) she is to marry his son, successfully giving Heathcliff all of the property both Edgar Linton own(ed) and Hindley owned. It's a dark circumstance, indeed. However, Catherine marries the dying gentleman anyway and sees her father again.
Character Analysis: Linton Heathcliff: In a word: brat. Linton is sickly, and most people think he will kill over any minute. He uses this to his advantage, successfully getting sympathy from passersby. He has the temper and evil nature of his father.
I made the mistake of thinking that Heathcliff was just a bitter person. No, he is downright evil. He locks Ellen in a room for five nights and four days straight... giving her nothing but breakfast each morning. What's more? Rumour has spread throughout the town that she was swallowed up in a bog and the brute saved her and Catherine II from the brink of death. (okay, I'm done ranting now).
So Edgar dies peacefully after talking with his daughter. Ellen describes this as "blissful" and so dies probably my favourite character (other than Lockwood... because I don't think he is as full of hate as everyone else seems).
Catherine II is now technically Mrs. Linton Heathcliff, and the will couldn't be finalized before Mr. Linton passed. Which begs the question, who owns the Grange?
My guess is that, considering the present situation, Heathcliff weasels his way into owning the Grange.
I am anxious to see what Lockwood thinks of all of this. However, I feel I may not get the satisfaction of seeing that through. This blogpost covers through the end of 28, giving 5 chapters for Lockwood to react...
Monday, August 13, 2012
You Didn't Get To Heaven But You Made it Close: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part Eight
So, it appears that Catherine II is falling in love.
The catch to this is that she is falling in love with Linton. This poses some issues, as he is 1) Her cousin 2)Heathcliff's son and 3) He is dying.
So Ellen falls sick, and Edgar is already kind of sick. Edgar fell sick a few chapters back of a cold, but it appears that he isn't going to get better any time soon. Catherine II makes the most of this, and whilst they are sleeping, she steals out and meets up with her forbidden lover Linton. He is also becoming increasingly ill.
Ellen is back to normalcy within three weeks, and discovers that Catherine II had been stealing out of the Grange to go and meet with Linton. She betrays Catherine II's wishes, and Ellen meets with Edgar about all of this. But first, there is a portion worth noting here where Catherine II finally comes to terms with being the actual first cousin of Hareton. (Uhm, Hello, you want to marry your own cousin? There are a few issues here...)
Edgar proposes a vision to Ellen. He wish Catherine II marry someone that can console her when he passes. He sees the latter happening quite soon. He voices that he doesn't particularly mind that Linton is the son of Heathcliff, but rather he cares if the man he gives her up to is strong enough to provide and console his daughter.
This speaks volumes as to what point Edgar is at in his life. He sees that he had it all, without ever enjoying its entirety. He had a wife whom he adored, a daughter whom he adored as much, and so much more.
I have a feeling that this vision will come true to a certain degree. However, Mrs. Dean (Ellen) explains that these events happened within the past year. So we know for sure that Linton dies, for he is no longer at the Heights when Lockwood visits. Lockwood also voices to Ellen for the first time that he is considering courting Catherine II.
Lockwood is the first part of the end of Heathcliff's story, I gather. Lockwood is the realization of his vision of owning both the Heights and the Grange. It seems like an interesting twist or two as we snap back to currency are ahead...
The catch to this is that she is falling in love with Linton. This poses some issues, as he is 1) Her cousin 2)Heathcliff's son and 3) He is dying.
So Ellen falls sick, and Edgar is already kind of sick. Edgar fell sick a few chapters back of a cold, but it appears that he isn't going to get better any time soon. Catherine II makes the most of this, and whilst they are sleeping, she steals out and meets up with her forbidden lover Linton. He is also becoming increasingly ill.
