Wuthering Heights - The contrast between wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

Wuthering Heights

In the first chapter of the book the reader gets a vivid picture of the house Wuthering Heights from Lockwood’s descriptions ““wuthering” being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather.” It quickly becomes clear that Wuthering Heights portrays the image of its surroundings, the desolate Yorkshire moors fully exposed to the elements.

It is not only the house that displays the environment that envelops the place it is also the occupants and things inside the house that deliver the symbols of the raw emotion and the exposure to the cruelty (storms) that so much resembles the weather and location. As shown by the dogs that are seemingly ordinary creatures to be found occupying a house. But in the descriptions given by Lookwood they appear to have a greater significance. They are depicted as threatening creatures (like wolves) as they are described as “four footed fiends,” and a “herd of possessed swine” Also the dogs are not seen to occupy the kitchen but they “haunt” it, giving a more terrifying impression. The verb used by Lookwood “haunt” is appropriate as later in the novel Catherine returns to haunt Heathcliff.

Lookwood meets a cold and bitter reception from Heathcliff at The Heights which is typical of its surroundings “The “walk in” was uttered with closed teeth.” (Lookwood chapter 1) The phrase also shows that the people of the Heights do not hide there emotions, in this case Heathcliff’s disappointment at receiving a visitor.

Four miles across the moors in a sheltered valley is the haven of Thrushcross Grange surrounded by parkland. It is almost the complete opposite in location to Wuthering Heights. It is sheltered and the weather always appears to be milder, less extreme. The setting is a more civilised one than that of Wuthering Heights. This is seen when Cathy and Heathcliff run to Thrushcross Grange for the first time, they could see that it was “a splendid place carpeted with crimson-covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered with gold.” The windows in Thrushcross Grange are large suggesting to the reader that visitors are welcome. The opposite is true of Wuthering Heights as Lockwood describes the windows in chapter 1 “the windows are deeply set in the wall.”

The Grange is shown as being refined, courteous and protective; this is reflected in the occupants of the Grange. Edgar and Isabella have been invited to stay at Wuthering Heights, the reply has a condition: “Mrs Linton begged that her darlings might be kept carefully away from that naughty, swearing boy.” (Nelly Chapter 7). This protective nature is also seen in the second generation but more strongly as Edgar forbids Cathy to go and visit Wuthering Heights at all. Edgar is described by Heathcliff as a “lamb,” but this soft attribute that is typical of the Grange is not always a flaw of character “No mother could have nursed an only child more devotedly than Edgar tended her.” (Nelly Chapter 13) Although the Grange thinks itself superior to the Heights “they had not the manners to ask me to stay,” (Heathcliff Chapter 6) they view Heathcliff as a gypsy.

As the Grange is sheltered so are Edgar and Isabella. This sheltered life prevents them from seeing the reality of life. Therefore they cannot understand Catherine and Heathcliff’s up bringing at Wuthering Heights, where life is harsh.

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In the first chapter the Heights is first described to the reader by an unreliable source, Lookwood is a more sedate and refined character and therefore a character more at home with the Grange. He is used to a more cultured atmosphere (like Thrushcross Grange). So his impressions of Wuthering Heights is somewhat exaggerated and because of this the features of the Heights are magnified. When he first comes to the Heights he is surprised by the lack of flowers in the garden “a few stunted furs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns.” He also describes the furniture as “nothing extraordinary,” and Heathcliff as a gypsy, which is the Lintons view of him, when he first meets them.

Lookwood is surprised at the layout of the house when he first arrives “One step brought us into the family sitting room, without any introductory lobby or passage,” he is surprised at how abrupt the house is, straight away you are at its heart. This is like the characters of Wuthering Heights, as they express there emotions immediately and hardly ever hold back. “Drawing back, burst into a laugh, exclaiming “why how black and cross you look!”” said by Catherine in front of the whole house not thinking whether Heathcliff should mind.

While Lookwood first introduces us to Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff first introduces us to Thrushcross Grange. As he is from the Heights he going to be equally unreliable as Lookwood because they are the opposite. This helps the writer to make the difference in the novel even more noticeable to the reader. His reaction to the elaborate interior is “We should have thought ourselves in heaven.” (Heathcliff Chapter 6). But it seems the occupants aren’t in heaven “shrieking as if witches were running red hot needles into her. Edgar stood on the hearth weeping silently,” Heathcliff thinks himself above such childish behaviour as he calls them “idiots” and “we did despise them.” Heathcliff is an unreliable person to introduce the Grange partly because of the way he is treated at the Grange, as he is called a “villain,” “robber,” “castaway,” “thief,” and then a “gypsy,” like Lookwood this is also the Lintons first impression. Heathcliff feels they are robbing him of Catherine so is likely to be even more spiteful.

