Wuthering Heights

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Wuthering Heights  

Title page of the first edition

Author Emily Brontë
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Gothic novel
Publisher Thomas Cautley Newby
Publication date 1847
Published in
1847
English
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 260 (Penguin classics 1994 edition)
ISBN ISBN 9781932535143 (facsimile
edition, Washington [D.C.] :
Orchises, 2007), ISBN 0140430016
 (Harmondsworth : Penguin, 1965),
ISBN 9780140620122 (London :
Penguin 1994)
OCLC Number 71126926
Dewey Decimal 823/.8 22
LC Classification PR4172 .W7 2007

Wuthering Heights is a gothic novel, and the only novel by Emily Brontë. It was first
published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, and a posthumous second edition was
edited by her sister Charlotte.

The name of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors on which the story
centres (as an adjective; wuthering is a Yorkshire word referring to turbulent weather).
The narrative tells the tale of the all-encompassing and passionate, yet thwarted, love
between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how this unresolved passion eventually
destroys them and many around them.

Now considered a classic of English literature, Wuthering Heights met with mixed
reviews by critics when it first appeared, mainly because of the narrative's stark depiction
of mental and physical cruelty.[1][2] Though Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre was generally
considered the best of the Brontë sisters' works during most of the nineteenth century,
many subsequent critics of Wuthering Heights argued that its originality and achievement
made it superior.[3] Wuthering Heights has also given rise to many adaptations and
inspired works, including films, radio, television dramatisations, a musical by Bernard J.
Taylor, ballet, opera, role-playing game, and song.

Contents
[hide]
 1 Plot
 2 Characters
o 2.1 Relationships map
 3 Timeline
 4 Development history
 5 Critical response
o 5.1 Early reviews
 6 References in culture
 7 Adaptations
 8 Notes
 9 References

 10 External links
 [edit] Plot
Prologue (chapters 1 to 3) Mr Lockwood, a rich man from the south, has rented
Thrushcross Grange in the north of England for peace and recuperation. Soon after
arrival, he visits his landlord, Mr Heathcliff, who lives in the remote moorland farmhouse
called "Wuthering Heights". He finds the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights to be a
strange group: Mr Heathcliff appears a gentleman but his manners and speech suggest
otherwise; the mistress of the house is in her early teens, an attractive but reserved, even
rude woman; and there is a young man who appears to be one of the family although he
dresses and talks like a servant.

Being snowed in, he has to stay the night and is shown to an unused chamber where he
finds books and graffiti from a former inhabitant of the farmhouse called "Catherine".
When he falls asleep, his dreams are prompted by this person and he has a nightmare
where he sees her as a ghost trying to get in through the window. He wakes and is unable
to return to sleep so, as soon as the sun rises, he is escorted back to Thrushcross Grange
by Heathcliff. There he asks his housekeeper, Ellen Dean, to tell him the story of the
family from the Heights.

The Childhood of Heathcliff (chapters 4 to 17) The story begins thirty years before
when the Earnshaw family lived at Wuthering Heights consisting of, as well as the
mother and father, Hindley, a boy of fourteen, and six-year-old Catherine, the same
person that he had dreamt about and the mother of the present mistress. In that year, Mr
Earnshaw travels to Liverpool where he finds a homeless, gypsy boy of about seven
whom he decides to adopt as his son. He names him "Heathcliff". Hindley, who finds
himself excluded from his father's affections by this newcomer, quickly learns to hate
him but Catherine grows very attached to him. Soon Heathcliff and Catherine are like
twins, spending hours on the moors together and hating every moment apart.

Because of this discord, Hindley is eventually sent to college but he returns, three years
later, when Mr Earnshaw dies. With a new wife, Frances, he becomes master of
Wuthering Heights and forces Heathcliff to become a servant instead of a member of the
family.

Heathcliff and Cathy continue to run wild and, in November, a few months after
Hindley's return, they make their way to Thrushcross Grange to spy on the inhabitants.
As they watch the childish behaviour of Edgar and Isabella Linton, the children of the
Grange, they are spotted and try to escape. Catherine, having been caught by a dog, is
brought inside and helped while Heathcliff is sent home.

Five weeks later, Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights but she has now changed,
looking and acting as a lady. She laughs at Heathcliff's unkempt appearance and, the next
day when the Lintons visit, he dresses up to impress her. It fails when Edgar makes fun of
him and they argue. Heathcliff is locked in the attic where, in the evening, Catherine
climbs over the roof to comfort him. He vows to get his revenge on HIndley.
In the summer of the next year, Frances gives birth to a child, Hareton, but she dies
before the year is out. This leads Hindley to descend into a life of drunkenness and waste.
Two years on and Catherine has become close friends with Edgar, growing more distant
from Heathcliff. One day in August, while Hindley is absent, Edgar comes to visit
Catherine . She has an argument with Ellen which then spreads to Edgar who tries to
leave. Catherine stops him and, before long, they declare themselves lovers.

