'Wuthering Heights' SYMBOLS

Emily Brontë's

Wuthering Heights

Symbols

and

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

Basic Characteristics of "Hell":

• Lonliness: "...so completely removed from the stir of society."

Destruction: "'Wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather."

• Hopelessness: "...she remained, calling at intervals, and then listening, and then crying outright."

• A Prison: "to the garret where Heathcliff was confined..."

• Unsatisfied Desires: "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him..."

• Darkness: "...the exessive slant of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun."

"the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall..."

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

Characters in This "Hell", and Their Personal Traits :

Heathcliff, "Lucifer": "...show him what you are, imp of Satan."; " though it's as dark almost as if it came from the devil.";

"the eyes deep-set and singular..."

Dogs, Cerberus: "...rushed to the nearest postern....two hairy monsters flew at my throat, bearing me down, and extinguishing the light."

Catherine: " ...irresistibly impelled by the naughty spirit within her, slapped me on the cheek..."; "..showed her humour by grinning and spitting at the stupid little thing."

Nelly Dean: " and I had no more sense, so I put it on the landing of the stairs."

Frances: "...but she felt so afraid of dying."

Hindley: "...Hindley became tyrannical."

Refined Heathcliff

"...looked intelligent, and retained no marks of former degredation. 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 stern for grace."

Thrushcross Grange v. Wuthering Heights

FORCE v. NATURE

Heathcliff

Thrushcross Grange

Wild Heathcliff

"...was a tale of his seeing it starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb, in the streets of Liverpool, where he picked it up and inquired for its owner. Not a soul knew to whom it belonged..."

Thrushcross Grange:

Basic Characteristics of "Heaven"

Wuthering Heights

• Beauty: "ah! it was beautiful - a splendid place carpeted with crimson, and crimson-covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered by gold, a shower of glass-drops hanging in silver chains from the centre, and shimmering with little soft tapers."

• Civility: "...she behaved infinitely better than I dared to expect."

• Good Weather: "The return of sunshine was welcomed by answering sunshine from him."

• Care: "...and I left her, as merry as she could be..."

• Cultural Transformations: "Why, Cathy, you are quite a beauty! I should scarcely have known you: you look like a lady now..."; " to behold the transformation of Heathcliff."

Thrushcross Grange

Characters in "Heaven" and Their Personal Traits:

as

Edgar: "how Catherine Earnshaw could forget her first friend for such an individual."

Isabella: "her dainty elegance, and the fondness all the family exhibit for her."

Lockwood, "Jesus": "...everybody conjectured that I perished last night; and they were wondering how they must set about the search for my remains. I bid them be quiet, now that they saw me returned..."

Catherine Linton

"She seemed almost over-fond of Mr. Linton; and even to his sister she showed plenty of affection."

Thrushcross Grange v. Wuthering Heights

Force v. Nature

"...and led her to adopt a double character without exactly intending to deceive any one."

Catherine

Earnshaw

"...Catherine, try to be glad, without being absurd."

Catherine Heathcliff

"...but she could ride any horse in the stable, and she chose a whip."

SYMBOLS