Wuthering Heights

by Emily Bronte

Wuthering heights essay questions.

Analyze the relationship between Lockwood and Heathcliff.

Heathcliff is Lockwood's first introduction to the passionate, terrifying world of Wuthering Heights. Early in the novel, Lockwood frequently confuses himself and Heathcliff. At one point, he backtracks on his description of Heathcliff because he “bestow[s] [his] own attributes too readily on him” (5-6). However, Heathcliff's rudeness to Cathy Linton and his servants, along with Ellen's narrative, eventually convince Lockwood to despise Heathcliff like most of the other characters. Nevertheless, the identification between the two characters remains important because it cements Heathcliff's status as one of the novel's protagonists (in the sense that the narrative sometimes seems to favor his perspective).

Interpret the novel’s dream sequences. Why are they important?

Dreams in Wuthering Heights foreshadow future events, but they also reveal important information about the characters' current situations. For example, Lockwood's nightmare about Cathy Linton trying to get into Wuthering Heights foreshadows the young girl's eventual reconciliation with the place, via her relationship with Hareton (although this reconciliation comes only after many months of misery, which may be represented by the wounds she gets from the broken glass). However, her fearsome apparition in the dream also reflects her current psychic desperation. Similarly, Catherine's early dream of choosing the moors over heaven foreshadows her eventual burial (and the importance her buried corpse will have for Heathcliff) but also her current preference for worldly pleasure over future happiness.

What is the significance of the frame story?

Wuthering Heights is narrated through many layers of mediation. Not only does Ellen Dean narrate most of the story to Lockwood, but occasionally Ellen herself was not present at important events, and only hears about them secondhand––so we hear what happens through two layers of narration. Examples of this include Cathy's explanation of her correspondence with Linton and Cathy's narration of her first visit to Wuthering Heights. The fact that the story is so potent despite these multiple layers of mediation speaks to the extraordinary power of love and emotion in this isolated society.

Analyze the story’s setting. What role does it play in Wuthering Heights ?

The natural world of the moors is not merely a setting––it also sets the mood of the novel and exerts a noticeable influence on the characters' choices and personalities. The frequently inhospitable weather establishes the conflict between humanity and nature that becomes an important theme; the frequent blizzards and thunderstorms ensure that the characters constantly struggle for survival against the elements. Moreover, the characters at Wuthering Heights are frequently characterized as 'wild,' which suggests that their dramatic natural surroundings have somehow seeped into the personalities.

Discuss Emily Brontë’s portrayal of religion in the novel.

There are distinctly Gothic elements to Brontë's portrayal of Christianity in Wuthering Heights . A riot in a church figures prominently in Lockwood's nightmare in Chapter 3, and Joseph's proselytizing eventually takes on a sinister element as it becomes clear that he is just as cruel and self-centered as any other character in the novel. Only Ellen seems to take Christianity seriously, reminding Heathcliff to make his peace with God when it becomes clear that he is dying. However, Heathcliff ultimately rejects this solace. For the Earnshaws and the Lintons, religion is a weak force that is largely irrelevant to their lives outside the strictures of society.

When Wuthering Heights was first released, many readers were shocked by its graphic, violent imagery. Why might the violence be important to the story?

It is important to note that Wuthering Heights features not only extensive physical violence, but also extreme emotional cruelty. These elements serve to demonstrate the potential of the human spirit to be debased by its conditions; although Heathcliff is able to love Catherine in his early life, the compassion and gentleness is slowly drained from him because of his abuse by Hindley. Violence, then, is set up as a counterpoint to love, and as Cathy and Hareton demonstrate at the end of the novel, love is the only thing that can redeem their world from the horrific violence that fills it.

Discuss the relationship between gender and power in Wuthering Heights .

Brontë seems to delight in confusing gender roles. Catherine Earnshaw roams free on the moors and works with Heathcliff in the fields, conduct that would have been considered highly unbecoming for a lady at this time, even in rural Yorkshire. In contrast, Linton is characterized as "delicate [and] effeminate" (200). It seems that transcending gender boundaries allows characters to become more powerful; Linton uses his weak health to manipulate others, and Isabella realizes that wielding a knife could give her the means to escape her unhappy marriage.

Discuss the role of books and literacy in Hareton and Cathy Linton’s relationship.