“As different as a moonbeam from lightning or fire from frost,” (Catherine Chapter 10) this quote shows why the marriages of Edgar to Catherine and Isabella to Heathcliff are doomed to failure. Catherine and Heathcliff, the two from Wuthering Heights both marry for the wrong reasons mainly material gain. Catherine for money and status and Heathcliff for land and revenge. While the two characters from Thrushcross Grange marry because they are in love. Because of this love they fail to acknowledge the true character of the people they are marrying. “the astonished young man felt it applied over his own ear,” (Nelly Chapter 9) is referring to the time when Edgar gets slapped by Catherine, but doesn’t take the hint like Nelly suggests “Take warning and be gone! It is kindness to let you have a glimpse of her true disposition.” But in the very next Chapter he proposes. This marriage works for a while because “the gunpowder lay as harmless as sand, because no fire came near to explode it.” With Catherine being the gunpowder, Edgar the sand and Heathcliff the catalyst, fire. When gunpowder meets fire there is a reaction, but when gunpowder meets sand there is none. Showing how Catherine and Edgar are a bad mix of character.

Isabella also longs to return to her rightful home. But this longing is kindled at the start of her marriage. It only takes her “my heart returned to Thrushcross Grange in 24 hours after I left it,” she is disgusted by the conditions at the Heights “dingy untidy hole.” This is the opposite of Heathcliff’s and Catherine’s view when they first see the Grange as they are in awe of it “We would have thought ourselves in heaven.”

She like Edgar refuses to see her partners true character, Catherine tries to ward Isabella away from Heathcliff “He’s not a rough diamond…….he’s a pitiless wolfish man.” But Isabella dismisses this as envy, along with “He is a bird of bad omen; no mate for you,” “but he’d be quite capable of marrying your fortune.” When they do get married Isabella is in the same situation as Catherine, trapped in another world. When Catherine dies, Heathcliff’s love transforms into a lust for revenge, where Isabella is only an object to take it out on. Thus making Isabella view him as a pitiless oppressor, this was what Catherine tried to warn her about.

Both of the first generation relationships yield offspring. These characters are a mixture of both the Grange and the Heights. Linton Heathcliff is Heathcliff’s heir. His name signifies the unnatural union between Heathcliff and the Lintons, The Heights and the Grange. It might have been given to him by his mother as a form of revenge on Heathcliff. He inherits the bad traits from both houses, as he is weak, sickly, spiteful and easily manipulated, “Papa wants us to get married.” Shows how easy it is for Heathcliff to control Linton. He is described in the novel as “a pet,” “a puling chicken,” and a “whelp.” Linton like Heathcliff is an outsider as he has come from London to the Yorkshire moors, like Heathcliff coming from Liverpool to the moors.

Catherine Linton on the other hand appears to have inherited the good traits from both houses. As she is described by Nelly as “the most winning thing that ever brought sunshine into a desolate house....her spirit was high though not rough…….sensitive. Lively to excess in it affections. The capacity for fierce attachments,” shows the goodness of her character. Her name is the same as her mothers which is used by Emily Bronte to show how harmony in the book is only restored when things return to how they were. In this case both Catherine’s names going from Catherine Earnshaw

Catherine Linton

Catherine Heathcliff

And back to Catherine Earnshaw

Emily Bronte uses the houses as symbols in this way to show the contrast between nature (Heights) and culture (Grange). Or similarly enclosure (Grange) and exposure (Heights). This conflict can be interpreted in a number of ways: Historically, rural way of life contends against industrialisation. Psychologically as a struggle between ego and identity. In sexuality as a choice between experience and image. The representation of nature in the book is brutal, as we get Lockwood, who is a man of culture introducing the Heights to the readers. His inability to read nature is shown when he attempts to negotiate the snowstorm.

Bronte also uses the two houses to show the effects of a lack of education. This is shown when Heathcliff is denied it, it robs him of his social status. Also Hareton cannot acquire a union with Catherine before he learns some sort of social skills. Nelly Dean gets because of her education some social status.

Emily Bronte also uses the conflict between the two houses, to show how even though certain characters are barred from entering each others house it does not stop them from breaking down this barrier. As seen when Edgar dies and the barrier between Heathcliff and Thrushcross Grange is broken, as he owns both houses. Also even Catherine’s marriage to Edgar can’t stop her returning to the Heights after her death. Show in Chapter 34 “he gazed at something within two yards distance,” this is a description of Heathcliff seeing Catherine’s ghost return to the Heights.

In the love between Catherine and Heathcliff, Emily Bronte shows the idealistic love between these two members of the Heights “Nelly, I am Heathcliff,” shows who she should have married. But uses the contrast between Nature (Heathcliff) and Culture (Edgar) to show how this idealistic love could be squandered. In Catherine and Edgar’s marriage Bronte leaves illness and a childbirth that leads to death. She uses Catherine to show what happens when you marry just for social status. She uses Heathcliff’s marriage to show what happens when you marry out of your class /social status for greed and revenge.

Emily Bronte also uses the love of Heathcliff and Catherine to show how women wanted to be equals to men. But when Catherine marries Edgar she becomes a 2nd class citizen and this is typical of men’s views on women at the time when the novel was written. The way in which Catherine’s name changes throughout the book shows how women have a crucial lack of identity that was common at the time the book was written.

The contrast between wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange is very important in the novel because the novel is all about contrast, conflict, unions that fail, how the unions produce manipulated unhappy children. The contrast in the houses symbolises the contrasts and differences inherent in life that produce conflict not peace. Yet in both houses live people who want to be loved and to love.