Wuthering Heights

By Desi Orr

The book starts of with the narrator Lockwood renting a stanly manor by the name of Thrushcross Grange. The manor is rented by a Heathcliff who lives down the way about two miles at Wuthering Heights. After Lockwood sees how strange Heathcliff is he demands his housemaid Nelly Dean to tell him all he remembers of the odd old man. The story then begins in truth as nelly out line what has happened at and around Wuthering Heights. As a young girl nelly had worked for the previous master of Wuthering Heights, Mr Earnshaw. One day the master goes to Liverpool and returns with a baby orphaned child whom he decides to keep as his own. His name was Heathcliff. At first his children detest h with all of their souls but the daughter Catherine grows to like him and the become inseparable. This however make the son Hindely hate Heathcliff even more that before. Across the way in Thrushcross grange live the snotty and well to do family the Lintons. After Warsaw dies Hindely inherits Wuthering heights and begins to treat Heathcliff awfully. Later on in life Catherine is bitten by a dog and is forced to stay at the Grange to recuperate for five weeks, during which time Mrs. Linton works to make her a proper young lady. By the time Catherine returns, she has become infatuated with Edgar, and her relationship with Heathcliff grows more complicated. After Catherine decides to marry Edgar Heathcliff runs away to the city in rage, his heart in tatters. He is gone for three years and returns a changed man. Soon returning he starts a terrible vengeance against Hindley. While Heathcliff was away he came into a massive amount of money and was able to use that to send Hindley far into debt by loaning money to him. When Hindely dies Wuthering Heights is left to Heathcliff to pay of debt. He also sets to inherent Thrushcross Grange by marrying Isabella Linton whom he treats very poorly. Soon after Catherine becomes ill Then dies in child birth, leaving Heathcliff devastated. Shortly after Isabella runs away and gives birth to Heathcliff's son named Linton after her. After Edgar Linton dies Thrushcross grange is his and his vengeance is complete. He forces Catherine's daughter (also named Catherine) to stay at Wuthering heights with him. As Nelly finishes her tale Lockwood is appalled by the story and leaves soon after. He dies however return six months later to visit Nelly, who informs him of Heathcliff's death and that the property was passed on to Catherine. The story end with Lockwood going to both Catherine's and Heathcliff's graves.

A little bit on the three main characters, Heathcliff, Edgar Linton and Catherine. Although Lockwood is the narrator he plays a small part in the story and is overall not very note worthy so he is not included as a main character in this review.

Heathcliff-
From rags to riches Heathcliff pulls himself by the shirt tails from an orphan to owning two large properties. Heathcliff is in some ways a teasing character he is truly malevolent at heart but the reader keeps wanting to see the best in him, perhaps his cruelty is just his expression of love, nope he is just plain mean and defies understanding. Although we want to see some good in him because he is the main character there is none to see. We keep expecting some hidden virtue to come to the surface that never, throughout the whole book, appears.

Catherine
The love interest of both Edgar and Heathcliff, she drives their motivations as well as the story line. She represents wild nature smattered with cruelty. Her coffin placement between bother Edgar and Heathcliff suggests divided love or loyalty maybe as she is forced to chose between the two men.

Edgar Linton
The proper gentle man and the other side of the Heathcliff coin. He  is graceful and well mannered which causes Catherine to pick him over Heathcliff in the end. He does however have a fear of Heathcliff's wild nature as is shown on more that one occasion in the story. He is also referred to as consistent and tender which backs up my previous statement.

My review of the book
Overall I enjoyed the book and learned many new words while reading it although down words were interesting the definition of Wuthering sort of disappointed me as it only me at windy. Other than that the language in the book really made me think and allowed a better perspective of the time period. The authors use or personification really help to form great images of rolling marshlands and the grand Thrushcross Grange in my head. The way that the book read slowed me to enjoy the story at my own pace and although there were some gripping moments I could  read on and off but still enjoy the story.