Ellen is back to normalcy within three weeks, and discovers that Catherine II had been stealing out of the Grange to go and meet with Linton. She betrays Catherine II's wishes, and Ellen meets with Edgar about all of this. But first, there is a portion worth noting here where Catherine II finally comes to terms with being the actual first cousin of Hareton. (Uhm, Hello, you want to marry your own cousin? There are a few issues here...)
Edgar proposes a vision to Ellen. He wish Catherine II marry someone that can console her when he passes. He sees the latter happening quite soon. He voices that he doesn't particularly mind that Linton is the son of Heathcliff, but rather he cares if the man he gives her up to is strong enough to provide and console his daughter.
This speaks volumes as to what point Edgar is at in his life. He sees that he had it all, without ever enjoying its entirety. He had a wife whom he adored, a daughter whom he adored as much, and so much more.
I have a feeling that this vision will come true to a certain degree. However, Mrs. Dean (Ellen) explains that these events happened within the past year. So we know for sure that Linton dies, for he is no longer at the Heights when Lockwood visits. Lockwood also voices to Ellen for the first time that he is considering courting Catherine II.
Lockwood is the first part of the end of Heathcliff's story, I gather. Lockwood is the realization of his vision of owning both the Heights and the Grange. It seems like an interesting twist or two as we snap back to currency are ahead...
Sunday, August 12, 2012
In 2012 We Have Texting, in 1790's, There Were Milkmen: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part Seven
So Heathcliff plays matchmaker, and it's kind of creepy.
So a few years have passed, and Catherine II sneaks up to Wuthering Heights yet again... and this time she runs into Heathcliff. He invites her in, and there Heathcliff tells Ellen of his master plan. The plan is this: have Catherine II marry Linton (who, if you remember, he stole...) and when Edgar dies and Linton eventually dies (He's kind of sickly) Heathcliff inherits the Grange.
Ellen realizes how bizarre this whole thing is, but by this point, Catherine II is already infatuated with Linton and the other companion, Hareton. Ellen attempts to explain to Catherine II that this is a horrific mistake, and Heathcliff is, quite plainly, evil.
Heathcliff is prompted to explain that he and Edgar (her father) had fought that Heathcliff was not good enough for "Aunt Isabella". He conveniently leaves out the part that he was the last to see Catherine I alive and conscious, and very well could have been the reason she passed away.
So they part, and Catherine II wants to go back (eventually). She tells her father about this (and Ellen kind of gives her side) and Edgar forbade her from ever going to Wuthering Heights and ever seeing Linton again. She throws a hissy fit, but being it her father forbidding her, she quickly recovers and runs away.
She keeps in contact with Linton through various love letters. This process is worthy of explaining how exactly it goes on:
So there's a milkman who appears every morning who usually wears a coat. She'll meet him when he drops off the milk. She swaps a piece of paper in his pocket for one of her own. The paper contains a letter responding to Linton's, whose letter she just received.
Ellen being the made-of-awesome servant she is, picks up on this rather quickly, and discovers her stash of these letters, and threatens to go to her father with this. She says that Ellen should burn them instead, and that satisfies her on the promise that the letters will stop.
There is a lot of drama there, but all that becomes of it is a much gloomier Catherine II.
Okay: Reality Check time! Say she marries him... She's marrying HER OWN COUSIN. Do either of them realize this? Is there not some moral issue here? Where's Joseph when you need him?
Anyway, I predict that Catherine II and Linton end up together despite this whole mellow-drama. Heathcliff, I think is getting his payback for being evil through having to live such a long miserable life... I gather. And again, I am waiting for Mr. Lockwood to act as something---anything---more that just a narrator/vessel by which this story is told.
So a few years have passed, and Catherine II sneaks up to Wuthering Heights yet again... and this time she runs into Heathcliff. He invites her in, and there Heathcliff tells Ellen of his master plan. The plan is this: have Catherine II marry Linton (who, if you remember, he stole...) and when Edgar dies and Linton eventually dies (He's kind of sickly) Heathcliff inherits the Grange.
