Themes, Motifs and Symbols in ‘Wuthering Heights

                                                 Name: Darshangi Andharia
                      Paper: E-C-201: The Romantic Literature
            Topic: 'Themes, Motifs and Symbols in ‘Wuthering Heights’
                                           SEM: 2, part 1.
                                         Year: 2011-2012

                                              Submitted to,
                                            Dr.Dilip Barad,

                                        Bhavnagar University,

                                               Bhavnagar.

Themes, motifs and Symbols in Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a novel by Bronte which was published in 1947. It starts with the dream. Nelly tells the story to Lockwood and through Lockwood’s point of view we are traveling in the novel. There are two families, first is Earnshaw family and second one is Linton family. And location of the novel is like
Moorland is between the Wuthering Heights and Thrush cross Grange. Structure of the novel depends on the Karl Marx’s reference of Master and Slave. In the beginning Earnshaw is Master and Heathcliff is slave but in the end Heathcliff is master/owner and others are under his rule. At the end of the novel each characters dies and only Haretone and Cathy are lives. There are themes of destructiveness of love, classicism, struggle for power, industrialization in the novel.




Theme: - Through major themes we can easily understand what writer wants to tell throughout the novel.




(01) The destructiveness of a Love:-




In the novel there are two loves story first is Catherine and Heathcliff, second is Hareton and Cathy. The whole novel is surrounded by the first generation and second generation’s feelings, love, separation and revenge between two because of love. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love story is rooted in their childhood and it is converting into refuse. As a young lady she wants material comfort, fame in the society, live very peacefully without any problem of class or any social class system. She loves Heathcliff a lot but she marries with Edgar Linton, Who is born and raised as a gentleman. He is graceful, ell mannered, and instilled with civilized value. These qualities attract her towards Edgar. Even she doesn’t love him but for status she marries him. At the end Heathcliff comes with new look because he had heard the conversation between Catherine and Nelly, “I loves Heathcliff but cannot marry him” This is the climax of the novel and the point of revenge in Heathcliff’s mind. Through the novel the love is only thing which makes him very brutal. He takes his revenge with Catherine so he marries with Edger’s sister Isabella as a medium. And after that both dies, second generation remains, Isabella’s son and Catherine’s daughter. Heathcliff force Cathy to marry Linton Heathcliff, Who is very weak in the novel and he dies after his marriage.




(02)The precariousness of social class:-




In the novel there is two/three part. First Earnshaw family who are upper middle class people, Linton family who are aristocratic family and third is Heathcliff who is brought up in a good atmosphere but he is orphan and moor. The big element is the refusal of Catherine to Heathcliff because he is not that much wealthy person than Edgar, Earnshaw and Linton occupies a somewhat precarious place within the hierarchy of the century. In The top society the royalty was followed by the aristocracy, then by the gently, and the lower classes. She marries Edgar because she will be, “The greatest woman of the neighborhood.” The characters are prejudged by their race/class/education. When Heathcliff is first introduced he is described as a skinned and dark hair. He also called as “Gypsy”. And Cathy laughs at Hareton because of his lack of education. Even because of Hareton’s skin Heathcliff hates his own son Hareton.




(03)Revenge:-




Revenge is major theme of the novel. Heathcliff’s revenge affects everyone in the novel. In the first part he described as plotting revenge against Hindley and his descendants for his mistreatment of him and against Edgar and his descendants for Catherine’s death.




(04) Supernatural element:-




Supernatural element happens in the beginning and continues until the very end. In third chapter Lockwood grabbed and pleaded to by Catherine’s ghost through a window. And in the last chapter Ellen takes about people seeing ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine walking on the moors.




Motifs: - Motifs are recurring structure and literary devices that helps to develop and inform the text’s major themes.




(01) Doubles:-


Bronte’s elements of the novel are into pairs. Two narrators are there, Nelly and Lockwood. Catherine’s character is divided into two warring sides: First side that wants Heathcliff and second is wants Edger. Catherine and young Cathy are both remarkably similar and strikingly deferent. Two houses Wuthering Hiegh6ts and Thrush cross grange. Two families are quite opposite and complicated, Mr. Earnshaw and Mr. Linton Family. In Contrast Linton family is Aristocratic family and Earnshaw family is upper middle class family. Heathcliff have two faces he is orphan but grow up in good family or well manner.




(02)Repetition:-




Repetition is another technique which is used by Bronte in the novel. It seems nothing ever ends in the world of this novel. The way that the names of the characters are recycled. So, names of the characters of the younger generation seem only to be rescrubbing of the names of their parents. Catherine’s daughter name is young Catherine.




(03)The conflict between Nature and Culture:-




Two families represent Nature and Culture. Mr. Earnshaw family, Specially Heathcliff & Catherine represent particularly. These characters are governed by their passions, not by the house where they live-Wuthering Heights symbolized a similar wilderness. On the other hand, Thrush cross Grange and the Linton family represent culture, refinement, conviction, and cultivation.




Symbols: - Symbols are objects, characters, figures and colors used to represent idea or concept.




(01)Moors:-




The constant emphasis on landscape within the text of Wuthering Heights and it is very useful for the plot construction. This landscape comprised primarily of moors: Wide, Wild expanses, high but somewhat soggy, and thus different and infertile, Moorland can’t be cultivated, and its uniformity makes navigation difficult. It is associated with love affair.




(02)Ghosts:-




A ghost appears throughout the novel as they do in most other works of Gothic fiction. Catherine’s ghost appears to Lockwood as nightmare. The villagers shows Heathcliff’s ghost could be dismissed as superstition.