Wuthering Heights

My first reading of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights took place more than twenty years ago, and I couldn’t remember anything from the book. I read it a second time recently.

On finishing the book, I could vageuly recall my reaction from my first reading. It might have been a rather let-down feeling. No one in the story is likeable and the love story isn’t romantic.

Now, I still feel that no one is likeable. It still isn’t what I will call a nice romance story. The hero and heroine didn't quite declare their love to each other. In fact, at Catherine’s deathbed, it looked rather like a declaration of hatred.

Having attended some short courses on literature recently, I come to the conclusion that great literature works are usually ambiguous. And hence, that generates lots of questions which readers and critics and students and professors could argue and debate over.

I feel quite neutral about this book. And I have no questions, apart from why this book is such a great piece of literature. I am not even curious why Emily Bronte wanted everyone in the book to love so obsessively.

I didn’t think there is anything wrong with the housekeeper Ellen Dean. Her actions may not be totally acceptable, but it is not wrong that she took her childcare responsibility seriously and at times behaved like she was the mother of the children. It is not wrong that she meant well. Her actions did not cause or avoid any events, because Heathcliff was just too cunning and determined and would have gotten his ways through other means or "accompliace". And I didn't think that narrative voices should be completely neutral. That was one way to know this character, and through her narrative content we know how others at the times feel about the issues.

I felt relieved that Heathcliff died. It is not well explained why he died. I think it is because he disturbed the dead. At first I thought it seems a bit ironic that we need the supernatural to defeat him, but I then realized this is more acceptable than having everyone around him joining forces to kill him. Overthrowing tyranny isn’t the point of this book.

Heathcliff didn’t want to die when Catherine died. He didn’t want to let Catherine rest in peace, but wanted her to haunt him. That was one of the most powerful lines in the book. Catherine had some startling lines too, like she is Heathcliff and Heathcliff is her. Maybe this is one reason why the book is a great literature. So much love and so much hate. So much togetherness and separation.