From its earliest stages, Hareton and Cathy Linton's relationship is colored by the fact that she can read and he cannot. She drives him away by teasing him about his inability to read, and her decision to teach him to read is what eventually resolves their differences and allows them to love one another. Cathy's reading lessons can also be seen as rehabilitating Hareton after his unhappy childhood with Heathcliff, who purposely prevented him from learning to read in hopes of getting revenge on Hareton's father, Hindley.

What is Heathcliff’s role in the story? Is he a protagonist or an antagonist?

Heathcliff can be considered both a protagonist and an antagonist. He is a protagonist in the sense that the novel is structured around his life––Ellen's narrative begins when Earnshaw brings Heathcliff home from Liverpool, and it ends at Heathcliff's death, suggesting that he was the main character all along. Likewise, Heathcliff is the main person to pique Lockwood's curiosity when he first visits Wuthering Heights. However, Heathcliff can also be considered an antagonist in that he actively works to undermine many of the novel's more likeable characters, including Edgar, Hareton, and Cathy Linton. Moreover, the novel is never related from his perspective; for the most part, the narrator Ellen can only speculate on his thoughts and feelings.

Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, Linton, and Cathy Linton all tend to dwell on their personal ‘heavens.’ What might the significance of this be?

Heaven is an important concept for each of these characters, and their idea of a perfect world reveals their true personalities. Catherine admits that she would rather be on the moors than in heaven, and Heathcliff rejects the idea of a traditional heaven in favor of his remains mingling with Catherine's beneath the earth. The similarities between their ideas of heaven reveal the compatibility of their personalities, and also their tendency to locate themselves in opposition to conventional society. Linton and Cathy Linton both consider heaven to be a beautiful day outdoors, but the differences between their fantasies––Linton wants to lie in the grass, while Cathy would prefer to climb trees––reveal the fundamental differences in their respective characters.

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Wuthering Heights Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Wuthering Heights is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why does Cathy have a hybrid character in Wuthering heights?

Cathy is a hybrid, embodying the virtues of both households, genuinely caring for the sick, but also capable of exercising her own will and judgement and going out onto the moors unsupervised.

Catherine Earnshaw is Mr. Earnshaw's daughter and Hindley's sister. She is also Heathcliff's foster sister and love interest. She marries Edgar Linton and has a daughter, also named Catherine. Catherine is beautiful and charming, but she is never...

Spending the night at Wuthering Heights, Lockwood... Select one: a. has to be rescued from the dogs by Zillah the housekeeper. b. sleeps in Catherine Earnshaw’s room and reads her journal. c. sees a ghostly apparition and refuses its plea to “let me in!”

I would say "E". Lockwood experiences a nightmare that feels like an apparition.

Study Guide for Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights study guide contains a biography of Emily Bronte, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

  • About Wuthering Heights
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  • Wuthering Heights Video
  • Character List

Essays for Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

  • Heathcliff's Obsessions
  • The Setting in Wuthering Heights
  • Mirrors, Windows, and Glass in Wuthering Heights
  • The Problem of Split Personalities in Wuthering Heights
  • The Main Characters in Wuthering Heights and Their Resemblance To Children

Lesson Plan for Wuthering Heights

  • About the Author
  • Study Objectives
  • Common Core Standards
  • Introduction to Wuthering Heights
  • Relationship to Other Books
  • Bringing in Technology
  • Notes to the Teacher
  • Related Links
  • Wuthering Heights Bibliography

E-Text of Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights e-text contains the full text of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

  • Chapters 1-5
  • Chapters 6-10
  • Chapters 11-15
  • Chapters 16-20
  • Chapters 21-25

Wikipedia Entries for Wuthering Heights

  • Introduction
  • Publication history
  • Critical response

essay questions about wuthering heights

'Wuthering Heights' Questions for Study and Discussion

Emily Bronte's Famous & Controversial Novel

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  • M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento
  • B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento

Wuthering Heights is one of the greatest works by Emily Bronte. Here are a few questions for study and discussion.

