1
Q
Where is this novel set? CONTEXT OF THIS.
A
- Set on Yorkshire Moors
- Bronte’s view from her house was The Moors.
2
Q
Give a very brief summary of what happens in chapter 1.
A
- It’s 1801:Lockwood (new tenant at Thrushcross Grande) meets Heathcliff at WH.
- Lockwood is attacked by the dogs at WH.
3
Q
How is it clear that Lockwood is an unreliable narrator?
A
- Bad judge of character: “felt interested in man more reserved than myself.” (Ch 1)
- Mistakes heap of dead rabbits as cushion full of cats: only sees what he wants to see. (ch 2.)
4
Q
How is Heathcliff presented as closed off/ unfriendly?
A
- “fingers sheltered themselves” in his coat –> not shaking hands/ conforming to Victorian Gentleman expectation.
- “dark-skinned gyspy” but in dress a “gentelman.” Repetition of gypsy throughout novel. Racism.
- “habitual moroseness.” (Ch 2) –> sadness engrained.
5
Q
How does Bronte show that Lockwood is an outsider to Yorkshire Moors/ the world the characters are in right from beginning of novel?
A
- City life: retorts the unkempt nature of Wuthering Heights (ch1)/ wants to dine at 5 at WH.
- Joseph’s language = not understood by Lockwood/ Yorkshire dialect –> emphasising his outsider status.
- Structural/ social differences.
6
Q
Natural setting outside Wuthering Heights description.
OPENING DESCRIPTIOn
A
- “gaunt thorns stretching their limbs one way.” Ch1 Personification: wild nature of WH/ mirroring characters’ wild lifestyle. “limbs”–> grotesque imagery, location associated with violence.
- “stormy weather” Ch1
7
Q
Internal description of The Heights.
A
- “clusters of beef, mutton, ham.”
- “silver jugs” Ch1 : Medieval/ primitive atmosphere –> primitive behaviour of characters; unrefined by Victorian decorum.
- “sundry villanous old guns.” Ch1 –> violence/ danger at Heights.
8
Q
How are the dogs at Heights described? Significance?
A
- “four-footed fiends.”
- “fiends”- devillish aspect associated with The Heights/ supernatural imagery.
- Shows Lockwood’s priveledged nature (not wanting to be approached)/ perhaps attack WAS quite serious - threat at The Heights.
9
Q
Significance of time throughout novel.
A
- Constant reminders of time throughout: by mentioning seasons, age of characters, ch 1 = the date.
- Shows that the novel is set in reality, making it shocking for readers.
10
Q
Why have many critics argued Bronte set WH in the past?
A
- WH published: 1847
- Set 1801/ flashbacks = Georgian Era.
- Set in past to showcase the change in ideas/ culture from when book set to when it was published.
11
Q
Broad overview of events of chapter 2.
A
- Lockwood visits WH AGAIN. Meets Haerton/ Cathy.
- Lockwood = repulsed by everyone.
- Lockwood forced to spend night at WH due to blizzard.
12
Q
Cathy opening description (Ch 2)
A
- “malignity into her beautiful eyes.”
- “tying apron” Conforming to societal expectations of female delicacy but seems to be something wild beneath surface.
13
Q
Supernatural imagery examples. Was Bronte’s supernatural imagery considered conventional for her time?
A
- “ghosts” mentioned several times (ch 1/2/3.)
- Lockwood claims that Heights is “swarming with ghosts and goblins.” (Ch 3.)
- Many critics have said her use of supernatural isn’t like that used in convential Gothic literature of her time, more like later works - Bronte = ahead of her time!
14
Q
Shakespeare references.
A
- ” King Lear” (Ch 2) - when Lockwood being attacked by dogs. Linking to themes of madness throughout the novel (similar to in King Lear.)
- “I never told my love” – Lockwood when describing his pathetic love story (ch 1.)
- Establishing Lockwood as an educated character.
15
Q
How does Lockwood describe the weather in ch 2?
A
- “bitter whirl of wind and suffocating snow.”
- Rough/ dangerous –> like inhabitants at The Heights.
- Oppressive description: “suffocating” –> threatening conidtions.
16
Q
Brief overview of events in chapter 3.
A
- “Chapter of dreams ans ghosts.”
- Housekeeper takes Lockwood to a secret room (where he can stay for the night.)