Later, Catherine talks with Ellen, explaining that Edgar had asked her to marry him and
she had accepted. She says that she does not really love Edgar but Heathcliff.
Unfortunately she could never marry the latter because of his lack of status and
education. She therefore plans to marry Edgar and use that position to help raise
Heathcliff's standing. Unfortunately Heathcliff had overheard the first part about not
being able to marry him and flees from the farmhouse. He disappears without trace and,
after three years, Edgar and Catherine are married.

Six months after the marriage, Heathcliff returns as a gentleman, having grown stronger
and richer during his absence. Catherine is delighted to see him although Edgar is not so
keen. Isabella, now eighteen, falls madly in love with Heathcliff, seeing him as a
romantic hero. He despises her but encourages the infatuation, seeing it as a chance for
revenge on Edgar. When he embraces Isabella one day at the Grange, there is an
argument with Edgar which causes Catherine to lock herself in her room and fall ill.

Heathcliff has been staying at the Heights, gambling with Hindley and teaching Hareton
bad habits. Hindley is gradually losing his wealth, mortgaging the farmhouse to
Heathcliff to repay his debts.

While Catherine is ill, Heathcliff elopes with Isabella, causing Edgar to disown his sister.
The fugitives marry and return two months later to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff hears
that Catherine is ill and arranges with Ellen to visit her in secret. In the early hours of the
day after their meeting, Catherine gives birth to her daughter, Cathy, and then dies.

The day after Catherine's funeral, Isabella flees Heathcliff and escapes to the south of
England where she eventually gives birth to Linton, Heathcliff's son. Hindley dies six
months after his sister and Heathcliff finds himself the master of Wuthering Heights and
the guardian of Hareton.

The Maturity of Heathcliff (chapters 18 to 31) Twelve years on, Cathy has grown into
a beautiful, high-spirited girl who has rarely passed outside the borders of the Grange.
Edgar hears that Isabella is dying and leaves to pick up her son with the intention of
adopting him. While he is gone, Cathy meets Hareton on the moors and learns of her
cousin and Wuthering Heights' existence.

Edgar returns with Linton who is a weak and sickly boy. Although Cathy is attracted to
him, Heathcliff wants his son with him and insists on having him taken to the Heights.
Three years later, Ellen and Cathy are on the moors when they meet Heathcliff who takes
them to Wuthering Heights to see Linton and Hareton. His plans are for Linton and Cathy
to marry so that he would inherit Thrushcross Grange. Cathy and Linton begin a secret
and interrupted friendship.

In August of the next year, while Edgar is very ill, Ellen and Cathy visit Wuthering
Heights and are held captive by Heathcliff who wants to marry his son to Cathy and, at
the same time, prevent her from returning to her father before he dies. After five days,
Ellen is released and Cathy escapes with Linton's help just in time to see her father before
he dies.

With Heathcliff now the master of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange,
Cathy has no choice but to leave Ellen and to go and live with Heathcliff and Hareton.
Linton dies soon afterwards and, although Hareton tries to be kind to her, she retreats into
herself. This is the point of the story at which Lockwood arrives.

After being ill with a cold for some time, Lockwood decides that he has had enough of
the moors and travels to Wuthering Heights to inform Heathcliff that he is returning to
the south.

Epilogue (chapters 32 to 34) In September, eight months after leaving, Lockwood finds
himself back in the area and decides to stay at Thrushcross Grange (since his tenancy is
still valid until October). He finds that Ellen is now living at Wuthering Heights. He
makes his way there and she fills in the rest of the story.

Ellen had moved to the Heights soon after Lockwood had left to replace the housekeeper
who had departed. In March, Hareton had had an accident and been confined to the
farmhouse. During this time, a friendship had developed between Cathy and Hareton.
This continues into April when Heathcliff begins to act very strangely, seeing visions of
Catherine. After not eating for four days, he is found dead in his room. He is buried next
to Catherine.

Lockwood departs but, before he leaves, he hears that Hareton and Cathy plan to marry
on New Year's Day.