Questions for Study and Discussion

  • What is important about the title?
  • What are the conflicts in Wuthering Heights ?
  • How does Emily Bronte reveal character in Wuthering Heights ?
  • What are some themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
  • What are some symbols in​ Wuthering Heights ? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
  • Are the characters consistent in their actions? Which of the characters are fully developed? How? Why?
  • Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters persons you would want to meet?
  • Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why?
  • What is the central/primary purpose of the story? Is the purpose important or meaningful?
  • How does the novel relate to feminist literature?
  • How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?
  • What is the role of women in Wuthering Heights ? How are mothers represented? What about single/independent women?
  • What elements of the story, plot, characterization, etc. are the most controversial? Why do you think the book was banned? Do you believe the book should remain banned?
  • This novel has been compared to the Twilight series. Do you agree? Why? Why not?
  • Compare "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner, with this novel. How do the characters cope with rejection?
  • Would you recommend this novel to a friend?
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65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best wuthering heights topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 good research topics about wuthering heights, ⭐ simple & easy wuthering heights essay titles, ❓ research questions about wuthering heights.

  • Gothic Masculinity in the Wuthering Heights Masculinity may explain the character of the forceful male or the threatening female who bears the forces of a man. Cottom explains that the Gothic uses “manipulation of the thoughts, and images to the figure […]
  • The Power of Gaze in Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” The passage selected for close reading refers to the narrator’s depiction of the time he met a young lady and did not dare speak to her despite being attracted to the girl.
  • Heathcliff in “Wuthering Heights” Novel by Emilia Bronte The place of residence of the neighbor and the man himself made a mixed impression on the guest. A gentleman in dress and manner, Heathcliff was more like a gypsy with “black eyes”, and the […]
  • Women’s Bodies in Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” With the help of her mistress who tried to raise Catherine’s self-respect “with fine clothes and flattery,” the character changed her manner of dressing.
  • The Different Types of Love Shown in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Male-Female Relationships and the Mores and Values of Victorian Society in “Wuthering Heights” and “Great Expectations”
  • Central Images and Characters Featured in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” and the Art of Characterization
  • Feelings Surrounding the Need for Forgiveness in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”: A Great Romantic Novel
  • Reading “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte Through Psychoanalysis Theory
  • Relationship Between “Persuasion” by Jane Austen and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte: The Destructiveness of a Love That Never Changes
  • Narcissism Within “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Challenging the Status Quo: Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Gothic and Romantic Themes in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Passion, Love, and Betrayal in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Bonds That Are Unbreakable in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • The Main Features of the “Wuthering Heights” and “The Woman in Black”
  • Different Narrative Voices: “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Positive and Negative Influences in “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens, “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo, and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Narrative Structure and Gothic Elements in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Social Class and Its Effect on Love: “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff’s Relationship in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Emily Bronte’s Writing Technique in “Wuthering Heights”
  • Individuality: Imagined and Defined in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte and “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley
  • Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
  • Catherine and Heathcliff’s Passion in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Role of Education in “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Change Causing Conflict-Comparative of “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte and “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
  • The Conflict Between Romantic and Victorian Values in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Emily Bronte’s Life and Its Mirror Image in “Wuthering Heights”
  • Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” and Shelly’s “Frankenstein”: A Comparison of Gothic Stories
  • Emily Bronte and Gender Issues in “Wuthering Heights”
  • Love, Class, and Consequence in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • The Natural World Is Used Symbolically by Thomas Hardy and Emily Bronte in “The Return of the Native” and “Wuthering Heights”
  • Remembrance Compared and Contacted in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • The Different Styles of Writing of the Time in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte: How the Book Relates to the Time of European History
  • Comparing and Contrast Darcy and Heathcliff of “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Love and Revenge Themes in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
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  • Revenge and Love Theme in “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
  • Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”: Apollonian and Daemonic Influences
  • How Does Bronte Shape the Reader’s Response to “Wuthering Heights”?
  • What Do You Think of the Statement That “Wuthering Heights” Is “Truly a Novel Without a Hero or Heroine”?
  • How Does Bronte Use Language in “Wuthering Heights” and What Does She Show?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Present the Character Isabella in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • Does Heathcliff From “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte Deserve the Reader’s Sympathy?
  • What Is the Message of “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte?
  • Is Heathcliff a Hero or Villain? What Do You Think About This Character of “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Bronte Create Atmosphere and Suspense in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • What Are Some Life Lessons We Can Learn From “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Bronte Present Heathcliff and Isabella’s Relationship in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Present Heathcliff in the Novel “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Young Cathy, Hareton, and Linton Compare and Contrast With Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar in “Wuthering Heights”? What Differences and Similarities Do You Find Between These Two Generations?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Use Gothic Elements to Enhance the Novel “Wuthering Heights”?
  • How Does Emily Bronte Use Language to Contrast Setting and Atmosphere in “Wuthering Heights”?
  • Violence, Madness, and Desire Are Significant Themes Within “Wuthering Heights.” What Methods Does Emily Bronte Use to Explore These Issues?
  • What Is the Story of “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte About?
  • Why Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” Is a Cult Classic?
  • Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”: Who Is Heathcliff?
  • How Does Bronte Use Language and Structure in “Wuthering Heights” to Present the Theme of Violence?
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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Literature › Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights

Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on March 25, 2019 • ( 3 )

Wuthering Heights is constructed around a series of dialectic motifs that interconnect and unify the elements of setting, character, and plot. An examination of these motifs will give the reader the clearest insight into the central meaning of the novel. Although Wuthering Heights is a “classic,” as Frank Kermode has noted, precisely because it is open to many different critical methods and conducive to many levels of interpretation, the novel grows from a coherent imaginative vision that underlies all the motifs. That vision demonstrates that all human perception is limited and failed. The fullest approach to Emily Brontë’s novel is through the basic patterns that support this vision.

Wuthering Heights concerns the interactions of two families, the Earnshaws and Lintons, over three generations. The novel is set in the desolate moors of Yorkshire and covers the years from 1771 to 1803. The Earnshaws and Lintons are in harmony with their environment, but their lives are disrupted by an outsider and catalyst of change, the orphan Heathcliff. Heathcliff is, first of all, an emblem of the social problems of a nation entering the age of industrial expansion and urban growth. Although Brontë sets the action of the novel entirely within the locale familiar to her, she reminds the reader continually of the contrast between that world and the larger world outside.

Aside from Heathcliff’s background as a child of the streets and the description of urban Liverpool, from which he is brought, the novel contains other reminders that Yorkshire, long insulated from change and susceptible only to the forces of nature, is no longer as remote as it once was. The servant Joseph’s religious cant, the class distinctions obvious in the treatment of Nelly Dean as well as of Heathcliff, and Lockwood’s pseudosophisticated urban values are all reminders that Wuthering Heights cannot remain as it has been, that religious, social, and economic change is rampant. Brontë clearly signifies in the courtship and marriage of young Cathy and Hareton that progress and enlightenment will come and the wilderness will be tamed. Heathcliff is both an embodiment of the force of this change and its victim. He brings about a change but cannot change himself. What he leaves behind, as Lockwood attests and the relationship of Cathy and Hareton verifies, is a new society, at peace with itself and its environment.

It is not necessary, however, to examine in depth the Victorian context of Wuthering Height s to sense the dialectic contrast of environments. Within the limited setting that the novel itself describes, society is divided between two opposing worlds: Wuthering Heights, ancestral home of the Earnshaws, and Thrushcross Grange, the Linton estate. Wuthering Heights is rustic and wild; it is open to the elements of nature and takes its name from “atmospheric tumult.” The house is strong, built with narrow windows and jutting cornerstones, fortified to withstand the battering of external forces. It is identified with the outdoors and nature and with strong, “masculine” values. Its appearance, both inside and out, is wild, untamed, disordered, and hard. The Grange expresses a more civilized, controlled atmosphere. The house is neat and orderly, and there is always an abundance of light—to Brontë’s mind, “feminine” values. It is not surprising that Lockwood is more comfortable at the Grange, since he takes pleasure in “feminine” behavior (gossip, vanity of appearance, adherence to social decorum, romantic self-delusion), while Heathcliff, entirely “masculine,” is always out of place there.

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Even Cathy’s passionate cry for Heathcliff, “Nelly, I am Heathcliff,” is less love for him as an individual than the deepest form of self-love. Cathy cannot exist without him, but a meaningful relationship is not possible because Cathy sees Heathcliff only as a reflection of herself. Heathcliff, too, has denied an important aspect of his personality. Archetypally masculine, Heathcliff acts out only the aggressive, violent parts of himself.

The settings and the characters are patterned against each other, and explosions are the only possible results. Only Hareton and young Cathy, each of whom embodies the psychological characteristics of both Heights and Grange, can successfully sustain a mutual relationship.

