Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange - Contrast
Uploaded by DMMF226 on Apr 04, 2001
Never have two more opposing places existed than Thrusscross Grange and Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights is a dwelling characterized by fiery emotions, primal passions, bitter vengeance, and blatant evil. Thrushcross Grange is a peaceful, beautiful abode which epitomizes all that is good and lovely. Emily Bronte includes these two places in the Romantic novel, Wuthering Heights, to create a contrast which furthers the overall theme of good vs. evil.
Wuthering Heights is a house set high upon a hill where is exposed to extreme weather conditions. Storms often come “rattling over the heights in full fury.” - Storms which have “growling thunder,” and “great drop.” The name of the place itself is symbolic of it’s nature, “‘Wuthering’ being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which it’s station is exposed in stormy weather.” The Heights are not very pleasing to the eye either. Bronte describes the building as a harsh, cold house where, “the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall and the corners defended with large jutting stones.” She depicts it as having a “pervading spirit of neglect,” being filled with un-cheerful things such as drab decor and cruel dogs. The description of, “a few stunted firs at the end of the house,” and, “a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun.” proves that even the vegetation surrounding the structure conjures images that lack warmth and happiness.
The people which occupy the house tend to be rather severe and brutal also. Heathcliff, the protagonist, is a very vile and wicked man who spends his entire existence on earth seeking revenge and ruining the lives of others. A character from the story proves this by her question: “Is Mr Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?” Catherine, another tenant of the is a wild and willful girl who marries Edgar Linton, against her better judgement. Later, she dies because she cannot find a way to reconcile her passionate love for Heathcliff with her position as Edgar’s wife. Posthumously, she haunts Heathcliff for twenty years. Hindley Earnshaw is yet another example of the ferocity at the Heights for, “he neither wept nor prayed: he cursed and defied; execrated God and man, and gave himself up to reckless dissipation” He has a keen hatred for Heathcliff and a weakness of character...