[edit] Characters
 Heathcliff: Found, and presumably orphaned, on the streets of Liverpool, he is
taken to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw and reluctantly cared for by the rest
of the family. He and Catherine later grow close, and their love becomes the
central theme of the first volume; his revenge and its consequences are the main
theme of the second volume. Heathcliff is typically considered a Byronic hero,
but critics have found his character, with a capacity for self-invention, to be
profoundly difficult to assess. His position in society, without status (Heathcliff
serves as both his given name and surname), is often the subject of Marxist
criticism[citation needed].
 Catherine Earnshaw: First introduced in Lockwood's discovery of her diary and
etchings, Catherine's life is almost entirely detailed in the first volume. She
seemingly suffers from a crisis of identity, unable to choose between nature and
culture (and, by extension, Heathcliff and Edgar). Her decision to marry Edgar
Linton over Heathcliff has been seen as a surrender to culture, and has
implications for all the characters of Wuthering Heights. The character of
Catherine has been analysed by many forms of literary criticism, including:
psychoanalytic and feminist.
 Edgar Linton: Introduced as a child of the Linton family, who reside at
Thrushcross Grange, Edgar's life and mannerisms are immediately contrasted
with those of Heathcliff and Catherine, and indeed the former dislikes him. Yet,
owing much to his status, Catherine marries him and not Heathcliff. This
decision, and the differences between Edgar and Heathcliff, have been read into
by feminist criticisms.
 Nelly Dean: The second and primary narrator of the novel, Nelly has been a
servant of each generation of both the Earnshaw and Linton families. She is
presented as a character who straddles the idea of a 'culture versus nature' divide
in the novel: she is a local of the area and a servant, and has experienced life at
Wuthering Heights. However, she is also an educated woman and has lived at
Thrushcross Grange. This idea is represented in her having two names, Ellen—
her given name and used to show respect, and Nelly—used by her familiars.
Whether Nelly is an unbiased narrator and how far her actions, as an apparent
bystander, affect the other characters are two points of her character discussed by
critics.[4]
 Isabella Linton: Introduced as part of the Linton family, Isabella is only ever
shown in relation to other characters. She views Heathcliff as a romantic hero,
despite Catherine's warning her against such a view, and becomes an unwitting
participant in his plot for revenge. After being married to Heathcliff and abused at
Wuthering Heights, she escapes to London and gives birth to Linton. Such
abusive treatment has led many, especially feminist critics, to consider Isabella
the true/conventional 'tragic romantic' figure of Wuthering Heights.
 Hindley Earnshaw: Catherine's brother who marries Frances, an unknown woman
to the family, and only reveals this when Mr. Earnshaw dies. He spirals into
destructive behaviour after her death and ruins the Earnshaw family with his
drinking and gambling.
 Hareton Earnshaw: The son of Hindley and Frances, initially raised by Nelly but
passed over to in effect Joseph and Heathcliff. The former works to instill a sense
of pride in Earnshaw heritage, even though Hareton has no right to the property
associated with it. The latter strives to teach him all sorts of vulgarities as a way
of avenging himself on Hareton's father, Hindley. Hareton speaks with a similar
accent to Joseph and works as a servant in Wuthering Heights, unaware of his true
rights. His appearance regularly reminds Heathcliff of Catherine.
 Catherine Linton: The daughter of Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton, she is a
spirited girl, though unaware of her parents' history. Edgar is very protective of
her and as a result she is constantly looking beyond the confines of the Grange.
  Linton Heathcliff: The son of Heathcliff and Isabella, he is a very weak child and
his character resembles Heathcliff's, though without its only redeeming feature:
love. He marries Catherine, but only under the direction of his father, whom he
discovers only as he enters his teens.
 Joseph: A servant at Wuthering Heights who is a devout Christian. He speaks
with an almost unintelligible accent, though Bronte has been often commended on
her very accurate transcription of it.
 Lockwood: The narrator of the book, he comes to rent Thrushcross Grange from
Heathcliff to escape society but finally decides he prefers company rather than
end up as Heathcliff.
 Frances: A generally amiable character, her marriage to Hindley is unrevealed
until Mr Earnshaw dies.
 Kenneth: A doctor in the nearby village of Gimmerton.
 Zillah: A servant to Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights in the time after Catherine's
death.

[edit] Relationships map

Key:

 black line: son or daughter of; if dotted it means adoption

 red line: wedding; if double it means second wedding
 pink line: love
 azure line: affection
 green line: hate
 light yellow area: active heroes
 violet area: external observers

[edit] Timeline
1500: The stone above the front door of Wuthering Heights, bearing the name of Mr
 Earnshaw, is inscribed, possibly to mark the completion of the house.
1757: Hindley Earnshaw born (summer); Nelly Dean born
1762: Edgar Linton born
1765: Catherine Earnshaw born (summer); Isabella Linton born (late 1765)
1771: Heathcliff brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr Earnshaw (late summer)
1773: Mrs Earnshaw dies (spring)
1774: Hindley sent off to college
Hindley marries Frances; Mr Earnshaw dies and Hindley comes back (October);
Heathcliff and Catherine visit Thrushcross Grange for the first time; Catherine
1777:
remains behind (November), and then returns to Wuthering Heights (Christmas
Eve)
1778: Hareton born (June); Frances dies
1780: Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights; Mr and Mrs Linton both die
1783: Catherine has married Edgar (March); Heathcliff comes back (September)
Heathcliff marries Isabella (February); Catherine dies and Cathy born (20 March);
1784:
Hindley dies; Linton born (September)
Isabella dies; Cathy visits Wuthering Heights and meets Hareton; Linton brought to
1797:
Thrushcross Grange and then taken to Wuthering Heights
1800: Cathy meets Heathcliff and sees Linton again (20 March)
Cathy and Linton are married (August); Edgar dies (August); Linton dies
1801: (September); Mr Lockwood goes to Thrushcross Grange and visits Wuthering
Heights, beginning his narrative
Mr Lockwood goes back to London (January); Heathcliff dies (April); Mr
1802:
Lockwood comes back to Thrushcross Grange (September)
1803: Cathy plans to marry Hareton (1 January)

