death in wuthering heights essay

English 484: 19th Century Ecologies (Senior Seminar)

Fall 2019 | Georgetown University

Death in Wuthering Heights

While reading Wuthering Heights it seems that every other chapter focuses on someone dying, someone who has recently died, or someone who is about to die. None of these deaths happen as a result of old age, and they are often foreshadowed long before they happen. Mrs. Earnshaw dies first, followed by Mr. Earnshaw, Frances, the elder Mr. and Mrs. Linton, Catherine, Hindley, Isabella, Edgar, the young Linton, and Heathcliff. Those who survive the story are Nelly, Joseph, Cathy, and Hearton. A kind of depressing irony comes at the end of the novel when Mr. Lockwood and Nelly are discussing the arrangements for the Wuthering Heights estate and he comments that perhaps ghosts (which there should be plenty of now) might come and inhabit it. Nelly counters by saying, “I believe the dead are at peace, but it is not right to speak of them with levity,” though Nelly has spent the last two-hundred pages gossiping to Lockwood at his request about all the tragedies that happened before he arrived (Bronte, 300).

Eleven deaths. Some are introduced early on, like Frances who arrives at Wuthering Heights during Mr. Earnshaw’s funeral and has a breakdown saying she “was so afraid of dying,” only to die a year or so later (Bronte, 39). Or the young Linton’s arrival to the Grange when Cathy and her father are discussing how well he will do “if we can keep him,” which has a double meaning relating to keeping Linton with them and keeping him alive in general; needless to say he dies (Bronte, 179). I was surprised Edgar lived as long as he did in the story, but when his wife died and Nelly described him as a man who “execrated God and man, and gave himself up to reckless dissipation,” you knew he wasn’t really going to be “living” for the rest of the novel (Bronte, 57). Then there are the deaths of Catherine and Heathcliff, the first of which happens relatively early on and we are aware of for the entirety of the novel and the later which ends the novel. These are the deaths the novel is powered by and then waits for. Catherine and Heathcliff’s unhealthy relationship when they were alive carries over into eternity when she dies and he says, “Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest, as long as I am living!… I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!” (Bronte, 148). In a way, Heathcliff experiences a living death similar to Edgar, where he is still very much alive but all the good parts of him have died and he is being driven by the sorrow of another’s death. All of the trouble they caused when she was alive is foiled by the madness Heathcliff endures and inflicts after her death, and peace only comes when they are reunited in death. Bronte’s repeated injection of death into this novel is striking and plays with several messages relating to relationships, both familial and romantic. Even though death has a negative connotation, is Bronte using it to promote a negative message or is this more like a morbid romanticization?

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A Farewell to Arms

Hemingway’s catherines: death drives and destruction in a farewell to arms and the garden of eden kayla kibbe college.

Catherine Barkley, who predeceases the retrospective narration of her bereaved lover in A Farewell to Arms , has nevertheless transcended her untimely death to become immortalized as a frequent and much-debated subject of Hemingway criticism. Since her debut in 1929, Catherine has taken many a turn beneath the critical microscope as scholars have shuffled through various lenses. Catherine has weathered countless critical trends and multiple waves of feminism, throughout which critics have cast her in many roles, from her infamous early days as a “divine lollipop” and “inflated rubber-doll woman” to her later restoration not as Hemingway dream girl, but Hemingway code hero (Hacket, Bell qtd. in Spanier 76). Whether critical darling or demon, Catherine Barkley remains one of Hemingway’s most iconic and well-known characters. And yet, oddly, she is not Hemingway’s only Catherine.

In 1986, another Catherine, Catherine Bourne, made her debut as the female lead of the posthumously published The Garden of Eden . Although Catherine remains a common name, I reject a reading that figures this repetition as purely coincidental. Noting, as Carl Eby points out, that Hemingway maintained a fascination with the name Catherine both within and...

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Student Essay: Fate and Choice in Wuthering Heights

By Anastasia Leffas

Though often hailed as a story of love spoilt by circumstance, brontë's novel is in truth a story of self-inflicted tragedy..

Heathcliff and Catherine, two figures in Emily Brontë’s masterpiece Wuthering Heights,  share a bewitching and devastating relationship. Both characters, as well as their relationship, serve as a tribute to the notion that circumstances, while powerful, do not–and cannot–take away the power of one’s will. Wuthering Heights poses, by these two wildly different characters, the question, “Can one be a product of one’s environment?” Emily Brontë strives to answer this age-old problem of human nature through Catherine and Heathcliff’s tumultuous relationship, a relationship that spans through generations, and is explored in the moors and estates found in Yorkshire. Through their mutual desire and destruction, Brontë proves that humanity can choose courageous love, or its opposite, beyond what one’s circumstances provide.

