Consider How Emily Bronte Portrays Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights.

Consider How Emily Bronte Portrays Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights Cathy and Heathcliff are both curious characters, as is their relationship with each other and the way that Emily Brontë portrays them is vital to the plot. Unlike Cathy we know very little at all about Heathcliff's origins, which is exactly what Emily Brontë wanted. On a trip to Liverpool, Cathy's father Mr Earnshaw finds Heathcliff "starving, houseless and as good as dumb" and as no one on his travels lays claim to its' ownership he decides, being a benevolent soul, that he must take it home. To realise the significance of this we must take into account the historical context. At that time Liverpool was the major dock for the whole of the country with goods being imported and exported and ships and people arriving all the time. Any immigrants coming to Britain would arrive here and so there is little doubt that Heathcliff is not of English birth, as Nelly comments that he spoke "some gibberish that nobody could understand". He may have arrived from Ireland or Scotland as the language spoken there at this time was Gaelic. It has also been muted that he could actually have been black, and arrived from foreign climates, however these are purely assumptions none of which can be proved. Heathcliff is described by Mr Lockwood on his first visit to the heights as "a dark skinned gypsy in aspect". This

  • Word count: 1992
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Wuthering Heights English Coursework: How does Bronte convey a sense of Heathcliffs character? - WJEC English Lit.

Wuthering Heights English Coursework: How does Bronte convey a sense of Heathcliff's character? Bronte depicts Heathcliff differently to us throughout different stages of the book. Heathcliff's character changes in both the sense of his attitude to other people, and his overall appearance. The character we see in the present is very different to the young Heathcliff we see. In Chapter 1, Mr Lockwood is narrating, so we see Heathcliff through the eyes of a stranger. This means that Mr Lockwood's depiction of Heathcliff is unbiased. At the point Lockwood meets Heathcliff, Cathy has already died as have Hindley and Linton. However, Hareton and Catherine are alive. The fact that these characters are living/dead, must be taken into consideration when we evaluate Heathcliff's character as their death/birth may have had an impact on the development of his character. The fact that Lockwood is narrating gives us an unbiased evaluation of Heathcliff as a character, due to the fact Lockwood doesn't know what Heathcliff used to be like. This means that any comment Lockwood makes about Heathcliff, is most likely an accurate representation of Heathcliff. For example, where Lockwood calls Heathcliff 'reserved', Lockwood's comment is based upon what he sees in front of him, so we learn a lot about Heathcliff's character through Lockwood's narration. Lockwood describes Heathcliff as his

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Through close reference to the novel as a whole explain to what extent you think this is an accurate assessment of Catherine.

'Catherine's folly lies not in indulging her taste for melodramatic literature but in imposing its values on the life around her.' Through close reference to the novel as a whole explain to what extent you think this is an accurate assessment of Catherine. 'Northanger Abbey' arose partially as a response to the popular novels of the time, principally it satirises the form and conventions of the Gothic genre, so sick is Austen of their absurd unrealism, "pictures of perfection as you know make me sick and wicked." In Catherine, Austen takes a realistic character that the reader can identify with, using her failings to teach a universal lesson, the dangers of imagination uncontrolled by reason. Whereas Austen's attack on the Gothic genre is merely a personal disapproval, through Catherine the author attempts to highlight the dangerous consequences of false allusions based on the books one reads (not necessarily gothic fiction), a message relevant to all. Through the course of the novel there are numerous references to traits of the Gothic novel, whereby Austen parodies these elements or turns them on their head. This is primarily evident in the characteristics of the novels' central protagonist, Catherine. The reader is introduced to Catherine as the most unlikely of heroines, "her mind about as ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is." We discover

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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In chapter 15 Nelly says "Far better that she should be dead than lingering a burden and a misery - maker to all about her". How far do you agree with Nelly's assessment of Catherine?