[edit] Development history

There are several theories as to which building was the inspiration for Wuthering
Heights. One is Top Withens, a ruined farmhouse, that is located in a isolated area near
the Haworth Parsonage. Yet, its structure does not match that of the farmhouse described
in the novel, and is therefore considered less likely to be the model.[5] Top Withens was
first suggested as the model for the fictitious farmhouse by Ellen Nussey, a friend of
Charlotte Brontë's, to Edward Morison Wimperis, a commissioned artist for the Brontë
sisters' novels in 1872.[6]

The second option is the now demolished High Sunderland Hall, near Halifax, West
Yorkshire.[5] This Gothic edifice is located near Law Hill, and was where Emily worked
briefly as a governess in 1838. While very grand for the farmhouse of Wuthering
Heights, the hall had grotesque embellishments of griffins and misshapen nude men
similar to those described by Lockwood of Wuthering Heights in chapter one of the
novel:
 "Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of grotesque carving
lavished over the front, and especially about the principal door, above which,
among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless little boys, I detected the
date '1500'".

The inspiration for Thrushcross Grange has been traditionally connected to Ponden Hall,
near Haworth, although very small. More likely is Shibden Hall, near Halifax.[7][8]

[edit] Critical response

[edit] Early reviews

Early reviews of Wuthering Heights were mixed in their assessment. Whilst most critics
recognised the power and imagination of the novel, many found the story unlikeable and
ambiguous.[note 1] Released in 1847, at a time when the background of the author was
deemed to have an important impact on the story itself, many critics were also intrigued
by the authorship of the novels.[note 2] H. F. Chorley of the Athenaeum said that it was a
"disagreeable story" and that the 'Bells' (Brontës) "seem to affect painful and exceptional
subjects". The Atlas review called it a "strange, inartistic story", but commented that
every chapter seems to contain a "sort of rugged power". It supported the second point
made in the Athenaeum, suggesting that the general effect of the novel was "inexpressibly
painful", but adding that all of its subjects were either "utterly hateful or thoroughly
contemptible".

The Douglas Jerrold's Weekly Newspaper critique was more positive, emphasizing the
"great power" of the novel and its provocative qualities; it said that it was a "strange sort
of book—baffling all regular criticism" and that "[it is] impossible to lay it aside
afterwards and say nothing about it". Although the Examiner agreed on the strangeness, it
saw the book as "wild, confused; disjointed and improbable". The Britannia review
mirrored those comments made on the unpleasant characters, arguing that it would have
been a "far better romance" if the characters were not "nearly as violent and destructive
as [Heathcliff]". The unidentified review was less critical, considering it a "work of great
ability" and that "it is not every day that so good a novel makes its appearance".

[edit] References in culture

Main article: List of Wuthering Heights references

[edit] Adaptations
Main article: List of Wuthering Heights adaptations

The earliest known film adaptation of Wuthering Heights was filmed in England and
directed by A. V. Bramble. It is unknown if any prints still exist.[9] The most famous was
1939's Wuthering Heights, starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon and directed by
William Wyler. This adaptation, like many others, eliminated the second generation's
story (young Cathy, Linton and Hareton). It won the 1939 New York Film Critics Circle
Award for Best Film and was nominated for the 1939 Academy Award for Best Picture.

The 1970 film with Timothy Dalton as Heathcliff is notable for emphasizing that
Heathcliff may be Cathy's illegitimate half-brother. This is the first colour version of the
novel, and gained acceptance over the years though it was initially poorly received. The
character of Hindley is portrayed much more sympathetically, and his story-arc is altered.
The 1992 film Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette
Binoche is notable for including the oft-omitted second generation story of the children
of Cathy, Hindley , and Heathcliff.

Adaptations which reset the story in a new setting include the 1954 adaptation by Spanish
filmmaker Luis Buñuel set in Catholic Mexico, with Heathcliff and Cathy renamed
Alejandro and Catalina, and Yoshishige Yoshida's 1988 adaptation which set the story in
Tokugawa period Japan. In 2003, MTV produced a poorly reviewed version set in a
modern California with the characters as high school students.