This dialectic structure extends into the roles of the narrators as well. The story is reflected through the words of Nelly Dean—an inmate of both houses, a participant in the events of the narrative, and a confidant of the major characters—and Lockwood, an outsider who witnesses only the results of the characters’ interactions. Nelly is a companion and servant in the Earnshaw and Linton households, and she shares many of the values and perceptions of the families. Lockwood, an urban sophisticate on retreat, misunderstands his own character as well as the characters of others. His brief romantic “adventure” in Bath and his awkwardness when he arrives at the Heights (he thinks Cathy will fall in love with him; he mistakes the dead rabbits for puppies) exemplify his obtuseness. His perceptions are always to be questioned. Occasionally, however, even a denizen of the conventional world may gain a glimpse of the forces at work beneath the surface of reality. Lockwood’s dream of the dead Cathy, which sets off his curiosity and Heathcliff’s final plans, is a reminder that even the placid, normal world may be disrupted by the psychic violence of a willful personality.

The presentation of two family units and parallel brother-sister, husband-wife relationships in each also emphasizes the dialectic. That two such opposing modes of behavior could arise in the same environment prevents the reader from easy condemnation of either pair. The use of flashback for the major part of the narration—it begins in medias res—reminds the reader that he or she is seeing events out of their natural order, recounted by two individuals whose reliability must be questioned. The working out of the plot over three generations further suggests that no one group, much less one individual, can perceive the complexity of the human personality.

Taken together, the setting, plot, characters, and structure combine into a whole when they are seen as parts of the dialectic nature of existence. In a world where opposing forces are continually arrayed against each other in the environment, in society, in families, and in relationships, as well as within the individual, there can be no easy route to perception of another human soul. Wuthering Heights convincingly demonstrates the complexity of this dialectic and portrays the limitations of human perception.

Bibliography Barnard, Robert. Emily Brontë. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Benvenuto, Richard. Emily Brontë. Boston: Twayne, 1982. Berg, Maggie. “Wuthering Heights”: The Writing in the Margin. New York: Twayne, 1996. Davies, Stevie. Emily Brontë: Heretic. London: Women’s Press, 1994. Frank, Katherine. A Chainless Soul: A Life of Emily Brontë. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Glen, Heather, ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Brontës. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Liddell, Robert. Twin Spirits: The Novels of Emily and Anne Brontë. London: Peter Owen, 1990. Miller, Lucasta. The Brontë Myth. London: Jonathan Cape, 2001. Pykett, Lyn. Emily Brontë. Savage, Md.: Barnes & Noble, 1989. Rollyson, Carl, and Lisa Paddock. The Brontës A to Z: The Essential Reference to Their Lives and Work. New York: Facts On File, 2003. Vine, Steve. Emily Brontë. New York: Twayne, 1998. Winnifrith, Tom, ed. Critical Essays on Emily Brontë. NewYork: G. K. Hall, 1997.

Major works Poetry: Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, 1846 (with Charlotte Brontë and Anne Brontë); The Complete Poems of Emily Jane Brontë, 1941 (C. W. Hatfield, editor); Gondal’s Queen: A Novel in Verse by Emily Jane Brontë, 1955 (Fannie E. Ratchford, editor). Nonfiction : Five Essays Written in French, 1948 (Lorine White Nagel, translator); The Brontë Letters, 1954 (Muriel Spark, editor).

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Tags: Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Character Study of Catherine Earnshaw , Character Study of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Character Study of Heathcliff , Character Study of Lockwood , Character Study of Nelly Dean , Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Frank Kermode , Gothic Literature , Literary Criticism , Literary Theory , Motifs in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Nelly Dean , Study Guide of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Summary of Analysis of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Summary of Wuthering Heights , Themes of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights , Victorian Literature , Wuthering Heights , Wuthering Heights as a Gothic Novel

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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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essay questions about wuthering heights

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Essays on Wuthering Heights

Prompt examples for "wuthering heights" essays, love and obsession.

Explore the theme of love and obsession in "Wuthering Heights." How do characters like Heathcliff and Catherine demonstrate both destructive and enduring forms of love, and what are the consequences of their obsessions?

Nature and Setting

Analyze the significance of the novel's natural setting, particularly the moors and the houses of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. How does the environment reflect the characters' emotions and the novel's themes?

Heathcliff's Transformation

Discuss the transformation of Heathcliff's character throughout the novel. How does his upbringing, love for Catherine, and experiences with the Lintons shape him into the complex and vengeful figure he becomes?

Social Class and Revenge

Examine the role of social class and revenge in the story. How do issues of class and the desire for revenge drive the characters' actions and relationships?

Narrative Structure

Consider the novel's narrative structure, which includes multiple narrators and time shifts. How does Emily Brontë use this structure to provide insight into the characters and their motivations?