- Lockwood has 2 dreams. Lockwood cries out after “seeing” Catherine as ghost, Heathcliff hears = is distressed.
- Heathcliff takes Lockwood back to Grange the following day.
17
Q
Significance of Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Heathcliff, Catherine Linton “scratched on the paint.”
A
- “scratched on paint”: supernatural trying to communicate with world, almost like a cry for help or a warning!
- Shows Catherine was aware of her many identities.
- Order names appear in mark her journey through childhood, passionate years with Heathcliff and marriage to Edgar (from left to right.)
- Read from right to left, tell story of Cathy Linton. Account of movement of book - away from Earnshaw and back (cylical nature.) All movements must be through Heathcliff.
- Mirroring! Repeating cycles!
- One of many repetitions in novel ie. repitions of names IN GENERAL! Ie. Catherine/ Cathy.
18
Q
Significance of Lockwood reading Catherine’s diary entry in ch 3.
A
- Palimpest: text within another text.
- Creates layers to the narrative, blurs timelines/ creating sense of timelesness of novel.
- Different layers of meaning (lack of sense of a real story, there is no one narrative/ one truth!)
- Allows us to delve into Catherine’s thoughts.
19
Q
How does Catherine describe the moors in her diary entry?
A
- “under its shelter.”
- Paradoxical: moors out in open but Catherine feels protected by them/ she can do whatever she wants/ feel free without worrying about societal expectations.
20
Q
How does the room that Lockwood stays in mirror the text-within a text (palimpest) structure of chapter 3?
A
- Bedroom contains a panelled structure which serves as both bed and a little closet.
- Bedroom within a “mini” bedroom, text within texts (of diary entry.)
- Dreams within sleeping.
- Secrets within secrets.
- Structuralist: complex interlocking structure of this text –> called, by, critics: “Chinese box structure.”
21
Q
Significance of Lockwood’s dream of Catherine’s ghost. How is it described?
A
- Sees her “through glass.” Glass/ window = barrier between living/ dead (throughout novel), barrier = shattered.
- Catherine: “ice-cold hand.”
- “Rubbed wrist to and fro, blood ran down.”
- Lockwood’s aggression/ violence that has been provoked!!
22
Q
Significance of dreams in Ch 3/ novel as a whole.
A
- Psychoanalytical reading: boundaries between self and world are broken down.
- For Bronte, dreams offered way of presenting things which were beyond limits of nineteenth-century novel (ie. explored taboo subjects: death/ love vs passion.)
- In manner of dreams so don’t shock readers as much?
23
Q
Lockwood decided to put a “pile of books” to separate himself from Catherine as well as closing the window, what could these physical barriers represent?
A
- Barriers between:
- Supernatural/ mortal.
- Id/ ego.
- Male/ female.
24
Q
Weather imagery used in ch 3/ throughout novel.
A
- “snow” imagery. Chaos of snow –> mirroring chaotic events that unfold.
- “wind whirled wildly through - blowing out light.” Duality between Lockwood societal convention (light)/ untamed heights.
25
How is Lockwood described when he returns back to The Grange? Significance?
- "feeble as a kitten."
- Simile: weak nature of Lockwood, serves to identify him as similar to Edgar, who is described as a "cat" - later on in novel.
- Their similarities extend to refined, educated natures and social status.
- Both not able to form real relationships, arguably, as well?? (ie. Lockwood with girl spoken about/ Edgar with Catherine.)
26
What are the two dreams Lockwood has?
1.) Listens to sermon by Branderham.
2.) Catherine's ghost appears to him by the window.
27
What does J Miller's (critic) say about the palimpsetic nature of texts in ch 3?
- Catherine's diary described by Lockwood as commentary written in margins of Branderham's sermon.
- Sermon is commentary on text of New Testament; where Jesus enjoins followers to forgive seventy-times seven times.
- Miller focussing on role of margins in novel, difficulty in identifying exact beginning/ meaning (one thing within another thing within another thing!!)
28
What kind of reading does J. Miller have of Wuthering Heights?
- Deconstructive reading
- Demonstrates that text is never WHOLE and clear, contains many side-meanings/ ideas.
29
Wuthering Heights can be read as a parable, where Lockwood's narration is in the margins of the mysterious events around him. What is meant by the term "parable?"
- Parable: a story which explains/ illustrates an abstract concept.