The novel has been popular in opera and theatre, including operas written by Bernard
Herrmann, Carlisle Floyd and Frédéric Chaslin (most of which like many films cover
only the first half of the book) and a musical by Bernard J. Taylor, as well as a song by
Kate Bush.

In autumn of 2008, Mark Ryan launched a dramatic musical adaptation of the novel,
narrated by Beowulf and Sexy Beast star Ray Winstone. He composed, sang and
produced the tracks with Robb Vallier who also worked on Spamalot. He also directed
the video for the song "Women" filmed especially for the website and featuring Jennifer
Korbee, Jessica Keenan Wynn and Katie Boeck.

In August 2009 ITV aired a two part drama series starring Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley,
Sarah Lancashire, and Andrew Lincoln.[10]

Announced in April 2008, Natalie Portman was originally set to star as Cathy in a new
film adaptation of the novel, but she left the project in May.[11][12] In May 2008, director
John Maybury cast Michael Fassbender as Heathcliff and Abbie Cornish as Cathy.[13][14]
They later left the project and in May 2009, Peter Webber was announced as the director,
with Ed Westwick and Gemma Arterton attached to play Heathcliff and Cathy
respectively.[15] However, the project did not get off the ground and Andrea Arnold
signed on to direct in January 2010.[16] Kaya Scodelario was then cast as Cathy, with the
filmmakers searching for an unknown young Yorkshire actor to play Heathcliff.[17][18]

[edit] Notes
1. ^ Emily Brontë saved sections of five reviews of the 1847 version of Wuthering
Heights, of which four have been identified as having appeared in the January
 1848 numbers of the Atlas, Douglas Jerrold's Weekly Newspaper, the Examiner,
and the Britannia. The fifth has neither a date nor source.
2. ^ Wuthering Heights was released alongside Agnes Grey under the pseudonyms
"Acton and Ellis Bell" (Anne and Emily respectively). Wuthering Heights
comprised the first two parts of the volume, and Agnes Grey the third: "The third
volume of the book is made up of a separate tale relating to the fortunes of a
governess." (Britannia (1848))

1. ^ "Excerpts from Contemporary Reviews". Academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu. 2009-

03-04.
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering/contemp
_rev.html. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
2. ^ "''Wuthering Heights'': Publication & Contemporary Critical Reception".
Academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu. 2009-03-04.
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering/charlotte.
html. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
3. ^ "Later Critical Response to Wuthering Heights". Academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu.
2009-03-04.
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering/critics.ht
ml. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
4. ^ Hafley, James (1958) (PDF). The Villain in Wuthering Heights. p. 17.
http://livingston.schoolwires.com/139620929192030233/lib/13962092919203023
3/_files/Ellen_Dean_as_villain.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
5. ^ a b Paul Thompson (June 2009). "Wuthering Heights: the home of the
Earnshaws". http://www.wuthering-
heights.co.uk/locations/wutheringheights.htm#inspirations. Retrieved 11 October
2009.
6. ^ Paul Thompson (June 2009). "The inspiration for the Wuthering Height's
farmhouse?". http://www.wuthering-heights.co.uk/locations/topwithens.htm.
Retrieved 11 October 2009.
7. ^ Robert Barnard (2000) Emily Brontë
8. ^ Ian Jack (1995) Explanatory Notes in Oxford World's Classics edition of
Wuthering Heights
9. ^ Wuthering Heights (1920) at the Internet Movie Database
10. ^ Wuthering Heights (2009(TV)) at the Internet Movie Database
11. ^ Hayes, Dade (10 April 2008). "Portman set for 'Wuthering Heights'". Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983873.html?categoryid=13&cs=1.
Retrieved 4 April 2010.
12. ^ Jaafar, Ali (9 May 2008). "Natalie Portman exits 'Wuthering'". Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985391.html?
categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
13. ^ Jaafar, Ali (15 May 2008). "Michael Fassbender joins 'Heights'". Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985739.html?
categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
 14. ^ Jaafar, Ali (19 August 2008). "Fassbender in talks for 'Bastards'". Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990808.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1.
Retrieved 4 April 2010.
15. ^ Jaafar, Ali (14 May 2009). "Cast taken to new 'Heights'". Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003630.html?categoryid=13&cs=1.
Retrieved 17 January 2010.
16. ^ Jaafar, Ali (19 January 2010). "Arnold reaches 'Heights'". Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014003.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1.
Retrieved 4 April 2010.
17. ^ Reynolds, Simon (4 April 2010). "Scodelario is 'Wuthering Heights's Cathy".
Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a212426/scodelario-is-
wuthering-heightss-cathy.html. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
18. ^ "Wuthering Heights film makers search for unknown Yorkshire actors".
Gazette and Herald. 8 April 2010.
http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/7991090.Wuthering_Heights_film_makers_
search_for_unknown_Yorkshire_actors/. Retrieved 8 April 2010.

