Dark classic about love and revenge still captivates.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Wuthering Heights is a classic 1847 novel by Emily Brontë that tells an epic story of love and revenge spanning multiple generations. It's full of passion and unforgettable characters, but it's darker than many screen adaptations where vengeful Heathcliff is often interpreted as a misunderstood romantic. His pride and suffering actually make him cruel, menacing, and abusive, and many characters show selfish and thoughtless behavior. Expect violent moments and references to children, spouses, and other family members being verbally and physically attacked. There are also threats and references to suicide. Characters die, and there's mention of the appearance of corpses, funerals, and burials. Ghostly presences and restless spirits are also implied. Occasional language includes "hell," "damn," and "ass," as well as name-calling like "imp of Satan" and "slatternly witch." A character who's described as having a darker skin tone is referred to as "gypsy" and "little lascar," and an illiterate teen is called a "dunce." One character smokes a pipe, and others occasionally drink alcohol. It's implied that one has a reliance; he's referred to as a "rabid drunk." Characters kiss a few times, and much of the story is steeped in romantic desire.
Violence & Scariness
some
A man is verbally and physically abusive toward his family. Reference to cuts on the face and blood from the mouth after punches and slaps. A child is bullied by their father and other children. Kids hit, pinch, and throw rocks and hot apple sauce at one another. Characters use aggressive language, including threats to break people's necks, kick out their brains, and cut their throats. Dogs bite humans, and a child's ankle bleeds from the attack. Central characters die of unspecified illnesses, often following fevers or times of psychological struggle. A character coughs up blood, and there's mention of vomiting. A doctor "bleeds" a patient. People contract measles and consumption. Reference to funerals, burials, and the appearance of corpses. A nightmare includes a ghostly vision. Guns are displayed, and there are threats to fire them. A character is described in a drunken rage, and a housekeeper hides a small child from him. The child is thrown over a banister; they're caught but are verbally threatened: "I'll break the brat's neck." Characters are punched and have their heads bashed against the floor, and there are references to blood from wounds. Mention of shaking a woman "until her teeth rattled." Characters are forcibly held captive inside a house. A character considers "doing execution on myself." It's implied that a person purposely drinks themself to death. A dog is hung but is rescued before it dies.
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A character drinks to excess and is referred to as a "rabid drunk." It's implied he purposely drinks himself to death. Characters drink wine (sometimes medicinally), ale, and brandy. A character smokes a pipe, and there are references to stuffing it with tobacco.
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Language includes "hell," "damn," "damned," "ass," "slut," and name-calling like "imp of Satan," "beggarly interloper," "gypsy brat," "scoundrel," "whelp," "wretch," "slatternly witch," "dunce," and "fool." "Bitch" is used to refer to a female dog. Characters report "swearing" and having "cursed," but the words aren't specified. Racist term "little lascar" is used.
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Nature can bring a sense of freedom. Love can be a source of joy, warmth, and security, but also intensity, yearning, and pain. Pride and judgement can have negative outcomes, but empathy and forgiveness can help heal relationships. Abuse often leads to cycles that span generations. Hatred and revenge can be all-consuming and often affect the person who's acting cruelly as much as their victims.
Positive Role Models
a little
Cathy is smart and rebellious as a child, but she tries to fit in with society as she gets older and denies her real feelings when it comes to who she marries. This eventually makes her miserable and often selfish. Heathcliff is treated badly as a child, but he has a strong connection with Cathy. When she appears to reject him, he becomes hell-bent on revenge and is cruel and abusive to everyone around him. Cathy's daughter, Catherine, grows up kind and full of gentleness and hope. She tries to do her duty to others, including her father and cousin Linton, but she can be haughty and begins to grow spiteful when she's forced into a hopeless situation.
Educational Value
very little
Set on the moors of Yorkshire, England, Wuthering Heights gives readers some ideas about English country life in the mid-19th century. Emily Brontë writes a few working-class characters with heavy Yorkshire accents, partly to reflect the difference between the haves and have-nots in Victorian England.
Diverse Representations
very little
A central character is referred to as a "dark-skinned gypsy" and "little lascar" (used to refer to sailors from India or Southeast Asia). As a child, he's called "it" at times. An illiterate teen is cruelly referred to as a "dunce" and a "fool." Characters from a lower social standing are often written with strong regional accents. For example, one of the early lines from Joseph, a servant at Wuthering Heights, is: "T' maister's dahn i' t' foul. Goa rahn by th' end ut' laith, if yah went tuh spake tull him." Cathy and Isabella are portrayed as passionate and often defiant women, but they're weak at times, becoming sickly and overcome with emotions. Women are referred to by men with terms like "lusty dame," "matronly lady," and "servant girl." Various mental health problems are described as "madness."
WUTHERING HEIGHTS tells the story of a lodger, Mr. Lockwood, who has rented a manor house in Yorkshire, England. He becomes curious about his aloof, surly landlord, Heathcliff, and his near-silent daughter-in-law, Catherine. When Lockwood becomes ill, he asks his housekeeper, Ellen Dean, to tell him Heathcliff and Catherine's history to pass the time. Mrs. Dean obliges him with a detailed account of Heathcliff's great, star-crossed love and how Catherine became part of his gloomy household.
This literary classic is a poetic masterpiece of love and revenge. Every emotion felt by the characters is so high, or so low, that their feelings alone make Wuthering Heights a thrilling ride. The book is unconventional in a sense, in that there are arguably no real heroes or heroines, but the story is a serious page-turner, and the characters' experiences and inner torments take on a riveting life of their own as the tragic story unfolds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what events shape Heathcliff's character in Wuthering Heights. Why does he become so cruel? Do you think his personality is mostly nature or nurture, or a mix of the two?
The one character Heathcliff seems to retain some sympathy for is Hareton Earnshaw. Why do you think that's the case? What aspects of Hareton's character appeal to Heathcliff? How is he different from Heathcliff's biological son, Linton? What aspects of Linton's character does Heathcliff react so negatively toward, and why?
Many readers are curious about Brontë's choice of Ellen Dean as the narrator for much of the novel. Do you think she's a reliable narrator? What are the benefits of her telling the story rather than one of the other characters?
Why do you think this book is considered a classic of English literature?
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