Ellen realizes how bizarre this whole thing is, but by this point, Catherine II is already infatuated with Linton and the other companion, Hareton. Ellen attempts to explain to Catherine II that this is a horrific mistake, and Heathcliff is, quite plainly, evil.
Heathcliff is prompted to explain that he and Edgar (her father) had fought that Heathcliff was not good enough for "Aunt Isabella". He conveniently leaves out the part that he was the last to see Catherine I alive and conscious, and very well could have been the reason she passed away.
So they part, and Catherine II wants to go back (eventually). She tells her father about this (and Ellen kind of gives her side) and Edgar forbade her from ever going to Wuthering Heights and ever seeing Linton again. She throws a hissy fit, but being it her father forbidding her, she quickly recovers and runs away.
She keeps in contact with Linton through various love letters. This process is worthy of explaining how exactly it goes on:
So there's a milkman who appears every morning who usually wears a coat. She'll meet him when he drops off the milk. She swaps a piece of paper in his pocket for one of her own. The paper contains a letter responding to Linton's, whose letter she just received.
Ellen being the made-of-awesome servant she is, picks up on this rather quickly, and discovers her stash of these letters, and threatens to go to her father with this. She says that Ellen should burn them instead, and that satisfies her on the promise that the letters will stop.
There is a lot of drama there, but all that becomes of it is a much gloomier Catherine II.
Okay: Reality Check time! Say she marries him... She's marrying HER OWN COUSIN. Do either of them realize this? Is there not some moral issue here? Where's Joseph when you need him?
Anyway, I predict that Catherine II and Linton end up together despite this whole mellow-drama. Heathcliff, I think is getting his payback for being evil through having to live such a long miserable life... I gather. And again, I am waiting for Mr. Lockwood to act as something---anything---more that just a narrator/vessel by which this story is told.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Withering Away Heights: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part Six
Just when it seemed it couldn't get any more depressing for the Lintons and Earnshaws, nope, it did.
So Isabella left the tyranny of her husband, Heathcliff. It's quite a lovely story, actually. Hindley and Isabella are sitting together with Heathcliff locked outside. Heathcliff breaks into the Heights, and wrestles with Hindley and somehow Isabella runs out.
She disappears for a while, and has Heathcliff's child, and dies. Granted, that didn't happen all at once... it happened over the course of three chapters.
So this child is named Linton (SIDENOTE: which, if she kept her maiden name [unheard of in the 1700s] would translate into "Linton Linton").
When Isabella dies, Linton is entrusted to her brother, Edgar.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Dean is bonding with Catherine II. She is entrusted with taking care of Catherine II, and takes her role quite seriously. This is where we learn what Catherine II is like... She is commonly called "angel" "queen" and "darling" by the servants. Mrs. Dean is the only person who dares challenge this notion, and Catherine II isn't too thrilled about this. More on that in a few.
So she takes daily pony rides (Catherine II is 13 at this point) and on one particular occasion, ventures up to Wuthering Heights. A preface here is that Hindley died within 6 months of Catherine I, and due to mortgaging his home to gambling money (Told you so... granted, his liver didn't explode). His gambling partner and mortgagee was, you guessed it, Heathcliff.
This explains how Heathcliff inherited the Heights with the history of being an unrelated gypsy...
Anyway, so Catherine II comes very close to meeting Heathcliff, but luckily the two never cross paths.
Chapter 20 ends with Joseph (remember him?) coming to steal Linton away from Edgar's care on behalf of Heathcliff. There is the undeniable fact that Linton is Heathcliff's son, but at the same time... Edgar seems like a more kid-friendly master. Just look what happened to Hareton?
Oh wait, I never caught you up to speed with him. He grew up with a drunkard father and Heathcliff (need I any more explanation on that?). Needless to say, Heathcliff treats him like dirt, and he is regarded as a servant in what should be his own house...
