Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

 When people ask "Oh? You want to be a writer? Do you read?" I generally have my bookshelf as proof. But, taking inspiration from Phoebe from Friends, I've decided to read classic literature. I read an analysis of Yeats' work (yikes, did y'all know about the Irish nationalist part?) and I really liked "When You Are Old". Check it out if you like. As part of this journey, I picked up a copy of Wuthering Heights by perhaps not the most famous, but certainly one of the Bronte Sisters - Emily Bronte. 

I must say this book surprised me. I was expecting a book full of unkown old Christian allusions, archaic English with little to no meaning. And while yes, the writing is reflective of the time period it was written in, the style itself is quite easy to comprehend. The characters are vivid and the situations surprisingly relatable to the 21st century. 

The book I found, I could not summarise very adeptly. So here's a three-line summary of the internet for you - credit - IMDB. 

• A man becomes obsessed with vengeance when his soul mate marries another man.

• Heathcliff is Cathy Earnshaw's foster brother; more than that, he is her other half. When forces within and without tear them apart, Heathcliff wreaks vengeance on those he holds responsible, even into a second generation.

The book is an example of how love is all-consuming, and how love allows us to justify anything. Heatchliff, a wild, loving companion to Catherine, loses himself in the aftermath of her death. It furnishes proof that we cannot hate anyone more than the one we love the most. His desperation was for them to be together and like a confused child, "acted out" to reduce it to a very simple meaning. His marriage with Isabella, the domestic abuse, his ill-treatment of his servants, Hindley's son and his own. His furious temper and manipulative nature was all justified to Heatchliff, as perhaps a wicked way of expressing his anger and disdain at losing Catherine. In the end, when he grows weary, he becomes timid. He starts seeing ghosts - of Catherine presumably- and dies happy to see her. 

The story also uses classism as a tool to divide its characters. Heatchliff is looked down at by Hindley as poor, rough, brutish, and uncouth. Catherine, despite being in love with Heatchliff, married Edgar for his money. This class-based outlook was seen in Cathy's later spurning of Hareton as well.

Heatchliff's ultimate revenge exacted on Hindley by swindling him and his son of Wuthering Heights and on Edgar by ultimately taking Thruschross Grange doesn't give Heatchliff the ultimate euphoria he imagines. The relationship between Heatchliff and Cathy is also interesting. He cannot help but see his longlost love in her countenance, while at the same time, Cathy's existence is a mark of Edgar and Catherine's reunion. Heatchliff's conscience believes that his revenge is only completing a tit for a tat, but I think that subconsciously he knew he could never hurt what Catherine loved.

Another, really interesting thing about the book, is that it has all been narrated through the eyes of a servant - Nelly Dean. 

The story is full of repetition as well. Heatchliff's ill-treatment of Hareton mimics strongly Hindley's treatment of young Heatchliff. The carefree Catherine Earnshaw's spirit is passed down to young Cathy Linton, even though she seems to be softer. The countless love stories in this are too many to retrace, but here are some notable ones. 

1. Catherine Earnshaw and Heatcliff

A raw love is how I would describe this. They yelled, they screamed, they cried, but they knew that there was noone they could love more than the other. Throughout her marriage with Linton, she did not deny her love of Heatchliff and during her sickness, she desired Heatchliff's support. After her death, Heatchliff tried to hurt himself multiple times, not knowing towards who to direct his rage he felt. He cursed Catherine for leaving him, and hated her for not choosing him. This unique situation of hating the one you truly love, presents an interesting question - Is hate nothing but anger misplaced?

2. Edgar Linton and Catherine

While it had its rocky starts, it remained one of the deepest forms of warmth in the story. They had little in common and were of wildly different personalities, but till Catherine's death, Edgar remained in love. Despite their spite and pride getting in the way, Edgar was willing to forsake it all while nursing Catherine. Kind, forgiving, romantic, affectionate Edgar with temperamental, naughty, passionate Catherine was a sad love story, that didn't have the end it might have had.