The Juxtaposition Between Nature and Man in Wuthering Heights

Set at the end of the eighteenth century, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontà « is a mysterious book that maintains the reader on the edge of their seat as Brontà « explores the dark side of love, revenge, and the juxtaposition between nature and man. But had Wuthering Heights been set in another time period, many situations-from Heathcliff’s arrival to the Earnshaw family to the union of Hareton and Cathy-may not have occurred. It should also be noted that many events consisted of an eerie, strange feel to them-a similar style seen in many Gothic novels, a popular genre in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds. One of the most important occasions in Wuthering Heights was the fateful day when Mr. Earnshaw came back from Liverpool with a homeless†¦show more content†¦At the top of the hierarchy there was royalty. Next up were the aristocrats, which consisted of those who owned of a large amount of land and people such as baronets and knights. Below them were the gentry, who had enough assets to live on and many came from families of ancient lineage. The bottom consisted of the working class, which was where most of the people belonged in. In Wuthering Heights, we can assume that the Earnshaws and Lintons were seen as gentry. Both families inherited their estates from their antecedents (noticeably, both â€Å"Hareton Earnshaw† and â€Å"1500† are engraved at the entrance of Wuthering Heights). But even though both families would be gentries, there is a striking difference between them. Thrushcross Grange and the Lintons would appear to be more elegant and sophisticated a s opposed to the wild nature of the Wuthering Heights and the Earnshaws, and when describing Wuthering Heights, Lockwood mentioned that it would appear to belong to a â€Å"homely, northern farmer.† The differences between the two families are also made evident by Catherine’s selfish thoughts when she spoke with Nelly Dean. She acknowledges that it â€Å"would degrade [her] to marry Heathcliff,† but if she married Edgar Linton â€Å"[she] shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighborhood.† There are many marriages occurring between the main families in Wuthering Heights, but had the book been written after the nineteenth century some of the marriages would not have beenShow MoreRelatedCharacterization in Wuthering Heights Essay1743 Words   |  7 PagesWuthering Heights deals with the very nature of controversy and paradox. The novel expresses deep criticisms of social conventions, and Brontà « uses her characters in their incongruous surroundings to exemplify her concerns of the strict social code which she herself was expected to abide by, whilst remaining true to the principles she considered most important. Wuthering Heights challenges orthodoxy with heterodoxy, of which destruction and chaos triumph over social pretensions. 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