Okay, predictions: It seems like we are spiraling towards the present (1801) with Mr. Lockwood. Based on my own thoughts, it appears that we will again go to the Heights and eventually there will be something between Catherine II and Lockwood... Not sure how that'll turn out, but in this story, anything is possible!
I have a bad feeling as to how Catherine II turns out... I am not sure what happens to Edgar, but when he eventually kills over, I know for sure (considering our sneak peek of her at the beginning) she ends up at the Heights under Heathcliff's reign.
So Isabella left the tyranny of her husband, Heathcliff. It's quite a lovely story, actually. Hindley and Isabella are sitting together with Heathcliff locked outside. Heathcliff breaks into the Heights, and wrestles with Hindley and somehow Isabella runs out.
She disappears for a while, and has Heathcliff's child, and dies. Granted, that didn't happen all at once... it happened over the course of three chapters.
So this child is named Linton (SIDENOTE: which, if she kept her maiden name [unheard of in the 1700s] would translate into "Linton Linton").
When Isabella dies, Linton is entrusted to her brother, Edgar.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Dean is bonding with Catherine II. She is entrusted with taking care of Catherine II, and takes her role quite seriously. This is where we learn what Catherine II is like... She is commonly called "angel" "queen" and "darling" by the servants. Mrs. Dean is the only person who dares challenge this notion, and Catherine II isn't too thrilled about this. More on that in a few.
So she takes daily pony rides (Catherine II is 13 at this point) and on one particular occasion, ventures up to Wuthering Heights. A preface here is that Hindley died within 6 months of Catherine I, and due to mortgaging his home to gambling money (Told you so... granted, his liver didn't explode). His gambling partner and mortgagee was, you guessed it, Heathcliff.
This explains how Heathcliff inherited the Heights with the history of being an unrelated gypsy...
Anyway, so Catherine II comes very close to meeting Heathcliff, but luckily the two never cross paths.
Chapter 20 ends with Joseph (remember him?) coming to steal Linton away from Edgar's care on behalf of Heathcliff. There is the undeniable fact that Linton is Heathcliff's son, but at the same time... Edgar seems like a more kid-friendly master. Just look what happened to Hareton?
Oh wait, I never caught you up to speed with him. He grew up with a drunkard father and Heathcliff (need I any more explanation on that?). Needless to say, Heathcliff treats him like dirt, and he is regarded as a servant in what should be his own house...
Okay, predictions: It seems like we are spiraling towards the present (1801) with Mr. Lockwood. Based on my own thoughts, it appears that we will again go to the Heights and eventually there will be something between Catherine II and Lockwood... Not sure how that'll turn out, but in this story, anything is possible!
I have a bad feeling as to how Catherine II turns out... I am not sure what happens to Edgar, but when he eventually kills over, I know for sure (considering our sneak peek of her at the beginning) she ends up at the Heights under Heathcliff's reign.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
And The Hardest Part Was Letting Go: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part FIVE
Catherine I is no more, but Catherine II is. Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself.
So to answer my previous question, yes, this pregnancy took place during the mental illness... she never recovered. In fact, she died two hours after giving birth to Catherine II.
Okay, course of events: 1) Isabella writes to Ellen 2)Ellen visits Wuthering Heights 3) I pause to break that down further.
Heathcliff is quite rude to his wife, orders her around like a pet, and tells Nelly that she married him in dilusion, and he is punishing her, trying to shape her or something.
4) Heathcliff demands to see Catherine I at least one last time (as he knows that she is ill) and eventually forces Ellen to forge a plan letting her in 5)Cue another break to explain insanity
So having been let in, Heathcliff goes to meet up with Catherine I. It's a Sunday and Mr. Linton is at church. Naturally, Catherine I is left at home due to her weakness. (Remember, Heathcliff was banned by Linton right before Catherine I shut herself off.)
So the two basically profess their love for each other, giving the quote "I could no soon forget you as I could my own existence!" (or something along those lines...). And through the insanity, Mrs. Dean stands guard, and eventually Linton comes back.
