Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights - 1182 Words

Harsh, wild and unforgiving; the Yorkshire moors on which Emily Brontà « played, provided the backdrop and catalyst of turmoil in her most tragic book Wuthering Heights. Born in 1818 in rural England, Haworth she lived in the heart of these wild, desolate expanses which provided her an escape where she truly felt at home and where her imagination flourished. Along with her sisters and brother, the Brontà « children in their pastimes would often create stories and poems largely based on their playful ramblings in this environment. The moors of Wuthering Heights do not just function as the setting – they exert a notable influence on the characters emotions, choices and personalities. The hostile weather and desolate moors constantly effect†¦show more content†¦Yet, not only are the images of Wuthering Heights similar to that of Heathcliff, but both are described using similar adjectives. Wuthering Heights is illustrated as a hostile ‘grotesque’ dwelling, with ’strong narrow windows, deeply set in the walls, the corners defended with large, jutting stones’ (I, 1). This is similar to descriptions of Heathcliff: his ‘savage’ face has ‘brows lowering, the eyes deep-set and singular with black eyes withdrawn so suspiciously under their brow’ (I, 10). Heathcliff’s temperament is therefore exemplified and detailed through the setting in which he is shown, showing the relationship between the character and his setting. - We can also see this influence on Heathcliff’s person in contrast with Edgar Lindon, when Nellie describes the differences between the two men ‘it was like exchanging a bleak, hilly, coal country for a beautiful fertile valley; and his voice and greeting were as opposite as his aspect. - Not only does Brontà « do this with Heathcliff, but Catherine is also described using the unpredictable, wildness of the nature of the moors. ‘†¦returning his look with a suddenly clouded brow: her humour was a mere vane for constantly varying caprices.’ (II, 1) By comparing Catherine to her surrounding environment this, no doubt, confirms how the wild savagery of her upbringing, playing in the moors, has influenced her with a harsh and instinctive temper. INFLUENCE ON CATHERINE In