[edit] References
 This article incorporates public domain text from  : Cousin, John William (1910).
A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J. M. Dent &
Sons; New York, E. P. Dutton.
 'Law of the Moors' essay

[edit] External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Wuthering Heights
 Now in the public domain, Wuthering Heights can be downloaded and read online
from a number of sites, of which the following is just a selection:
o Wuthering Heights at Project Gutenberg .
o Wuthering Heights, online text with PDF version.
o Wuthering Heights at GirleBooks free downloads in PDF, PDB and LIT
formats.
 Reader's Guide to Wuthering Heights
 Wuthering Heights voted UK's favourite love story, Guardian
 Map of Locations associated with Wuthering Heights and Emily Brontë
 MP3 audiobook from LibriVox
 A musical interpretation of the closing sentences of "Wuthering Heights." From
the 1990 concept album “Tyger and Other Tales”

[show]
v • d • e
Brontë sisters
 [show]
v • d • e
Emily Brontë 's Wuthering
Heights

Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)

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Heathcliff

Created by Emily Bronte

Information

Spouse(s) Isabella Linton (wife)

Children Linton Heathcliff (son)

Relatives Hindley Earnshaw(foster brother)

Catherine Earnshaw(foster sister and the one
whom he loved)

Heathcliff is a fictional character in the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

Owing to the novel's enduring fame and popularity, he is often regarded as an archetype
of the tortured Romantic Byronic hero whose all-consuming passions destroy both
himself and those around him. Heathcliff can also be viewed as a reflection and product
of his psychological past: the abuse, neglect and scorn of those with whom he grows up
render him abusive, neglectful and scornful.

Legend has stereotyped him somewhat into a romantic hero, and he is generally known
more for his love for Catherine Earnshaw than his final years of vengeance in the second
half of the novel, in which he grows into a bitter, haunted man (although there are also a
number of incidents in Heathcliff's early life that show that he was an angry and
sometimes malicious individual from the beginning; again, these tend to be glossed over
in the popular imagination). His complicated, mesmerising and altogether bizarre nature
makes him a rare character, with components of both the hero and villain.

Contents
[hide]
 1 Character
 2 Portrayals
 3 Popular culture
 4 References

 5 Notes

[edit] Character
Heathcliff is named after a dead child of his adopted father, Mr Earnshaw, and is known
only by that single name. He is characterized as passionate, dark, brooding and
vindictive. He is largely defined by his all-consuming but thwarted love for Catherine
Earnshaw, his equally passionate foster sister. Much of the novel's narrative concerns
both their doomed romance and Heathcliff's vengeful reaction to Catherine's betrayal
when she marries his rival, Edgar Linton, best evinced in the following passage:

You teach me now how cruel you've been — cruel and false!! Why did you despise me?
Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy? I have not one word of comfort. You deserve
this. You have killed yourself. Yes, you may kiss me, and cry; and wring out my kisses
and tears: they'll blight you — they'll damn you. You loved me — then what right had
you to leave me? What right — answer me — for the poor fancy you felt for Linton?
Because misery, and degradation, and death, and nothing God or Satan could inflict
would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart — you
have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.[1] So much the worse for me,
that I am strong. Do I want to live? What kind of living will it be when you——oh, God!
would you like to live with your soul in the grave?[2]

A dark-skinned foundling discovered on the streets of Liverpool and raised by the

Earnshaw family of Wuthering Heights in Yorkshire, Heathcliff's past and early
childhood before his adoption are not explored by Brontë. In keeping with the
supernatural themes present in the novel, it is speculated that Heathcliff might be a
demon or a hellish soul. His appearance would be faithfully interpreted as resembling a
Roma, or gypsy. He becomes a gentleman "in dress and aspect." Mrs. Linton of
Thrushcross Grange states that he could be a "little Lascar or American castaway."

A silent and at first solitary child, Heathcliff is initially resented by both Catherine
Earnshaw and her elder brother, Hindley; whilst Catherine later befriends and loves
Heathcliff, Hindley continues to resent him, seeing him as an interloper who has stolen
his father's affection. Upon Mr. Earnshaw's death and his inheritance of the estate, the
spiteful Hindley proceeds to treat Heathcliff as little more than a servant boy and makes
him work the fields, which creates Heathcliff's lifelong anger and resentment. Catherine,
however, remains close to her foster brother.

As she matures into her young teens, however, Catherine grows close to Edgar Linton, a
timid and well-bred young man of the neighbouring estate, Thrushcross Grange, and
accepts his proposal of marriage; but she insists that her true and only love is Heathcliff.
She claims that she cannot marry him because it "would degrade her" and that the two
would be beggars were such a union to take place. Nevertheless, she also declares her
passion for him in such ways as "whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the
same," and the famous quote "I am Heathcliff." Aware only of Catherine's decision to
marry Edgar, rather than her proclamation of true love for him, a bitter Heathcliff leaves
Wuthering Heights upon overhearing her saying that it would degrade her and while
away, by means unknown, makes his fortune.