Brontë first introduces the reader to Heathcliff as the villainous (yet, some claim, misunderstood) anti-hero of Wuthering Heights . Heathcliff, taken in by the Earnshaw family as  an orphaned child, is often scorned and abused for his wayward nature and lack of known heritage. Of the few who show him kindness in his new home, Catherine stands out as an ideal playmate and eventual lover. In return for Catherine’s acceptance, Heathcliff endeavors to better himself for her sake, dressing with dignity and presenting himself with manners. This action of Heathcliff, while he was still a young teen, shows a glimpse at what his future could have been if he would have chosen beyond himself for the sake of his love. Yet this is not to be the courageous path that he chooses: in a fit of anger following a tragic misunderstanding, Heathcliff abandons his newfound purpose, and resigns himself to a deviously twisted temper and a lifetime of revenge and aggressive resentment.

While some may argue that Heathcliff comes to approach life in such a manner because of the abuse he experiences, and the rejection with which he is met, Brontë clearly denies this claim—as the masterful storyteller that she is, she provides the reader with the glimmer of hope that is Heathcliff’s brief yet powerful transformation. However, this ideal world is not to be in the tempestuous and brooding setting of Wuthering Heights ; Heathcliff is quickly shown to descend into a hellish state of hideous evil that he will remain in for the rest of the book. He is not merely a victim, but rather chooses to abandon that which provided him hope. This is the start of the demise of his love story with Catherine. It is doomed from this moment onward, and it is doomed through his freely-made choice.

Turning now towards Catherine, Brontë provides an alternate example of this treacherous choice that her characters are afforded. Catherine is initially depicted as a sort of carefree nymph, a symbol of civilized love that provides an opposite to the abuse and resentment that is occurring around her. Yet is this idealized image of Catherine a true one? Once again, Brontë dives into ugly realities by proving that she is not. Catherine is conceited and selfish more often than not; although she truly cares for Heathcliff, first as a companion and then as something more, she too lacks the courage to go beyond herself. Her own ego, fed by her status as a somewhat upper-class, pampered girl, begins to be what she loves more. She teases Heathcliff to her nurse, busying herself with her newfound “rich” friends. In fact, it is this unfortunate habit of discussing what she wants, and the shortcomings of others like Heathcliff, that leads to a misunderstanding catastrophic enough to end their love. Catherine, shaped by her status and ego, eventually chooses to love another man and let Heathcliff go. 

Brontë here provides an example that is opposite, and yet in a way identical, to Heathcliff’s situation. In contrast to Heathcliff’s scornful environment, Catherine lives in one of acceptance and freedom. She is not met with a hateful home, and yet what is her choice? The same as Heathcliff’s. It is one of selfish pettiness and hatred, not one of courageous love. She cannot, or perhaps more accurately does not, choose to love Heathcliff despite his lower-class status. While it was Heathcliff’s lack of character that led to his downfall, it was Catherine’s seemingly overfull one that destroys her. She fixates on her own desires, driving those whom she truly loves away and leaving her empty and broken. While it is Heathcliff’s choice to leave Catherine’s love, it is also Catherine’s choice to leave Heathcliff’s. 

Both Heathcliff and Catherine are the epitome and example of reckless, selfish, and destructive choices. While they claim to love each other, neither one is able to fully choose the other, not due to circumstances, but their own broken attitudes. Brontë, through her shadowy, haunting novel, tells this tale of doomed and miserable desire so beautifully, touching on the exact root of the problem. Circumstances and tendencies do not predestine the outcome; people have the power to choose to love with extreme and sacrificial courage—or not. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love could have been a great love, a love for the ages, if they chose in such a manner. Yet Brontë allows them to choose the opposite; to choose themselves, in such a primal and devious manner that their so-called “love” is doomed from the start.

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Anastasia Leffas is a seventeen-year-old senior at her Catholic high school in northern VA. She loves pursuing beauty by means of her academic studies, Irish dance, and music, and is considering collegiate study of psychology or history.

The top forty students from every CLT are invited to contribute an essay to the Journal. Congratulations to Miss Leffas on her high score! If you’d like to read more from our top students, try these posts on the double-edged influence of social media and the productive paradox of mercy and justice ; or you might enjoy this author profile of Henrik Ibsen . And be sure to check out our weekly podcast on education, policy, and culture, hosted by our founder Jeremy Tate.

Page image of High Cup in the Yorkshire Pennines, taken by John Clive Nicholson ( source ).

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Wuthering Heights Essay

Wuthering Heights is a book by Emily Bronte. It is a story of love and revenge, and is set on the Yorkshire moors. Wuthering Heights is often seen as a classic novel, and is widely studied in schools.