In chapter 15 Nelly says "Far better that she should be dead than lingering a burden and a misery - maker to all about her". How far do you agree with Nelly's assessment of Catherine? Brontë's presentation of Catherine is a very engaging one on many levels. She causes, directly and indirectly, misery and pain primarily to Heathcliff and Edgar. She can be seen as a "burden and misery - maker". However, you must also remember that during her childhood, Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship is punctuated by nothing but joy and support. Only when faced with the dilemma of choosing marriage for status or for love, does Catherine's relationships begin to alter and change. Nelly's assumed and obviously biased presentation of Catherine also influences the reader's perception especially her use of semantic fields and negative attitude. In death, however, Catherine causes coincidently more pain than she does alive, and so personally, I disagree with Nelly's assessment. Catherine develops from a mischievous little girl, to a materialistic young woman. Her self-centred attitude caused by her lack of attention and love as a child has a huge impact on the relationships she has and how she becomes a misery - maker. Catherine proves this when she says, "... dismiss that apathy... and look rather more anxious about me!" Although bringing joy and happiness to Heathcliff and Edgar, by the

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Creative writing - A Christmas to remember.

Original writing Melissa Osman A Christmas To Remember For the first time in her life, Catherine Benson faced the prospect of spending Christmas alone. With a mixture of fond thoughts of the past and the sadness, she recalled the Christmas's of her childhood happy times full of love, laughter and family togetherness. However, this year, her parents were spending Christmas with her brother, who was happily married and with a family of his own. He lived In Wales. Of course, ever since college there had been Anthony. But even thinking the name now bought pain of sadness and loneliness. Anthony and Catherine had been inseparable. They has so many plans for the future. They'd shared dreams and so she thought, they shared lives. But that had all crumbled to dust in the last few months. The love she thought would last forever had failed to stand the first major test of their relationship. Sighing, she draped the last piece of tinsel over the branches of her small tree and stepped back to cast a critical eye upon it. It barely seemed worth the effort just for herself. Some how the tree and the fireplace, served only to make her situation seem little more worthwhile. If only she could get Anthony McBride out of her mind as effectively as he had removed himself from her life. But he crept into her thoughts at the most weirdest times and though it had been several hard painful

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Compare and Assess at least two of the following approaches in feminist theory, with illustration from two of the Victorian texts you have studied: Anglo-American Feminism; French Feminism

Name: Student Number: Unit Number: 84523162 Unit Leader: Unit Title: Victorian Literature: Social Contexts and Theoretic Perspectives. Assignment Title: 'Compare and Assess at least two of the following approaches in feminist theory, with illustration from two of the Victorian texts you have studied: Anglo-American feminism; French Feminism; Socialist or Marxist Feminism; feminist approaches influenced by Foucault.' 'I declare that this is my own work and that I have followed the code of academic good conduct and have sought, where necessary, advice and guidance in the proper presentation of my work.' Signature: Date: 'Compare and Assess at least two of the following approaches in feminist theory, with illustration from two of the Victorian texts you have studied: Anglo-American Feminism; French Feminism; Socialist or Marxist Feminism; Feminist Approaches influenced by Foucault.' Feminist theory like psychoanalytic theory is relatively modern in its creation. The immergence of feminist literary theories can be linked to the out break of female political uprising in the early nineteenth century. The French Revolution marked the beginning of a fight for the obtaining of women's rights to power and equality in society. Elaine Showalter comments that the ideological socially acceptable view of Victorian

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Is the Tragedy in Return of the Native and Wuthering Heights due to the author's presentation of the characters or social influences?

Is the Tragedy in Return of the Native and Wuthering Heights due to the author's presentation of the characters or social influences? The Return of the Native and Wuthering Heights are both novels that are centred around the theme of tragedy. The plots in both books involve mainly tragic characters and their downtrodden outcomes. The tragic storylines seem to be due to social influences rather than the way in which the authors present their characters. For example Cathy's undesired love for servant boy Heathcliff or Mrs Yeobright's family pride. An example of tragedy in Return of the Native is the death of Mrs Yeobright who dies from exhaustion when crossing the heath to settle an argument with her son Clym. This death could have been prevented if Eustacia had opened the door to Mrs Yeobright. The tragic death of Mrs Yeobright can be seen from two different view points. Some may say that the social influences caused the tragedy due to the fact that Eustacia was unable to open the door to Mrs Yeobright because Wildeve was in the house with her. In the 19th century when the book was written it would have been extremely frowned upon for a women to be alone with another man who wasn't their husband. When Clym finds out why Eustacia didn't open the door to his mother he puts all the blame on her. He says, 'You had another man in the house with you - you sent her away to die -

