The greatest, I say!
Wuthering Heights, published in 1847 and the only novel by Emily Bronte, is quite possibly the greatest, most progressive love story of its time. Why? Because it not only centers on the experiences of a person of color (highly unheard of at the time and especially in Great Britain), it discusses the challenges and heartbreak centered around an interracial relationship, while also touching upon the subjects of class, politics, environment, and family.
As Emily Bronte’s first novel, it does and does well, what authors try to accomplish throughout their writing career — write a novel that is compelling, poignant, timeless, and piquant.
Having just recently read the book for the first time (I know, where have I been all these years?) I finished the last page overwhelmed by the tidal wave of emotion that overtook me. The book is beautifully written, almost reminiscent of Faulkner’s writing style, and compelling to the point where some parts are difficult to read, inciting a feeling similar to that of watching John Waters’ Pink Flamingos for the first time.
If the book is on your to-read list or you’re unconvinced that any book written in the 1800’s could be worth reading, here are my reasons as to why Wuthering Heights is quite possibly the greatest love story ever told.
1. It’s Main Characters Are The Epitome of “Anti Hero”
The concept of an “anti hero” is one we are very much familiar with (Mickey Rourke’s character in The Wrestler, Tony Stark, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, you get it) but wasn’t until very recently a common occurrence. While I doubt Emily Bronte was the first to do it, the main characters in her novel, Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, are two hard characters to get behind. They’re selfish, difficult to deal with, mischievous and deceitful, and absolutely terrible to other people. Which is exactly what, to me, makes their relationship so compelling. How could two dark people have such a pure connection? While they may treat others callously, they only ever show love and affection (albeit in somewhat twisted ways) on each other.
Bronte does a great job at turning these characters into complex personas who are both capable of extreme evil and good. It’s beautiful to see them grow in front of your very eyes.
2. Class In The 1800’s Could Make Or Break You
While Catherine admits to loving Heathcliff (“he’s more myself than I am”) he’s been degraded to a status so low that it would never be permissible to marry him. In Wuthering Heights, class wasn’t just something you were born into, it was something you could become. Heathcliff, an orphan who was sheltered by Master Earnshaw’s generosity, was once considered to be in the same class as Catherine and Hindley. After Master Earnshaw dies, Hindley turns him into a servant who is, therefore, unfit to marry Catherine. Despite this, Catherine and Heathcliff continue to love each other until the end of their days.
3. Why Does Family Suck Sometimes?
Seriously though? Hindley, Catherine’s brother, is primarily responsible for the relationship that never was, but could have been. Since the moment Heathcliff was brought into the house, Hindley harbored a deep-rooted grunge against Heathcliff that was reciprocated instantly. As Heathcliff grows older, they both torment each other — Hindley physically and Heathcliff emotionally and mentally. However, it is after Heathcliff learns that Hindley was primarily responsible for Catherine being unable to marry him that he initiates his plan to exact revenge. While he never kills him, he does eventually end up owning Hindley’s property while Hindley drinks himself to a depressive oblivion. Oh, and Heathcliff is the one who encourages Hindley to drink and gamble himself to death. Here’s to getting along, right?
4. What The Book Says About Revenge
There are critics who view Wuthering Heights as a story about revenge, not love, and while a large part of Heathcliff’s actions are centered on exacting retribution, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that his vindication is the driving force of the story. But since we’re on the subject, the act of revenge is an exhausting, belittling and, ultimately, fruitless action. Neither party benefits from the hatred they hold against each other. One blindly drinks himself into a rage that affects his son; the other lives a miserable, lonely life. Emily Bronte’s message in the book? Revenge just isn’t worth it.
5. The Sheer Passion & Conflict Between Heathcliff & Catherine
There is no other relationship as passionate and conflicted as the one between Heathcliff and Catherine. Having grown up together, the two know each other intimately — as well as siblings would — but given the obstacles placed in their path have never been allowed an outlet with which to express their love for each other. Instead, the enormity of their feelings are exchanged through glances, words unspoken, and simple caresses. While the two are so close to each other (in both proximity and relationship), they may as well be millions of miles away on separate continents speaking different languages.
I can’t imagine having to see the person I love and knowing that we’ll never be together.
6. The Reasons As To Why We Marry
Now that Heathcliff is out of the question, what does Catherine do? She marries Edgar Linton, the rich, pretty boy who lives in the nice, big house 4 miles away from Wuthering Heights. While Catherine acknowledges that she’ll never love Edgar as much as she loves Heathcliff, she accepts that there is no other option and, at the very least, Edgar loves her.
This love triangle isn’t an outdated situation that only occurs in fairytales, it’s one we still hear about till this day: people marrying for convenience, for money, for every other reason that isn’t love. When you enter a marriage under these pretenses, you can never be truly happy.
7. The Existence Of True Love
Now I know this exists because I have truly, sincerely found the love of my life, but true love is a concept we smirk at and make fun of. Everyone thinks it doesn’t exist because we’ve been jaded by our personal experiences and the media, but Wuthering Heights is a perfect demonstration of the reality of and weight true love carries.
Even if there is no possibility of Heathcliff and Catherine ever being together, they love each other with the intensity of a newlywed couple until their last breath. After Catherine’s death, Heathcliff is forever tormented by her ghost until he decides to take his own life. In this case, it’s not the suicide that should be highlighted, but the passion that existed between two individuals, the way their hearts became one, and the meaning of life when you’ve met your other half.
8. The Meaning Of Eternity
In love, there is only eternity. While death may tear you apart physically, the memory of love lingers on, hovering above us like a rose-scented cloud. While alive, Catherine and Heathcliff made a tacit promise to love each other for eternity, an eternity whose weight was contained in every letter. It was only in death that they found solace and peace.
Wuthering Heights is moody, dark, and unrelenting in its bleakness, but it’s the love held between Catherine and Heathcliff’s eyes that illuminate the book and leave us blanketed in a soft, fuzzy warmth that only cuddling could produce. It’s a fantastic, easy read that will leave you turning page after page after page.
After reading it (because you should read it), I highly recommend watching Andrea Arnold’s take on the novel in her film, Wuthering Heights.