Heathcliff sneaks out and Catherine I slips into somewhat of a coma, with the last person she sees being Heathcliff. She has Catherine II, and as previously noted, dies within two hours of this.
Hindley no longer cares (or so it seems) and doesn't attend the funeral ceremony, nor does anyone but the servants (including Mrs. Dean) and Edgar.
Somewhere in there, Mr. Lockwood ponders what it would be like to get to know this Catherine II, and if she is as insane/angrily-tempered as her mother.
I feel that this is the end of Mrs. Dean's tale, and Lockwood is planning on penning the rest of it by getting mixed in with what remains of this family... Just a thought.
Sorry that this is so scatter-brained, but those past three chapters were quite scatter-brained....
So to answer my previous question, yes, this pregnancy took place during the mental illness... she never recovered. In fact, she died two hours after giving birth to Catherine II.
Okay, course of events: 1) Isabella writes to Ellen 2)Ellen visits Wuthering Heights 3) I pause to break that down further.
Heathcliff is quite rude to his wife, orders her around like a pet, and tells Nelly that she married him in dilusion, and he is punishing her, trying to shape her or something.
4) Heathcliff demands to see Catherine I at least one last time (as he knows that she is ill) and eventually forces Ellen to forge a plan letting her in 5)Cue another break to explain insanity
So having been let in, Heathcliff goes to meet up with Catherine I. It's a Sunday and Mr. Linton is at church. Naturally, Catherine I is left at home due to her weakness. (Remember, Heathcliff was banned by Linton right before Catherine I shut herself off.)
So the two basically profess their love for each other, giving the quote "I could no soon forget you as I could my own existence!" (or something along those lines...). And through the insanity, Mrs. Dean stands guard, and eventually Linton comes back.
Heathcliff sneaks out and Catherine I slips into somewhat of a coma, with the last person she sees being Heathcliff. She has Catherine II, and as previously noted, dies within two hours of this.
Hindley no longer cares (or so it seems) and doesn't attend the funeral ceremony, nor does anyone but the servants (including Mrs. Dean) and Edgar.
Somewhere in there, Mr. Lockwood ponders what it would be like to get to know this Catherine II, and if she is as insane/angrily-tempered as her mother.
I feel that this is the end of Mrs. Dean's tale, and Lockwood is planning on penning the rest of it by getting mixed in with what remains of this family... Just a thought.
Sorry that this is so scatter-brained, but those past three chapters were quite scatter-brained....
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
And I've Told You I Don't Wanna Be Friends: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part Four
The dealings of our characters seem to be that of a very depressing soap opera... This Constant Fighting Is Tearing Us All Apart!
I regret having looked at the genealogical tree in the front whilst reading the next part. It appears as Catherine I is pregnant with her and Edgar's first child. I question whether this insanity block Catherine I experienced overlapped with this pregnancy.
It seems that all of these people are on the edge of their self-created doom. How delightful.
But in all seriousness, it seems everyone is falling apart. Catherine I has fallen ill. However, I am getting a little ahead of myself.
In our last segment, Heathcliff made his triumphant return. In this next bit, he comes back repeatedly and sets Catherine I's husband Edgar over the edge. Insert angry verbal and I think semi-physical fighting here, Heathcliff leaves, and Catherine I goes on a hunger strike.
She goes insane (as I think anyone could) after three days in the same room without food or water. She shut herself off, having shortly before retorted to her husband that she could choose neither Heathcliff nor her own husband over the other. Edgar wanted reassurance at the time that his wife still loved him, and proclaimed that he couldn't stand her being friends with Heathcliff anymore. (Soap opera, right?)
Anyway, Catherine I goes insane in this bit of a hunger strike, shutting herself from everyone, including the trusty servant that is Mrs. Dean, who is the only one let in after three days.