The Gothic Tradition

Analyze how "Wuthering Heights" fits within the Gothic literary tradition. What elements of the Gothic genre, such as supernatural occurrences and dark, brooding atmospheres, are present in the novel?

Heathcliff: a Byronic Hero Analysis

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Analysis of Wuthering Heights Through Freud’s Personality Theory

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Wuthering Heights: a Theme of Good and Evil in Brontë's Novel

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The Gender Question Depicted in Wuthering Heights

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Emily Bronte

Novel, Gothic Fiction, Tragedy

Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw, Edgar Linton, Ellen (Nelly) Dean, Isabella Linton, Hindley Earnshaw, Hareton Earnshaw, Cathy Linton, Linton Heathcliff, Joseph, Mr Lockwood, Frances, Mr and Mrs Earnshaw, Mr and Mrs Linton, Dr Kenneth, Zillah, Mr Green

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essay questions about wuthering heights

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Top 100 Wuthering Heights Essay Topics for Students

Sep 13, 2021 | 0 comments

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Sep 13, 2021 | Topics | 0 comments

Wuthering Heights is a bit complex and technical to understand, so some students may find it challenging. However, there are many twists in this 19th-century English literature novel written by Emily Bronte that tells of the doomed love between Heathcliff (a troubled orphan) and Catherine Earnshaw. The book unveils plenty about issues with both literature and life itself through its masterful storytelling.

How to Help Students Understand Wuthering Heights Novel?

The first straightforward way to enable students to comprehend this novel is by asking summative essay questions. These work as excellent teaching tools that detail the book’s content, forcing students to use high-order thinking such as analyzing and synthesizing. Students must identify Wuthering Heights essay topics that are easy for them to express their understanding of surface-level. That is understanding from texts they’re writing about so they can exercise their eloquence and analytical skills. Here are some ideas:

  • In-depth interpretation of Wuthering Heights Dream Sequences
  • The Role of Weather in Wuthering Heights Novel
  • The Depth of Animosity In Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights
  • The Importance of Interpreting the Novel Dream’s Sequences
  • The Relationship Between Power and Gender in Wuthering Heights
  • Emotional and Physical Destruction in Wuthering Heights
  • The Role of a Family as Represented in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights
  • The Core Wuthering Heights Characters
  • Selfish Love as Shown in Wuthering Heights
  • Obsession and Love Themes as Portrayed in Wuthering Heights Novel
  • Understanding Wuthering Heights Novel’s Symphonic Imagery
  • As Self-Destructive Family As Depicted in Wuthering Heights Novel
  • How was the Heathcliff Character in Wuthering Heights developed?
  • Sadism and infanticide As Shown In Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights Novel
  • How Religion is Portrayed in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights Novel
  • The Character and Role of Hareton in Wuthering Heights
  • The Antagonism and Protagonist Roles of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights
  • The Role of Ghosts of In Wuthering Heights
  • The Environmental Setting of Wuthering Heights
  • How Love and Revenge are Shown in The Wuthering Heights Novel
  • The Role Of Moors in Wuthering Heights
  • The Heights of Romance in Wuthering Heights
  • Understanding the Characters of Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights
  • What Is the Nature of Love in Wuthering Heights Novel
  • Wuthering Heights—Epitomes of Cruelty and Violence
  • Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights Novel: The Height of Loneliness and Remoteness
  • Unfolding the Lovers’ Story In Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights Novel
  • Wuthering Heights: The Tales of Good and Evil
  • Double Characters As Seen in Wuthering Heights
  • Understanding Jane Eyre and Emma’s Characters and Relationships in Wuthering Heights
  • The Signs of A Dysfunction Family As Outlined in Wuthering Heights

Get Help from the Experts with your Wuthering Heights Essay Topics Paper

The most important thing to remember about writing an essay is that you should have a point. It shouldn’t be too long, but it shouldn’t ramble on and on with no clear direction. In this blog post, we’ve offered some ideas for Wuthering Heights essays so you can pick one or two topics from our list and get started immediately! Our professional writers are ready to help you out in any way they can. Just place your order today and let us know if there’s anything else we can do to make the process easier! What topic will you choose?  

