Examine the Gothic Elements in the Novel Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
Examine the Gothic Elements in the Novel Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
Gothic literature originated and was very strong at the time of the Romantic Writers Movement. They were very popular and had authors such as Horace Walpole who wrote “The Castle of Oranto”, and novels such as “Frankenstein” and “Dracula“. Gothic novels all had a similarity between each other. They always had typical Gothic features which alleviated the novel in one way or another. For example, most Gothic novels involved settings which generally added fear and suspense. They were always quite dark, scary and isolated. Also the characters of the Gothic novels never seemed to fit in the community and the society. They usually were handicapped, disabled or deformed in their appearance. In some cases the novel would contain supernatural events or would be based on them. Wuthering Heights is a controversial story, written and created be Emily Brontë, a woman. In the mid 1800’s, the position of women in society was regarded in a bad way. People of the community would never think or believe that a lady could ever possibly write a novel with such emotions. However the novel was still greatly popular with the outside world, people and society when it was first published. Wuthering Heights is set in the early 19th century around the households of Thrush Cross Grange and Wuthering Heights. Although Emily Brontë does not tell the reader, it is set in the Yorkshire Moors close to where the author and her sisters Charlotte and Anne lived. An interesting aspect of Wuthering Heights is its narrative structure. In this novel the narrative structure is quite intelligent and surprising. Lockwood is the main story teller as he tells us about Wuthering Heights in first person. Later in the novel, he passes his role down to Nelly. Lockwood acts as a framing device who allows Nelly to continue as she is the main story teller. This devices adds suspense to the novel. It allows the reader to become drawn to the
Gothic literature originated and was very strong at the time of the Romantic Writers Movement. They were very popular and had authors such as Horace Walpole who wrote “The Castle of Oranto”, and novels such as “Frankenstein” and “Dracula“. Gothic novels all had a similarity between each other. They always had typical Gothic features which alleviated the novel in one way or another. For example, most Gothic novels involved settings which generally added fear and suspense. They were always quite dark, scary and isolated. Also the characters of the Gothic novels never seemed to fit in the community and the society. They usually were handicapped, disabled or deformed in their appearance. In some cases the novel would contain supernatural events or would be based on them. Wuthering Heights is a controversial story, written and created be Emily Brontë, a woman. In the mid 1800’s, the position of women in society was regarded in a bad way. People of the community would never think or believe that a lady could ever possibly write a novel with such emotions. However the novel was still greatly popular with the outside world, people and society when it was first published. Wuthering Heights is set in the early 19th century around the households of Thrush Cross Grange and Wuthering Heights. Although Emily Brontë does not tell the reader, it is set in the Yorkshire Moors close to where the author and her sisters Charlotte and Anne lived. An interesting aspect of Wuthering Heights is its narrative structure. In this novel the narrative structure is quite intelligent and surprising. Lockwood is the main story teller as he tells us about Wuthering Heights in first person. Later in the novel, he passes his role down to Nelly. Lockwood acts as a framing device who allows Nelly to continue as she is the main story teller. This devices adds suspense to the novel. It allows the reader to become drawn to the