Insert random bouts of delirium, and ranting about death here. It seems that this family is, forgive my pun, plagued with death and illness issues. The only doctor in the whole town comes (he's come before on occasions, but again I assumed him somewhat a minor character).
Somewhere in all of this madness, Heathcliff appears under the cover of night, and Isabella runs off with him to get married within a few months of this craziness.
A Note arrives to Mrs. Dean from Isabella asking for her help. I'll quote something that basically sums up how she was received when she moved to Wuthering Heights:
"... Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil? ..."Based purely on Isabella's description (which, past being a tad exaggerated I feel I can trust) it seems that the Heights has gone extremely downhill.
I regret having looked at the genealogical tree in the front whilst reading the next part. It appears as Catherine I is pregnant with her and Edgar's first child. I question whether this insanity block Catherine I experienced overlapped with this pregnancy.
It seems that all of these people are on the edge of their self-created doom. How delightful.
And So Heathcliff Continues: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part 3
I am beginning to think that Mrs. Dean's story about Catherine I's Heathcliff's life is the actual story...
So again we are treated (I'm up through chapter 10 at this point) to the saga of Heathcliff's past. One of the things that I had assumed was that Catherine I looked at Heathcliff as a brother... and boy was I wrong.
Catherine I is kind of romantically interested in Heathcliff, however due to the fact that he is a Gypsy, she is more interested (for her own reputation is my guess) in Edgar Linton. We also see Catherine I's temper, but not at it's full wicked potential.
BACKGROUND: Catherine I, having been attacked by demon dog goes to stay with the Linton family (whose demon dog attacked her) for the duration of roughly two months by my count. Naturally, she gets to know the family quite well, including their son Edgar.
So Heathcliff hears this, and runs off for three years. Catherine I misses him dearly, but still moves on with the marriage to Edgar Linton, who is sickeningly protective and in love with Catherine I. This marriage prompts Mrs. Dean to move with Catherine I into the Linton compound by the name of "Thrushcross Grange" (Sound Familiar???).
Enter Edgar's sister Isabella who is falling in love with Heathcliff. It's here that we see for the second time Catherine I's temper. She is quite an angry soul, with blame partially falling on Hindley (her brother)'s tyrannic treatment of her after their father passed away stretching until her exit from Wuthering Heights.
Speaking of, Edgar's wife, Frances gives birth to a son named Hareton (He is one of the characters currently living at Wuthering Heights that we met at the beginning, but I kind of shrugged him off as a minor character). Shortly after, the wife deathly afraid of dying dies of an illness within a year of Hareton being born, leaving Ellen/Nelly/Mrs. Dean to care for him.
Hindley becomes a drunkard after this, and is declining rapidly in both health and sanity. Enter Heathcliff after a three year absence and a cleaning/growing-up of sorts and they make up for Hindley's hatred towards him in the early years.
Apparently Heathcliff moves in at Wuthering Heights with Hindley, and Joseph is worried that Hindley's drinking habits and the two's tendency to play cards at night and sleep the days away is destructive for Hindley, and Heathcliff may be trying to swindle money---or worse---- away from Hindley.
I don't know who I am rooting for in this case. It kind of seems at this point that everybody hates everyone else, and I am not finding an attachment to any character except for Mrs. Dean in all of this.
I have a feeling that Hindley's liver may explode and he dies soon. I have no clue what will become of the Lintons, but it seems that Heathcliff might take over Wuthering Heights.
I leave with the question of: If Heathcliff marries Isabella, is that Brother-Sister Marrying another family's Brother-Sister, or is Heathcliff not even a brother?
So again we are treated (I'm up through chapter 10 at this point) to the saga of Heathcliff's past. One of the things that I had assumed was that Catherine I looked at Heathcliff as a brother... and boy was I wrong.
Catherine I is kind of romantically interested in Heathcliff, however due to the fact that he is a Gypsy, she is more interested (for her own reputation is my guess) in Edgar Linton. We also see Catherine I's temper, but not at it's full wicked potential.