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Taking into account the background of the of the author what do the remoteness and loneliness of the setting contribute to the effect of the novel,

Taking into account the background of the author what do the remoteness and loneliness of the setting contribute to the effect of the novel, "Wuthering Heights"? Emily Bronte loved nature and spent most of her childhood on the remote Yorkshire Moors near her home in Haworth. Emily found that the Moors were a place of peace and sanctuary where she could retreat to relax and follow one of her most favourite past times, which was writing. However she knew that in a matter of seconds the Moors could change into a wild and savage wilderness. Emily chose this ever-changing setting for her only novel "Wuthering Heights". "Wuthering Heights" tells the tale of two families living in and around the bleak Yorkshire Moors near a small village, very similar to Haworth, called Gimmerton. This setting mirrors the personalities of the savage and brutal characters. These characters live in a remote and weather ravaged working farmhouse called Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights acquired it's name due to the, "atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather" The inhabitants of Wuthering Heights need to be tough to survive and only those characters born in Wuthering Heights are able to survive within it. When Hindley returns from University with his wife Frances she dies rather quickly as she cannot survive the savage weather conditions. We do not expect Hindley to die

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Heathcliff has been described as both an archetypal romantic hero and an intrinsically evil villain - Explore the contradictory character of Heathcliff in “WutheringHeights”, with reference to these generic categories.

Heathcliff has been described as both an archetypal romantic hero and an intrinsically evil villain. Explore the contradictory character of Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights", with reference to these generic categories. "She abandoned them under a delusion" he said, "picturing in me a hero of romance and expecting unlimited indulgences from my chivalrous devotion." Heathcliff is portrayed as a villain but at the same time, a romantic hero. It seems that he is double edged. He schemes to get Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights, but he is not always so vengeful and rancorous. For example, when the ghost of Catherine Earnshaw came to the window, he wept for her and begged for her to come back. "Come in! Come in! Cathy do come. Oh do once more! Oh! My heart's darling! Hear me this time, Catherine at last!" in this he shows his hypersensitive side and emotional side. He begs Catherine to go to him and be with him forever. However, his vengeful side does get the better of him quite often and demonstrates him to be gothic, dark, evil and morose. "Though it's as dark, almost as if it came from the devil." This explains his gothic and dark approach. The evil and morose trait is unveiled with Hindley, where he swears revenge on him for all the grief and pain Hindley inflicted on Heathcliff. Hindley was so callous and malicious towards Heathcliff and always belittled him as well as

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Wuthering Hieghts - Why does Heathcliff change so dramatically during the course of the story?

ENGLISH COURSEWORK (PART TWO) WUTHERING HIEGHTS ESSAY ABOUT A PART OF THE STORY Why does Heathcliff change so dramatically during the course of the story? In this essay I'm going to explain the reasons why Heathcliff changes during the course of the story. Heathcliff changes from a person called "it" who's being beaten, to a man and an aggressive person. But at the end he changes again, he becomes distant and detached from the world around him. By "change" we mean how his personality, attitude and reactions towards others differs throughout the story. Now I have looked back over the whole story, there are two or three main and decisive reasons why Heathcliff's changed: his mistreatment by Hindley, Cathy's "degrading" speech making him leave, and his plans for revenge on the people who have treated him badly. Heathcliff was treated unfairly from the very beginning, by being called "it", but his treatment got worse when Hindley became master of the house, after Mr Earnshaw died. This may have been the first trigger to make Heathcliff change. Hindley and his persistent beating of Heathcliff helped this change. An example of this is when the two of them were in the stables when "Hindley put out his tongue, and cuffed him over the ears ". Another example of this was when Heathcliff was flocked by Hindley and Joseph for not going to church. At this point Heathcliff never

  • Word count: 1289
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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