Nelly Dean describes him as "athletic" when he returns, and that his "upright carriage
suggested his being in the army." No other hints are given about where Heathcliff was
and how he made his fortune over the course of his three-year absence. On returning, he
is ruthlessly determined to destroy those who degraded him and prevented him from
being with Catherine, cementing his status as an anti-, rather than a romantic, hero. Not
only does he swindle Hindley, who has fallen into crapulence and gambling after the
death of his wife Frances, out of his ownership of Wuthering Heights; he heartlessly
takes advantage of Edgar Linton's sister Isabella and marries her, before treating her in a
cruel and contemptuous fashion. Although he tells Catherine that he despises Isabella and
would "cut (his own) throat" if he imagined Catherine wanted him to marry Edgar's
younger sister, his and Isabella's marriage promises to result in his inheriting Thrushcross
Grange on Linton's death. This can only be achieved, however, by Heathcliff's forcing his
and Isabella's son Linton into marriage with Catherine's daughter, who is also named
Cathy.

After Catherine Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff's vindictive cruelty intensifies, aimed at

destroying not only his enemies but also their heirs — Hareton, son of Hindley and
Frances Earnshaw, and Catherine, daughter of Edgar Linton and Catherine the elder. He
forces his sickly son, Linton, who entirely resembles his mother Isabella, into marriage
with Catherine Linton, daughter of Cathy and Edgar, in a bid to gain control of
Thrushcross Grange. Shortly after the two are married in their nearly loveless match, the
insipid Linton dies, hardly a surprise to either his father or his widow. Heathcliff treats
Catherine with relative mercy, turning her into a cold, distant creature, far removed from
the bright, lively girl she used to be. Hareton and Catherine eventually fall in love,
however, and their relationship in some ways mirrors and in others opposes that between
Heathcliff and the elder Catherine. Their union breaks the cycle of hatred at Wuthering
Heights, and Heathcliff no longer cares to continue his vendetta. Hareton, resembling his
aunt Catherine Earnshaw much in looks, creates a sense of uneasiness for Heathcliff:
Brontë often implies that he has a secret regard for Hareton, and that Hareton sees
Heathcliff as his true father. The novel ends with the death of Heathcliff, who has
become a broken, tormented man, haunted by the ghost of the elder Catherine, next to
whom he demands to be buried. His corpse is initially found by Nelly Dean, who,
peeping into his room, spots him. Heathcliff grows restless towards the very end of the
novel and stops eating. Nelly Dean does not believe that he had the intention to commit
suicide, but that his starvation may have been the cause of his death. He wanted to be
with Cathy in eternal life.

laid on his back. His eyes met mine so keen and fierce, I started; and then he seemed to
smile. I could not think him dead: but his face and throat were washed with rain; the bed-
clothes dripped, and he was perfectly still. The lattice, flapping to and fro, had grazed one
hand that rested on the sill; no blood trickled from the broken skin, and when I put my
fingers to it, I could doubt no more: he was dead and stark!

The implication is that Catherine, having earlier haunted Mr Lockwood at his window,
has made a similar visitation on Heathcliff, bearing him away with her so that they may
be together beyond the grave, which has long been Heathcliff's aspiration. Nelly relates
his revealing admission:

"I got the sexton, who was digging Linton's grave, to remove the earth off her coffin lid,
and I opened it. I thought, once, I would have stayed there, when I saw her face again —
it is hers yet — he had hard work to stir me; but he said it would change, if the air blew
on it, and so I struck one side of the coffin loose, and covered it up — not Linton's side,
damn him! I wish he'd been soldered in lead — and I bribed the sexton to pull it away,
when I'm laid there, and slide mine out too. I'll have it made so, and then, by the time
Linton gets to us, he'll not know which is which!"

"You were very wicked, Mr Heathcliff!" I exclaimed; "were you not ashamed to disturb
the dead?"

At the very close of the novel, a servant boy tells Nelly that he has seen the ghosts of
Heathcliff and Catherine walking the moors together, although Nelly and Lockwood both
insist that they must be treated as if their souls were at peace. The novel closes with
Lockwood wandering past their graves and wondering "how any one could ever imagine
unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth."[3]

As Charlotte Brontë, Emily's older sister, wrote, "Heathcliff, in deed, stands

unredeemed", which adds to the uncertainty over whether he not only repented for his
sins but was actually a real human being after all; since Lockwood's vision of Catherine
at the window was preceded by a dream of a fire-and-brimstone sermon in a church, it is
possible that both Heathcliff and Catherine are damned; Catherine herself expresses
doubt as to whether she could ever be admitted into Heaven. The uncertain fate of
Heathcliff's soul, combined with the mystery that Heathcliff's character leaves behind,
ends the novel in a mesmerizing, eerie way, justifying Heathcliff's enduring status as an
iconic anti-hero of literature.