BACKGROUND: Catherine I, having been attacked by demon dog goes to stay with the Linton family (whose demon dog attacked her) for the duration of roughly two months by my count. Naturally, she gets to know the family quite well, including their son Edgar.
So Heathcliff hears this, and runs off for three years. Catherine I misses him dearly, but still moves on with the marriage to Edgar Linton, who is sickeningly protective and in love with Catherine I. This marriage prompts Mrs. Dean to move with Catherine I into the Linton compound by the name of "Thrushcross Grange" (Sound Familiar???).
Enter Edgar's sister Isabella who is falling in love with Heathcliff. It's here that we see for the second time Catherine I's temper. She is quite an angry soul, with blame partially falling on Hindley (her brother)'s tyrannic treatment of her after their father passed away stretching until her exit from Wuthering Heights.
Speaking of, Edgar's wife, Frances gives birth to a son named Hareton (He is one of the characters currently living at Wuthering Heights that we met at the beginning, but I kind of shrugged him off as a minor character). Shortly after, the wife deathly afraid of dying dies of an illness within a year of Hareton being born, leaving Ellen/Nelly/Mrs. Dean to care for him.
Hindley becomes a drunkard after this, and is declining rapidly in both health and sanity. Enter Heathcliff after a three year absence and a cleaning/growing-up of sorts and they make up for Hindley's hatred towards him in the early years.
Apparently Heathcliff moves in at Wuthering Heights with Hindley, and Joseph is worried that Hindley's drinking habits and the two's tendency to play cards at night and sleep the days away is destructive for Hindley, and Heathcliff may be trying to swindle money---or worse---- away from Hindley.
I don't know who I am rooting for in this case. It kind of seems at this point that everybody hates everyone else, and I am not finding an attachment to any character except for Mrs. Dean in all of this.
I have a feeling that Hindley's liver may explode and he dies soon. I have no clue what will become of the Lintons, but it seems that Heathcliff might take over Wuthering Heights.
I leave with the question of: If Heathcliff marries Isabella, is that Brother-Sister Marrying another family's Brother-Sister, or is Heathcliff not even a brother?
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Mrs. Dean Clears Up Some Things: Wuthering Heights Journal: Part 2
It turns out there is an Abundance of Catherines in this novel, and we already met half of them.
Okay, so over the next four chapters, Mr. Lockwood's maid-ish person Mrs. Dean decides to talk to Mr. Lockwood. Lockwood is sick at the time, so to pass the time, he asks Mrs. to shed some light on this Heathcliff character... It turns out that she is somewhat an expert in the matter, considering that she was one of that particular family---the Earnshaw(/Linton) Clan---'s servants.
The basic synopsis is as follows:
Okay, so over the next four chapters, Mr. Lockwood's maid-ish person Mrs. Dean decides to talk to Mr. Lockwood. Lockwood is sick at the time, so to pass the time, he asks Mrs. to shed some light on this Heathcliff character... It turns out that she is somewhat an expert in the matter, considering that she was one of that particular family---the Earnshaw(/Linton) Clan---'s servants.
The basic synopsis is as follows:
- She discusses a Catherine (there are two... more on that in a few...) that was one of two children (Hindley is the other) and that her father brought in a child from Liverpool named Heathcliff (roughly the first Catherine's[hereinafter referred to as "Catherine I"] age)
- Heathcliff and Catherine I bond almost immediately, and Hindley fades off and hates Heathcliff
- The father of Catherine I dies and Hindley swoops in and takes over with a new wife (who, side note here, is deathly afraid of dying).
- Catherine I doesn't particularly like this at first, but eventually Hindley proves a terrible authority figure, and chaos ensues.
