My Book Report on Wuthering Heights

My Book Report on Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a gothic novel, and the only novel by Emily Bronte. Published in 1847, Wuthering Heights was not well received by the reading public, many of whom condemned it sordid, vulgar, and unnatural. Emily Bronte also believed that her only novel was a failure. It was not until 1850, when Wuthering Heights received a second printing with an introduction by Emily's sister Charlotte, that it attracted a wide readership.

Emily Bronte, a talented English novelist and poet, was born in a 19th century literary family on 30 July 1818 in Thornton, near Bradford in Yorkshire. Emily was the second eldest of the three surviving Bronte sisters, between Charlotte and Anne. Though Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre was generally considered the best of the Bronte sisters' works during most of the nineteenth century, many subsequent critics of Wuthering Heights argued that its evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature. Unfortunately, Wuthering Heights is the only novel by Emily because of her early death due to the indigent condition she lived in.

Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Their souls are made of the exactly same things but manifested in extremely different ways.

Story begins from the year 1771. Catherine’s father, Mr. Earnshaw loves his adopted son Heathcliff bizarrely much, which gives rise to an intense sense of hate in his own son, Hindley. After Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Hindley humiliates and tortures Heathcliff mercilessly. What is worse, due to the desire for status and wealth, Catherine marries to Edgar Linton, a handsome man from a rich family, instead of her love, Heathcliff. Heathcliff disappears for three years and comes back as a wealthy and polished man after Catherine and Edgar’s marriage. He begins his long-

姓名： 宋华军 班级： 英本一班 学号：20110606041002 日期：2014/5/4

term revenge plan with purchasing Wuthering Heights from Hindley, who turns into totally lapsed after his wife dies of giving birth to his son, Hareton. Later, he takes away Edgar’s little sister, Isabella Linton, who later raises a child, Linton Heathcliff for him. Finding how ecstatic she is to have a reunion with Heathcliff, Catherine also realizes how foolish she is for that she marries to Edgar just for her vanity. But everything’s too late, after giving birth to Cathy Linton; Catherine dies of the unwillingness for surviving. With the beloved person passing away, Heathcliff utterly falls into hell and becomes a devil. Heathcliff deceives and forces little Cathy to marry to his dying son, Linton. After her father’s and her husband’s death, Heathcliff takes over all the property little Cathy should have possessed. Though leading a gloomy life in Wuthering Heights, Cathy and Hareton, the rough but not vicious young man, fall in love. Thanks to the similarity of Hareton Earnshaw and Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff gradually realizes that revenge cannot make him feel better; he abandons his revenge and dies peacefully beside the window to the moor. The tragedy of last generation finally ends up in a true love of next generation.

In our life, to forgive and forget offenses help people grow and improve. It may seem totally unfair that we should forgive when we are hurt by somebody. Time cures wounds, but sometimes it really doesn't heal, and it just gives the bitterness and resentment longer to eat away people's goodness. As it says \"Whoever seeks revenge should dig two graves\" just like Heathcliff, if he could recognize this principle and follow it, all the tragedies shall be avoided. Love and forgiveness make the world go round.