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greeneggsham 's review for:
Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë
Okay so my mind completely changed about this novel by the end and I need to talk about it.
Initially I found Volume 1 purposefully brutal. like we aren't meant to root for these destructive people, and I saw it as this cautionary tale about obsession. I wasn't particularly attached to anyone which felt intentional on Brontë's part. But then Volume 2 happened and transformed everything.
My biggest issue with Volume 1 was Nelly's narration because her presence in scenes felt so arbitrary? Like she was just there as a narrative device. But Volume 2 she becomes an actual character with agency and I grew to love her. Her devotion to Edgar, her advocating for him to be buried with his wife rather than in the churchyard, and especially her maternal relationship with Cathy ("my beloved young mistress" THATS HER BABY) made her indispensable to the story's emotional core.
Cathy is absolutely my favorite character though. She parallels Catherine as stubborn and strong but she's inherently kind and truly a victim of Heathcliff's revenge. Yes she was initially unkind to Hareton but she was essentially kidnapped while HER FATHER WAS DYING. of course she wouldn't be pleasant to anyone involved omg. But she chose kindness and understanding, teaching Hareton to read and seeing past his circumstances.
Cathy and Hareton represent the novel's healthiest relationship and they perfectly embody this theme of breaking cycles of hate and abuse. Also that teasing scene where she promises kisses for correct reading was so adorable. And Hareton's complexity (especially being the only one to cry when Heathcliff died despite suffering the most abuse from him) deserves WAY more analysis. I don't see people talk about this. Or of Cathy and Hareton in general, I always just hear about Catherine and Heathcliff.
The final image of Lockwood revisiting Wuthering Heights to find it actually lively under Cathy and Hareton's care perfectly shows the novel's message about choosing love over vengeance. Both couples' stories are essential to each other. it's like that quote about "mothers and daughters existing as wretched mirrors of each other: I am all you could have been and you are all I might be."
Cathy and Hareton could have so easily become another Catherine and Heathcliff but they chose differently. Same circumstances, different choices, proving we're not doomed to repeat inherited trauma. Sometimes the most radical act is just refusing to perpetuate cycles of pain.
Also I'm just such a sucker for "choose understanding and love instead of hate" messages that ofc I'd love this book. Even for different reasons compared to other people.
My biggest issue with Volume 1 was Nelly's narration because her presence in scenes felt so arbitrary? Like she was just there as a narrative device. But Volume 2 she becomes an actual character with agency and I grew to love her. Her devotion to Edgar, her advocating for him to be buried with his wife rather than in the churchyard, and especially her maternal relationship with Cathy ("my beloved young mistress" THATS HER BABY) made her indispensable to the story's emotional core.
Cathy is absolutely my favorite character though. She parallels Catherine as stubborn and strong but she's inherently kind and truly a victim of Heathcliff's revenge. Yes she was initially unkind to Hareton but she was essentially kidnapped while HER FATHER WAS DYING. of course she wouldn't be pleasant to anyone involved omg. But she chose kindness and understanding, teaching Hareton to read and seeing past his circumstances.
Cathy and Hareton represent the novel's healthiest relationship and they perfectly embody this theme of breaking cycles of hate and abuse. Also that teasing scene where she promises kisses for correct reading was so adorable. And Hareton's complexity (especially being the only one to cry when Heathcliff died despite suffering the most abuse from him) deserves WAY more analysis. I don't see people talk about this. Or of Cathy and Hareton in general, I always just hear about Catherine and Heathcliff.
The final image of Lockwood revisiting Wuthering Heights to find it actually lively under Cathy and Hareton's care perfectly shows the novel's message about choosing love over vengeance. Both couples' stories are essential to each other. it's like that quote about "mothers and daughters existing as wretched mirrors of each other: I am all you could have been and you are all I might be."
Cathy and Hareton could have so easily become another Catherine and Heathcliff but they chose differently. Same circumstances, different choices, proving we're not doomed to repeat inherited trauma. Sometimes the most radical act is just refusing to perpetuate cycles of pain.
Also I'm just such a sucker for "choose understanding and love instead of hate" messages that ofc I'd love this book. Even for different reasons compared to other people.