So much is so brutal in these chapters. I don't see anything I would call love, even between Catherine and Heathcliff. The bits of nature are a relief.
Yes, it is certainly brutal, isn't it? That is one reason I wish more people would read the novel--I think the inaccurate (is that a fitting word?) reputation it has leads so many people to believe they are picking up a romance--a love story for the ages--and when it is filled with violence and deplorable behavior it is 10X more disappointing.
I think the love between Catherine and Heathcliff is defined differently by each character...
Catherine is selfish in her love--for Edgar and for Heathcliff. Honestly, I'm not sure she ever loved Edgar. I think he was just a means to an end. A placeholder? Her love for Heathcliff is almost narcissistic. It's as if she sees a male version of herself in him and she is in love w/ herself--NOT him.
Heathcliff, on the other hand, is dependent on Catherine. She provides him with acceptance, defense, and understanding. Otherwise, he is alone in the world. If he loses her, he loses the single person on earth who accepts him for who he is, defends him against those who wish him harm and most importantly, because she sees herself in him...Catherine is the one and only person who truly *understands* him.
I think Emily Brontë knew unequivocally that she was NOT writing a tale of romantic love. But, generations of critics, readers and filmmakers insist on perpetuating the inaccurate rumor that Wuthering Heights is (largely) a love story.
Do you agree...it's owing to our preconceived notions we feel so horribly assaulted when we read the novel the first time?
There are preconceived notions for so many classics. It's a shame. I am guilty of it as well. As I am starting to read classics I'm finding them not like the stereotypes at all.
Interesting that you note that this is the end of the first volume - and perhaps the place it was intended to end. This first half of the novel is stronger by far - and it’s the part people tend to remember best, partly due to the film versions.
And I was grateful to be reminded how many years have passed between the events and their (partial and not quite honest) retelling. Memory and time playing games.
You make a good point about film versions--I'm planning to watch a number of the existing adaptations to learn what editing decisions have been made by screenwriters throughout the decades. I agree, the first half of the novel is absolutely stronger--I believe Heywood's theory regarding its design is entirely feasible.
So much is so brutal in these chapters. I don't see anything I would call love, even between Catherine and Heathcliff. The bits of nature are a relief.
Yes, it is certainly brutal, isn't it? That is one reason I wish more people would read the novel--I think the inaccurate (is that a fitting word?) reputation it has leads so many people to believe they are picking up a romance--a love story for the ages--and when it is filled with violence and deplorable behavior it is 10X more disappointing.
I think the love between Catherine and Heathcliff is defined differently by each character...
Catherine is selfish in her love--for Edgar and for Heathcliff. Honestly, I'm not sure she ever loved Edgar. I think he was just a means to an end. A placeholder? Her love for Heathcliff is almost narcissistic. It's as if she sees a male version of herself in him and she is in love w/ herself--NOT him.
Heathcliff, on the other hand, is dependent on Catherine. She provides him with acceptance, defense, and understanding. Otherwise, he is alone in the world. If he loses her, he loses the single person on earth who accepts him for who he is, defends him against those who wish him harm and most importantly, because she sees herself in him...Catherine is the one and only person who truly *understands* him.
I think Emily Brontë knew unequivocally that she was NOT writing a tale of romantic love. But, generations of critics, readers and filmmakers insist on perpetuating the inaccurate rumor that Wuthering Heights is (largely) a love story.
Do you agree...it's owing to our preconceived notions we feel so horribly assaulted when we read the novel the first time?
There are preconceived notions for so many classics. It's a shame. I am guilty of it as well. As I am starting to read classics I'm finding them not like the stereotypes at all.
Interesting that you note that this is the end of the first volume - and perhaps the place it was intended to end. This first half of the novel is stronger by far - and it’s the part people tend to remember best, partly due to the film versions.
And I was grateful to be reminded how many years have passed between the events and their (partial and not quite honest) retelling. Memory and time playing games.
You make a good point about film versions--I'm planning to watch a number of the existing adaptations to learn what editing decisions have been made by screenwriters throughout the decades. I agree, the first half of the novel is absolutely stronger--I believe Heywood's theory regarding its design is entirely feasible.