[edit] Portrayals
Laurence Olivier's Oscar-nominated role as Heathcliff is the most popular of all of the
attempts at portraying this intriguing, dangerous figure. Nevertheless, that 1939 film only
covers half of the story, succeeding in making Heathcliff out to be a romantic hero and
failing to deliver the whole story of the character's merciless vengeance following
Catherine's death.

Timothy Dalton starred as Heathcliff in a 1970 movie, which, like the '39 version, only
covered the first generation of characters, and completely leaving Hareton, Cathy, and
Linton's story untold. A 1978 TV miniseries did succeed in telling the entire story, and
starred Ken Hutchinson in the role of Heathcliff.

Michael Penn's 1988 song "No Myth" appears to reference Heathcliff, stating, "What if I
was Heathcliff, it's no myth." Although not conclusive, the immediately preceding line,
"What if I were Romeo in black jeans," lends credence to this interpretation.

Ralph Fiennes's portrayal of Heathcliff, in 1992's Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights,

marked the second film adaption to attempt to involve Hareton and Cathy in the story as
well. The first was the 1919 silent film now believed to be lost. ITV's 1998 TV drama,
which had Robert Cavanah in the starring role, also told the full story.

In 1997 Cliff Richard played Heathcliff in a stage musical. Focusing mainly on the life of
Heathcliff and his quest to win Cathy, Helen Hobson, and his life after her death. Music
is by John Farrar and lyrics are by Sir Tim Rice. Cliff Richard released the movie
Heathcliff in 1997 and it was such a success that he brought it to the Birmingham stage in
1998. 2006 saw reports that Johnny Depp would be attached to star as Heathcliff in a new
film adaption (Angelina Jolie was rumoured to play Cathy and Sean Connery as Joseph),
but the news quickly died down.[citation needed]

In 2010, director Andrea Arnold began production on a new adaptation starring unknown
actors in the main roles.[4]

Masterpiece Theatre presented a 2009 two-part series of Wuthering Heights starring

English actor Tom Hardy as Heathcliff. In this version, the second-generation characters
play a key role, and the telling of the story begins and ends with them.

[edit] Popular culture

The late Australian actor Heath Ledger and his sister were named after Heathcliff and
Catherine Earnshaw.[5]

In July 2008 then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown compared himself to the
character, saying he was "Maybe an older Heathcliff, a wiser Heathcliff."[6] The
comparison was mocked by some,[7] Andrew McCarthy, acting director of the Brontë
Parsonage Museum, said that "Heathcliff is a man prone to domestic violence,
kidnapping, possible murder and digging up his dead lover. He is moody and unkind to
animals. Is this really a good role model for the prime minister?".[8]
[edit] References
1. ^ These words echo eerily sentiments expressed by Catherine five chapters
earlier: "Well, if I cannot keep Heathcliff for my friend — if Edgar will be mean
and jealous, I'll try to break their hearts by breaking my own. That will be a
prompt way of finishing all, when I am pushed to extremity!" The trope of the
broken heart is utilised again in her famous "I am Heathcliff" speech: "Heaven did
not seem to be my home; and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to
earth; and the angels were so angry that they flung me out into the middle of the
heath on the top of Wuthering Heights; where I woke sobbing for joy."
2. ^ "I want you to be aware," he breaks out, less famously, on another occasion,
"that I KNOW you have treated me infernally - infernally! Do you hear? And if
you flatter yourself that I don't perceive it, you are a fool; and if you think I can be
consoled by sweet words, you are an idiot: and if you fancy I'll suffer unrevenged,
I'll convince you of the contrary, in a very little while! Meantime, thank you for
telling me your sister-in-law's secret [love for him]: I swear I'll make the most of
it. And stand you aside!"
3. ^ Brontë 1998, p. 300.
4. ^ "Gemma won't be in Wuthering Heights". MSN. 26 February 2010.
http://movies.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=152337777.
Retrieved 12 March 2010.
5. ^ http://www.fanunity.com/ledger/
6. ^ "I'm an older Heathcliff, says PM". BBC News. 10 July 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7497903.stm. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
7. ^ Baldwin, Katherine (10 July 2008). "Brown courts ridicule with Heathcliff
comparison". Reuters. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKADD05232420080710.
Retrieved 4 August 2010.
8. ^ "Does Gordon Brown remind you of Heathcliff?". The Guardian. 10 July 2008.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/10/gordonbrown. Retrieved 4
August 2010.

 Brontë, Emily: Wuthering Heights (Oxford World's Classics, 1998).

[edit] Notes