- Joseph enters the picture again as the gentleman trying to create orderly Christian-ness ism. (I forgot to mention Joseph before fully, he's first introduced as a crazy old gentleman, later introduced via Catherine I's journal as the very religious Christian advocate)
- Which brings me to the next point: It is Catherine I's journal Lockwood stumbles upon.
- The second Catherine (Catherine II) is alive (as I guessed before) and through the genealogical tree, I have deduced that Catherine II and Catherine I are daughter and mother, respectively.
- Mrs. Dean---Nellie for short--- goes into some childhood memories of the Earnshaws, one of which involves Catherine I and Heathcliff getting mixed in with the Lintons and their demon dog.
I apologize for the bullet-pointed plotline but that was probably the clearest explanation I could give.
Now onto predictions: Not too much here, but I think Mrs. Dean will tell more about Catherine I. I'm not sure when Lockwood will make the Catherine I-Catherine II connection, but I think it will be soon. He doesn't have the benefit of a Genealogical tree for reference.
Lockwood, I think, even though it be quite stupid, will end up going back to Wuthering Heights. I think he has this fascination with the place itself, how much mystery it holds, and just how strange Heathcliff is.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Wuthering Heights Journal: Part 1
So I just finished the first three chapters of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and thought I'd share some thoughts on it.
Now before I started I decided to do a little research beforehand on the novel, to see what I'm supposed to know. All Wikipedia ever taught me is that this is Emily Bronte's first and only piece, following one year after its publication, marking her sister's success with Jane Eyre. Interesting history, but I kind of didn't want spoilers, so I stopped there.
Reading the first chapter, my main goal was to determine the classic Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of this novel. I had a little trouble getting a handle as to whether or not the narrator/protagonist person is a man or woman. Eventually I deduced that it was a man, however his name escapes me, except for a "Mr. Lockwood."
Moving past technicalities such as character names, I aimed to figure out what this novel is to be about. It was a tad tedious figuring out everything through Bronte's very colourful and sometimes overly-descriptive adjectives, but here's what I have (In the way of important plotpoints) so far:
So I am gathering (due to the second page genealogical tree) that Catherine is still alive... so I kind of have a feeling that she will make an appearance... Considering the title, I am also assuming that Mr. Lockwood, by which the story is told, will return... maybe?
Now before I started I decided to do a little research beforehand on the novel, to see what I'm supposed to know. All Wikipedia ever taught me is that this is Emily Bronte's first and only piece, following one year after its publication, marking her sister's success with Jane Eyre. Interesting history, but I kind of didn't want spoilers, so I stopped there.
Reading the first chapter, my main goal was to determine the classic Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of this novel. I had a little trouble getting a handle as to whether or not the narrator/protagonist person is a man or woman. Eventually I deduced that it was a man, however his name escapes me, except for a "Mr. Lockwood."
Moving past technicalities such as character names, I aimed to figure out what this novel is to be about. It was a tad tedious figuring out everything through Bronte's very colourful and sometimes overly-descriptive adjectives, but here's what I have (In the way of important plotpoints) so far:
- Mr. Lockwood visited Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights the first time because he is a new tenant at a place Mr. Heathcliff owns called "Thrushcross Grange" or something along those lines
- The second visit is mainly a social visit, however Mr. Lockwood's timing is perfectly in sync with a snowstorm which burdens him spend the night at Wuthering Heights.
- Whilst there, he stumbles across volumes of journals written in the margins of religious books that the semi-insane Joseph forced the author of these journals, Catherine Linton/Earshaw to read.
- Mr. Lockwood had this insane nightmare after reading through Catherine's Notes, and awakes in the middle of the night, leaving Heathcliff confused, who checks on Lockwood, who shouldn't even be in that room to start with, and he comes clean about this Catherine character, and this exchange leaves Heathcliff very touched.
So I am gathering (due to the second page genealogical tree) that Catherine is still alive... so I kind of have a feeling that she will make an appearance... Considering the title, I am also assuming that Mr. Lockwood, by which the story is told, will return... maybe?
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