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COMMENTS

  1. Wuthering Heights Essay Questions

    Wuthering Heights Essay Questions. 1. Analyze the relationship between Lockwood and Heathcliff. Heathcliff is Lockwood's first introduction to the passionate, terrifying world of Wuthering Heights. Early in the novel, Lockwood frequently confuses himself and Heathcliff. At one point, he backtracks on his description of Heathcliff because he ...

  2. Wuthering Heights Suggested Essay Topics

    1. Discuss the difference between the way Mr. Earnshaw treats Hindley and Heathcliff. Based on your reading of the novel, argue whether or not Mr. Earnshaw has any legitimate reason (s) why he ...

  3. 'Wuthering Heights' Questions for Study and Discussion

    How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? What is the role of women in Wuthering Heights? How are mothers represented? What about single/independent women? What elements of the story, plot, characterization, etc. are the most controversial?

  4. 65 Wuthering Heights Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    Gothic and Romantic Themes in "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. Passion, Love, and Betrayal in "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. Bonds That Are Unbreakable in "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. The Main Features of the "Wuthering Heights" and "The Woman in Black". Different Narrative Voices: "Wuthering Heights ...

  5. Wuthering Heights Questions and Answers

    Wuthering Heights Questions and Answers - Discover the eNotes.com community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on Wuthering Heights

  6. Wuthering Heights Essay Topics & Questions

    Wuthering Heights Essay Topics & Questions. Instructor Sharon Linde. Sharon has an Masters of Science in Mathematics and a Masters in Education. Cite this lesson. Help your students deepen ...

  7. Wuthering Heights Essay Topics

    Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student ...

  8. Analysis of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

    The fullest approach to Emily Brontë's novel is through the basic patterns that support this vision. Wuthering Heights concerns the interactions of two families, the Earnshaws and Lintons, over three generations. The novel is set in the desolate moors of Yorkshire and covers the years from 1771 to 1803. The Earnshaws and Lintons are in ...

  9. Wuthering Heights Analysis

    Analysis. An essential element of Wuthering Heights is the exploration and extension of the meaning of romance. By contrasting the passionate, natural love of Catherine and Heathcliff with the ...

  10. Wuthering Heights Essay Questions

    wuthering Heights Essay Questions 1. Analyze the relationship between Lockwood and Heathcliff. Heathcliff is Lockwood's first introduction to the passionate, terrifying world of Wuthering Heights. Early in the novel, Lockwood frequently confuses himself and Heathcliff. At one point, he backtracks on his description of Heathcliff because he ...

  11. Wuthering Heights Essays and Criticism

    The two dreams Lockwood experiences early in Wuthering Heights—the first of a visit to Gimmerton Kirk, and the second of a visit from the ghost-child Catherine—have recently received critical ...

  12. Wuthering Heights Discussion Questions

    Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student ...

  13. Wuthering Heights Essay Questions

    Wuthering Heights Study Questions Chapter 1 1. The setting is austere and mysterious. It does not suit Mr. Lockwood quite well; he finds Wuthering Heights extremely disagreeable and its inhabitants bitter and unsociable. 2. "Wuthering" is descriptive of the atmospheric tumult of the novel in that it describes the violent

  14. Wuthering Heights Essay Essay

    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.

  15. ≡Essays on Wuthering Heights. Free Examples of Research Paper Topics

    3 pages / 1464 words. Wuthering Heights is essentially a romantic novel in which the author, Emily Bronte, brings two groups of people with different backgrounds into contact with each other. Close analysis of the novel reveals a key theme. When the reader examines the backgrounds and characteristics of the...

  16. Wuthering Heights Critical Overview

    Critical Overview. Initial reception to the publication of Wuthering Heights in 1847 was overwhelmingly negative. Published in a volume that also included her sister Anne Brontë's first novel ...

  17. 31+ Interesting Wuthering Heights Essay Topics For Students

    Wuthering Heights is a bit complex and technical to understand, so some students may find it challenging. However, there are many twists in this 19th-century English literature novel written by Emily Bronte that tells of the doomed love between Heathcliff (a troubled orphan) and Catherine Earnshaw. The book unveils plenty about issues with both ...

  18. Wuthering Heights Critical Essays

    I. Thesis Statement: In Wuthering Heights, Brontë depicts the clash between good and evil in human nature. II. Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights as representatives of good and evil. A. The ...

  19. Wuthering Heights

    Wuthering Heights. The novel, which features an unusually intricate plot, traces the effects that unbridled hate and love have on two families. Ellen Dean, who serves both families, tells Mr ...