Wuthering Heights is a book by Emily Bronte. It was published in 1847, and is generally considered to be her masterpiece. The story is set on the Yorkshire moors, and tells the tale of love and revenge. Wuthering Heights is now seen as a classic novel, and is still studied by students all over the world. Emily Bronte is considered to be one of the greatest English authors of all time.

If you’re looking for a great book to read, then Wuthering Heights is definitely worth a look. It’s a complex story, but it’s well worth the effort. Emily Bronte is an excellent author, and Wuthering Heights is sure to captivate you from beginning to end. So if you’re looking for something exciting and engrossing, be sure to check out Wuthering Heights! You won’t regret it.

Wuthering Heights is the tragic story of Heathcliff, an orphaned boy who becomes obsessed with Catherine Earnshaw and her wealthy guardian.

Wuthering Heights is a book that you can’t help but be pulled into, with its powerful descriptions of the bleak Yorkshire moors and the passionate characters who inhabit them.

Emily Bronte wrote Wuthering Heights when she was just nineteen years old, and the book is considered to be one of the most original and accomplished of all Victorian novels. Wuthering Heights has been banned, admired, dissected, and adapted countless times, and it still remains one of the most loved – and most hated – books in the world. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end, Wuthering Heights is definitely it. So if you’re ready to be taken on a dark and twisting journey, then buckle up and prepare to read Wuthering Heights.

The love between Catherine and Hareton Hindley’s son, which is a more delicate and kind version of the love between Cathy and Heathcliff, is poised to have a happy conclusion.

Wuthering Heights is a story of love and revenge, and tells the tale of two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons. The love that develops between young Catherine and Hindley’s son, Hareton, is a paler and gentler version of the love between Cathy and Heathcliff, and it’s poised for a happy ending. However, Heathcliff returns after many years away, seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. Wuthering Heights is a rich and dark novel, full of passion and violence.

Although Heathcliff still loves as fiercely as he once loved Cathy, his actions are now driven by a thirst for vengeance. He resorts to exacting some form of retribution from everyone who, in his opinion, has wronged him: Hindley (and his descendants) for mistreating him, and the Lintons (Edgar and Isabella) for taking Cathy away from him.

Wuthering Heights is a novel of passion, mystery, and revenge. It tells the story of two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, who live on opposite sides of Wuthering Heights, an isolated house on the Yorkshire moors. The Earnshaws are a poor family; the Lintons are wealthy landowners.

Heathcliff, an orphan brought up by Hindley Earnshaw, falls in love with Cathy Linton and they run away together. When Cathy returns to Wuthering Heights after four years away, she finds that she is now married to Edgar Linton. Heathcliff plots to destroy his rival and take Cathy back for himself. Wuthering Heights is a story of unrequited love, passion, and revenge.

The novel was written by Emily Bronte, who was born in 1818 and died in 1848, shortly after Wuthering Heights was published. It is one of three novels she wrote (the other two are The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey), but it is the only one that was published during her lifetime. Wuthering Heights is considered to be a classic of English literature. It has been adapted for stage, television, and film many times.

Some famous adaptations include Wuthering Heights (1939), starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon; Wuthering Heights (1970), starring Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall; Wuthering Heights (1992), starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche; and Wuthering Heights (2009), a three-part television adaptation starring Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley.

The central theme of the book is the dualism of good and evil. She has emphasized this area through piety, love, vengeance, and obsession. At first, there appears to be a leaning toward either goodness or evil among various figures.

Heathcliff, for example, represents the dark side of human nature with his anger, jealousy, and thirst for revenge. On the other hand, Catherine Earnshaw is a good person with strong morals. However, as the novel progresses, Heathcliff manages to corrupt Cathy and Edgar Linton, making them just as wicked as he is. Wuthering Heights is a story about the fall of man and how evil can take over when people give in to their desires. Bronte has shown how good can eventually overcome evil if people are willing to fight for it.

Wuthering Heights contains a number of prominent themes, including revenge and justice, which represent significant experiences, personality flaws, and the path of devastation. Heathcliff starts his existence in Wuthering Heights with an open heart but grows enraged after being mistreated by Edgar and Hindley.

Wuthering Heights is a novel about passionate love, cruel revenge, and the power of nature to erode human happiness. Wuthering Heights is a novel full of passion and emotion. The characters in the novel are motivated by intense feelings such as love, hate, jealousy, and vengeance. Emily Bronte has written Wuthering Heights as if it were a poem. This makes the story more powerful and moving.

The language is descriptive and lyrical which helps to set the mood for the reader. Wuthering Heights is a timeless classic that has been enjoyed by readers for many years. It is a must-read for all fans of romance and mystery. Wuthering Heights will leave you with a feeling of sadness and happiness all at the same time. It is a beautiful story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

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